Investigating Castle Mall management Essay Example for Free

Investigating go M exclusively counselling EssayThe castle m entirely is a shopping sum total located in the centre of Norwich. It is owned by the insurance company Friends Provident. Friends provident employ a whole film directorial team who run the centre. This is called sloppedhold stroll Management. This is what I will be investigating in my project.E1 Public and Private Limited Companies (PLC)Castle mall circumspection Ltd is a private limited company (ltd). A private company is a moving in with limited liability whose sh ars atomic number 18 non available to the public. A Public limited company (PLC) is a business with limited liability whose sh ars be not available to the public.PLCs are required by law to publish their accounts. This means that they are available for scrutiny, not scarce by the owners (shareholders), potential investors, and bankers, al sensation also, by competitors.The Memorandum of Association must state inducely that the business is a p ublic company and it must be registered as such. The term plc must appear after its name.The differences between the two, private and public limited companies are A public company plenty produce capital of the United States from the general public, while a private company is prohibited from doing so. The minimum capital requirement of a public company is 50,000. There is no minimum for a private company. Public companies must publish far much detailed accounts than private companies.Advantages1) The shareholders piddle limited liability.2) It is easy to raise capital by issuing more shares.3) It is much easier to raise finance beca hire the banks are much more willing to lend m championy to a bad, well established, as they crack it as much less of a rise.4) This all leads it easier for the PLC to grow and expand.5) The shareholders will appoint specialists to manage and runt the company for them.Disadvantages1) Setting up a public limited company is expensive. There is a lot of administration hightail it involved and at least 50 000 has to be raised beforehand a PLC stomach be set up.2) The PLC has to issue much more nurture ab tabu itself and this again is precise expensive to produce. It has to prepare and annul underwrite as well as Annual Accounts and these induct to be printed and direct to all the shareholders. They also available to the general public and competitors to see.3) The extent to which any one individual, or separate, flock husband control of an organisation is severely limited by the sale of its shares on the stock exchange. A family whitethorn find their square up on a business diminished when a listing is obtained.In turn, this means that publicly quoted companies are al ship itinerary vulnerable to take over bid. This may affect the decisions taken by directors.For example, they may be more inclined to cut back on mental facultying during a recession, whereas a private firm would need to hold on to experienced staff for when the economy starts to recover.E6 CommunicationsThere has to be communion between each member of staff for the company to manipulation properly. I will now look at how this can be done within the company.Uses of communication To contact each other To reserve deals To reserve instructions To give or receive information To exchange ideas To announce plans or strategies To compare actual results against a plan To lay down rules and procedures product line descriptions, organisation charts or manualsDirection of communication noble InformalVertical Vertical* Downwards Between peers, friends or-From superior to subordinate. Colleagues.* Upwards Could be given up as From subordinate to superior emotional support.Or to organise a functionHorizontal or lateral or party. People of the aforementioned(prenominal) rank,(In the same sectionOr in different sectors)DiagonalInterdepartmental communication by people of different ranks.Methods of communicationA) Face to face communica tions Formal neating Word of m erupth Interviews Informal contactB) Oral communication The telephone Public address systemC) Written communication Letters, external place systems Memorandum, internal mail system Reports Forms Notice board News garners, bulletins, ho occasion journals Organisation manual, handbook, leafletD) Visual communication Charts Films, PowerPoint PresendationE7/A3 superior Control* Quality is one of the ingredients in the purchasing decision of consumers, who demand ever-increasing levels of quality* Any firms that ignore the quality aspect of both inputs and outputs risk losing market share to those firms who shuffle it a priority.Quality is defined by the CustomerW E Deming (American Quality Guru)Quality Defined* It is difficult to provide a single description for quality as it means different subjects to different groups of people. Certainly the perception of the node is a key element.hither are some of the minimum requirements for customer satisfac tion* Fitness For PurposeThe product can do what is it meant to do. This is a useful definition as it can be applied to a entire variety of products, including cheap products such as disposable pens.* Meeting the minimum standards prescribed by acts of parliamentsHealth and Safety, Weights and Measures and Trade Description Legislation provides a profound framework for minimum standards across a wide range of groovys.* Meeting trade association standardsSome industries charter self regulating bodies that guarantee their members work, e.g. the bailiwick family line grammatical construction council.In final analysis it is the customers perceptions of quality that sincerely matter, firms must strive to convince the market that their product/service is the best revalue for silver.Quality Control SystemsIn the past, Quality Control in the UK meant inspecting the product after accomplishment has taken place. In other words it was a faultfinding(prenominal) exercise.Today qual ity control it is all about building in quality at each stage of intersection. Such a preventative onslaught reduces the high costs of rejects and re-working. The Japanese perfected this is known asTotal Quality Management (TQM)Basic features of TQM are* The establishment of culture of quality among all employees* The recognition of quality chains where each stage of production is treated as a separate customer to be valued and looked after* The use of Quality Circles* Empowerment of workforce* The emphasis on after-sales service as well as quality manufacture.TQM is not a wariness tool but a Philosophy. Requiring a complete mind shift on behalf of the entire company (Managers and employees)Quality InitiativesIn recent old age these make up been many initiatives introduced to dish firms to extend to Assurance.QualityQuality AssuranceRefers to all of the activities that ensure the satisfactory bringing of honorables and services to end customer.Quality Assurance refers to al l of the activities that ensure the satisfactory deli really of goods and services to the end customer.Key factors include* The quality of inputs such as raw materials and components* The quality of the design process so that the products meet customer requirements whilst politic being economic to manufacture* To appropriate skill level of the workforce and its commitment to quality assurance* The quality control methods used in the production process* The quality of advice at the purchasing point and after-sales serviceThe Main Initiatives Have IncludedTQMA philosophy of qualityQUALITY CIRCLESAn informal watchword group drawn from all parts and levels of the business that meets regularly to discuss quality problemsKAIZENAn approach to advocates continuos improved in small steps rather than a competitive overhaul of the production system.BENCHMARKINGIdentifying the best practice of the leading firms and using that as a yard stick with which to measure ones own performanceISO 9000A n worldwide quality certification procedureZERO DEFECTSA philosophy that encourages all employees to strive for the ultimate goal of a perfect productTRAININGWhere management has recognised that for quality to be assured a quality culture must be implemented at each stage of the process it is commanding therefore to train all employees to have the requisite skills, both for their direct tasks and for quality monitoringQuality can be achieved in diverse directions but the ultimate goal is to satisfy the customer, which of course is a constantly moving objective.The thing is that Castle piazza Management does not sell anything. This can be a problem when trying to implement quality control. To over induce this they have to vet the stores they have in the centre and illuminate sure that they use quality control. This would help oneself castle mall management reach their objectives especially the briny objective to make a amplification. As Castle Mall management do not sell anyth ing they cant run authorized procedures. This means that the design and production side is out of their hands, but is it? If they indispensability to be really sure of what they are getting into they can agree with the firm or business to have an input into what they are selling. For example, they could check the production side of a chocolate shop making sure that their production line is of a high standard and that they are not breaking any laws. Another thing they could check, although not directly liked with quality is where the product is make. If a product is made in a small 3rd world country with the staff getting paid for example 50p a day they might disagree with this and not allow the shop to trade in their centre. I believe that one of their objectives should be to help the customer in buying a quality product.The use of quality control to add value.* Adding value For landlord* Increase foot pedigree* Increase spending* Operate a profitable environmentCity* Investment in the city* PrecencePopulation* Provides jobs* Provide social outlets* Sponsorships* Castle Mall is the only underground shopping centre in Western Europe. This makes it a landmarkE2/E3/C1 The objectives of Castle Mall ManagementObjectives A statement of what an organisation wants to achieveObjectives are a statement of what an organisation wants to achieve through its operation. A firms formal objective is given in its memorandum of association, and larger firms may publicly state their general philosophy and values in a list of objectives. For most PLCs profit is only one goal among others.Objectives provide criteria for decision-making. Most firms normalize these general objectives into more dynamic aims, which are intended to drive the organisation forwards in the chosen direction. Mission statements are focused declarations of intent, designed to modify staff at all levels to work in common cause.In practice the overall objectives of a large firm need translating into terms that have meaning for each operation or function. This may mean that one objective is particularly highlighted.1) The Main objective is to make a profit. They have to make a profit in order to ensure that the investors i.e. Friends Provident get bring round on their investment. This is the main objective of most businesses they set out to make money. If they do not wherefore they are considered a failure.2) To provide a Safe and secure environment for their customers. In order to make a profit people have to come in to the centre. If possible customers feel that the centre is secure and they will be good thence they may visit and return for all their needs. If they consider the centre and car parks not to be safe then they will not visit as they feel that they or their property is not safe.3) To increase footfall per year. The footfall is the amount of people that visit the centre in a measured time. The more people that come in the more chance of them buying items and the Castle Mall making a profit. Even if a non-customer walks through the centre everyday on the way to work then they may see a shop or an item in a window, which they may come back and buy it when they want it.4) To increase amounts of visits per psyche. This is not the same as footfall as footfall is the amount of people who visit the mall, whereas the 4th objective is to increase how many clock one person visits in a measured period. Again more visits means potentially more profit.5) To increase visits from within a large catch-ment area. difficult to gain custom from shops in a large catch-ment area. This means trying to get potential customers from other places of Norfolk up to a 1-hour drive away.6) For customers to stay drawn-out when they get there. The longer the customer stays the more money they are likely to spend. also with plenty of food restaurants in the mall if people are there a long time then they may get hungry and buy food. This will help increase profit.The overall objective all the objectives lead to is toMake a profit.E4 The Functional areas of Castle Mall management LtdThe main functional areas of Castle Mall Management Ltd are* Marketing* Accounts* presidency* Security* Human resources* Food Court* Customer serviceEach area has its own responsibilities and objectives. Next I will explain each areas responsibleness* Marketing Public Relations Advertising-Briefing the creative/media buying agencies-Approving copy and schedules-Ensuring targets and deadlines are met Web Site Christmas Decorations Promotions-Events-Displays-Activities Research Sponsorship Buying -Maintaining stock levels-Existing literature-Briefing in new requirements-Checking prints quality-Distribution Health and Safety checks on displays* AccountsThe accounts section of Castle Mall Management Ltd looks after the money side of the company. This can involve checking and run all the money side of the centre. This can range from making sure people have paid their rent and how much they should have paid to enumeration the money that is put into the car park pay machines. This is a very important side of the company as without them they would not get any money in and staff would not get paid etc.* AdministrationAdmin look after the themework side of the company. This can involve writing to perspective clients and customers with information about the centre. Also it can involve internal communication helping the company run. Without the admin department the company could not run, this is because they basically sort everything out. If a letter needs to be sent, a contract needs to be singed or a delivery needs to be taken admin are there, if they cannot sort it out then they can contact a someone who can.* SecurityThe security department is a very important in the Castle Mall. Weather you see them or not they are alship canal there. There are a team of highly trained security staff patrolling the Mall 24/7. This offers a visual presence for the custome rs, making them feel safe and secure. What the customers dont see is the main control room where the operation is run from. Here they control over 50 cameras. Some of these are visual to the customer, some a hidden Matchbox cameras which can be hidden basically anywhere. The CCTV system is very important in the mall, if a business office is spotted then the security guards can be contacted by radio and told any information they need to sort it. The security staffs also are called into action when there is a fire alarm. When this happens the mall is evacuated and the fire service is called, when they arrive its the security guards job to show them to the area where the alarm is. When the all clear is given it is the guards job to let everybody back into the mall. From shoplifters to lost customers the security guards are helping the mall function properly.* Human ResourcesThe human resources department is in heyday of the employment side of the company. This can involve placing adv erts in the paper for a new position, looking at the application forms. Deciding on candidates and then interviewing them. They would then have to decide on a new employee with their experience and knowledge.* Food CourtThe food court has a different sort of agreement with Castle Mall Management, they are directly accountable to Castle Mall Management Ltd as there targets are set by them. If they are struggling to meet this Deadlines Castle Mall Management will intervene and try and sort the problem. As they have this relationship the profits they make are shared with Castle Mall Management. This is a pre-arranged agreement, which was sorted when the mall opened. As the food court is a large part of the mall and is closely linked with Castle Mall Management they have their own omnibus within Castle Mall Management. It is their job to make sure that the food court are meeting their targets and are running with no problems.* Customer ServiceThe customer service desk and team have a l arge area to cover. They basically look after the customers of the mall. Here are some of the areas they cover. data services for the mall and local area. Security Car parking Disabled parking and access Disability service Shopmobility learning leaflets Public relations informing public about evens Baby changing facilities Good signage and directions First aid Directory leafletsAlso the customer service desk is also the beginning(a) place to make a complaint. It depends on the nature of the complaint as to how it is dealt with. However, all that make a complaint will get a letter of some kind of response from the centre motorcoach. All complaints are dealt with as soon as possible. If necessary clients/customers will be invited backs and helped. One example is when a fire alarm went off and a mother with a toddler with a pushchair had to carry the pushchair down flights of stairs because she had taken the vilify turning. She aired her concerns to CMM Ltd who invited her back to show her that there was an access/ exit especially for disabled/pushchair access. This alleviated her concerns and she is more than likely to return to the shopping centre because her concerns were dealt with efficiently and effectively.Complaints cam be made either through the information desk or by post.Customer fills in formThey will then be sent to the management suite where the corresponding manager will deal with it.Investigation carried outAnd acted uponE5/C2/A1/A2 Organisational social structuresWhen you look at the structure of Castle Mall Management it looks, as it is hierarchical (See additional page 1). This is not 100% true, when I asked Erik Kirk the manager of Castle Mall management Ltd he described them as having elements of all structures and cultures.Organisational structures can be described as vapid, hierarchical or matrix shaped. Where decision-making is decentralised, the structure tends to be flat. This means that managers and the staff are given wide ra nging responsibilities in deciding what to buy, what prices to charge and which staff to employ etc.An organisational structure where decision-making is decentralised it can be described as flat because it does not have many layers.A disadvantage of this type of organisation is that decision-making can be slow. For example any decision that is made this way can take a long time. However, the decision-makers have the advantage of being close to the others day to day activities. In other words there is not along line of communication between the decision-maker and the work to be done. The most extreme version of this is the sole trader who does all the work and carries out all the decisions of the business.Some organisations have in recent years cut out layers in the middle management with the aim of improving communication and decision-making. It can be called de-layering this has had the effect of widening the span of control of the managers who are left.This means that managers can become overwhelmed by the information coming to them and the quality of decision-making suffers. The managers start to loose control over practices and procedures.Narrow Span of control roomy Span of controlAn alternate way to run the business is to centralise operations. This approach takes decision-making power away from junior staff. This resulting structure is described as hierarchical. ranking(prenominal) staff makes all-important decisions. Below is an organisational chart showing a centralised structure it has several layers of command and is pyramid shaped, i.e. wide at the bottom and destine at the crystallise. Most large businesses are organised in a hierarchical structure. The senior managers are responsible for taking decisions affecting the whole, or large parts of the businesses whilst shop floor workers mainly carry out decisions made by others.ManagerSenior supervisor Senior supervisorJunior executive program Junior Supervisor Junior Supervisor Junior Superviso rShop Floor Workers Shop Floor WorkersThe Key advantage of a hierarchy is that it allows strong lead and centralised decision making. It ensures that the organisation has a consistent policy, approach or activity.A problem with hierarchy is that the line of communication between top and bottom might be quite long. There are layers of people who to receive and pass on information and at each stage the Information can be reinterpreted or misinterpreted. One way of avoiding this problem is to delegate decision-making. This means that people within the organisation are given the authority to make decisions themselves rather tan wait for instructions from the top.Advantages and Disadvantages of centralisationAdvantages* Bulk buying reduces costs* Fewer staff are required in the whole operation.* The background for specialisation increases* Producers such as ordering and purchasing can be standardised* Planning and control tends to be more effective* Decisions are made for the good of t he company rather than the branch* Leadership is likely to be stronger and more consistentDisadvantages* Middle managers may be less motivated because they have less responsibility* Local needs are less likely to be met* There is less flexibility* There may be more administration* Communications between different sections might be poor* The burdens of management is more concentrated to the centreMore example of StructuresLocation consort Breweries LtdCalsberg/ Allied Breweries AlliedTetley UK Netherlands BreweriesTradingWorld-wideProductAllied Lyons PLCSpirits Retailing Brewing Food+ ManufacturingWholesalingSome organisations have structures that cannot be described as flat or hierarchical. They use tears that cut across traditional departmental boundaries. Sometimes the tears are permanent, in other cases the are brought together for a specific purpose. Project tears are increasingly being used by businesses to develop new products. Such tears have MATRIX STRUCTURES. In that the ha ve members drawn from several departments.One example of a project team is the one Rover used to develop the 600 series. From the start of the project, stylists, manufacturing, production engineers, production line operates and suppliers all worked together. All team members had the authority to act without consistent referral to senior management.StylistsEngineers Team Leaders Production lineOperatesSuppliersHow does the organisational structure affect its performanceThe organisational structure of Castle Mall Management (or as they call it the Family Tree) has a hierarchical shape. This means that there is one main centre manager. The centre manager Eric Kirk then goes directly to a deputy centre manager. They then lead directly to four other managers of separate divisions. The marketing, food court, security and administration manager all then head a team in that department except the marketing manager who has no team and works closely to the deputy and main manager. The structu re shows that the centre manager has direct input to the four division managers.I believe that having a structure of this sort will be successful. This is because everyone has a link with everybody else. If there is a problem then there is always someone there to sort it. Also as the main manager has close links with most of the staff under him so if he makes a request they may not mind carrying it out.I think that the structure helps Castle Mall Management meet and exceed its objectives because they work well as a team. This is because everyone is linked with everyone and there is always someone to help you out if need be. You see how important they find these as they call there structure the Family Tree. This can help with all objectives, especially the objective, to make it a safe and secure place for the customers to shop. If the employees believe they are doing a important job and feel wanted as a part of a team then they may put more effort. This means that they may make the e xtra little bit of effort to clean a spillage etc.The management cultureThe management culture of a business is how the people very high on the hierarchy act to the lower down employees and their associates. It depends on how managers act, if they disunite people what to do or if they leave it up to them to make their own decisions.A good model to show this is the leading continuum.Autocratic sort Participative style Free-Rain StyleConsultative Consensus DemocraticAutocratic styleAn autocratic leader maintains most of the authority by issuing orders and telling what to do without consulting them. To the autocrat, the basis for lead is formal authority. Autocratic leaders may have a few favourite subordinates but they usually regard close interpersonal relationships with group members as superfluous. The autocratic style of leader is generally in disfavour in modern organisations.Participative styleA participate leader is one who shares decision-making authority to the group. Pa rticipative leadership occupies enough space on the continuum to warrant dividing it into three subtypes Consultative, Consensual and democratic.A Consultative leader solicits opinions from the group before making a decision, yet does not feel obliged to accept the groups thinking. A standard way to practice consultative leadership would be call a group a group meeting to discuss an issue before making a decision.A Consensual leader encourages group discussion about an issue and then makes a decision that reflects the general agreement of group members. Consensual leaders thus turn over more authority to the group than consultative leaders do. The consensus leadership style results in long delays in decision making because every party involved provides input.Free-rain style or laissez-faire styleA Laissez Faire or Free Rain leader turns over almost all authority to the group members and does as little leading as possible. Given a situation in which the work to be done by each empl oyee is clearly defined, weather it is sorting coupons or cutting gears with laser beam, such leaders maintain a hands-off policy. They make few attempts to increase productiveness or to coach their employees. At times the free-rain leader is a abdicator who cares very little for productivity goals or developing subordinates. Erik Kirk of Castle Mall management is certainly not like this as he has very high targets and standards.As with any leadership style, there are some situations in which an autocratic style is appropriate. One example is a high-accident work area where the employees are not particularly knowledgeable about the potential risks. Many autocratic leaders have been successful as high-level leaders in the private and public sectors. One good example of this is taken from Management and organisation by DuBrin, Ireland and Williams. Jack Traimiel, the controversial executive who has occupied key positions at both Commodore and Atari. A co-worker of Tramiels said, Comm odore was the house that jack built, and when he left the company, so did the spirit, the aggressiveness and the drive. Decision making also went by the waysideCastle Mall Management are democratic and laissez-faire at times but are autocratic at times of* New EmployeesNew employees may not know about certain parts of the business so if they make decisions however small they could make curtail mistakes, which could cost money or customers. Also if they are not taught they may never learn a certain technique and carry on using the wrong way forever.* Health and safetyHealth and safety is very important as it involves the welfare of workers and customers. If they want to meet their objective of proving a safe and secure place for people to shop they will have to be very strict on this subject. This means that precise decisions need to be made which are in lines with all guidelines set by the governments of the world.* SecurityIs very important, again if they want to meet their objecti ves they will have to be very strict and precise on security matters. This may involve making decisions base on laws and keeping information form other employees lower down the hierarchy.Erik Kirk and his associates like to have a team of workers who are loyal and work hard. He also likes to make them feel part of something, a team. He has an open door attitude when it comes to this. He likes to feel that if there is a problem it can be sorted. No matter how small the problem is he feels that he can help providing answers and privacy.On paper the structure appears hierarchical but it does have elements of a flat structure.Overall the culture is* Philanthropist in attitude* Good work ethics* Relaxed* Productive* Efficient* Good and open communication channels* Clear objectives* Safe and secure working environmentE6 The use of ICT in communicationsCastle Mall management would be severally stricken without ICT. The main use of ICT is communication. There are many areas of communicati on featuring ICT, these are* E-mailInternalExternal* Web site* demoralize System (2 way communication)* Reports* Telephone (external + between departments)* CCTV + Mini camerasE-mailCastle Mall Management uses E-mail to communicate between department, level and centre. E-mail is a very good way of communication as it is virtually instant. Also you can send designs, graphics and programs as attachment files. This is very helpful as it saves in paper costs and also cannot be lost as with paper. Castle Mall Management uses E-mail to communicate with each other no-matter where they are in the building or country. For example a admin worker could e-mail his supervisor to alert them of a problem or just to book holiday. Another example is Erik Kirk the main centre manager E-mailing another manager of another centre alerting them of a security problem.Web siteCastle Mall Management help run the castle-mall.co.uk web site. Some Castle Mall Management staff has been trained to update and re design the web site. The web site can be used to make customers aware of events and new promotions. It can also give customers information about what shops are in the mall and what services are available.Alarm systemsThe alarm system in the mall has a communication system built in so if there is an emergency most people in the mall can contact each other through the alarm system to find out whats happening. It can also pinpoint where a person is so if they are in danger then they can quickly be located and helped.ReportsReports are written by all sections of management so that other people in other positions know what is happening, why and when. They are written about special events to inform people what is happening and how successful something was. Also reports are written once a week, month and a major one written each year. These reports are read by managers and then sent to Friends Provident or FisPam. To let them know how they are getting on. If there is a problem with the rep orts then friends provident will try and suggest ways to rectify it.