MBA英文案例阅读.docx

MBA英文案例阅读.docx

《MBA英文案例阅读.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《MBA英文案例阅读.docx（8页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

MBA英文案例阅读

14.Wal-Mart’sCultureStories

TheSundownRule

OneSundaymorning,Jeff,apharmacistataWal-MartstoreinHarrison,Ark.,receivedacallfromhisstore.Astoreassociateinformedhimthatoneofhispharmacycustomers,adiabetic,hadaccidentallydroppedherinsulindownhergarbagedisposal.Knowingthatadiabeticwithoutinsulincouldbeingravedanger,Jeffimmediatelyrushedtothestore,openedthepharmacyandfilledthecustomer’sinsulinprescription.ThisisjustoneofmanywaysyourlocalWal-MartstoremighthonorwhatisknownbyourassociatesastheSundownRule.

It’sarulewetakeseriouslyatWal-Mart.Inthisbusyplace,whereourjobsdependononeanother,it’sourstandardtogetthingsdonetoday--beforethesungoesdown.Whetherit’sarequestfromastoreacrossthecountryoracallfromdownthehall,everyrequestgetssame-dayservice.Theseareourworkingprinciples.

TheSundownRulewasourfounder,SamWalton’stwistonthatoldadage“whyputoffuntiltomorrowwhatyoucandotoday.’’ItisstillanimportantpartofourWal-Martcultureandisoneresonourassociatesaresowellknownfortjeircustomerservice.TheobservationoftheSundownRulemeanswestrivetoanswerrequestbysundownonthedaywereceivethem.ItsupportsMr.Sam’sthreebasicbeliefs:

respectfortheindividual,customersliveinabusyworld.TheSundownRuleisjustonewaywetrytodemonstratetoourcustomersthatwecare.

ExceedingCustomerExpectations

AtWal-Mart,wereceivelettersdailyfromcustomerspraisingindividualassociatesforgivingexceptionalservice.Sometimestheywritetoexpresstheirappreciationforservicesassimpleasasmile,anassociaterememberingtheirnameorsomeonecarringouttheirpurchasesforthem.Othertimestheywriteofincidentsthatseemalmostheroic—forinstance,Sheilawhoriskedherownsafetywhenshejumpedinfrontofacartopreventalittleboyfrombeingstruck,PhyliswhoadministeredCPRtoacustomerwhohadsufferedaheartattackinherstore,JoycewhothrewaplateonthefloortoassureayoungmotherthatasetofdisheswastrulyunbreakableandAnnettewhogaveupthePowerRangershehadonlayawayforherownsonsothatacustomer’ssoncouldhavehisbirthdaywish.

Yearsago,SamWaltonchallengedallWal-Martassociatestopracticewhathecalled“aggressivehospitality.”Hesaid“Let’sbethemostfriendly—offerasmileofwelcomeandassistancetoallwhodousafavorbyenteringourstores.Givebetterservice—overandbeyongwhatourcustomersexcept.Whynot?

Youwonderful,caringassociatescandoitanddoitbetterthananyotherretailingcompanyintheworld…exceedyourcustomers’expectations.Ifyoudo,they’llcomebackoverandoveragain.

The“Ten—FootAttitude”

OneofWal-Mart’ssecretstocustomerserviceisour“10-footattitude,”handeddowntousbyWal-MartFounder,SamWalton.Duringhismanystorevisits,heencouragedassociatestotakeapledgewithhim:

“…Iwantyoutopromisethatwheneveryoucomewithin10feetofacustomer,youwillookhimintheeye,greethimandaskhimifyoucanhelphim.”

Thispledgeiswhatwenowcallour“10-footattitude,”anditwassomethingSamhadpracticedsincechildhood.Hewasalwaysambitiousandcompetitive,andbythetimehereachedcollegeattheUniversityofMissouriinColumbia,Samdecidedhewantedtobepresidentoftheuniversitystudentbody.

Inhiswords,“Ilearnedearlyonthatoneofthesecretstocampusleadershipwasthesimplestthingofall:

speaktopeoplecomingdownthesidewalkbeforetheyspeaktoyou…Iwouldalwayslookaheadandspeaktothepersoncomingtowardme.

“IfIknewthem,Iwouldcallthembyname,butevenifIdidn’tIwouldstillspeaktothem.Beforelong,Iprobablyknewmorestudentsthananybodyintheuniversity,andtheyrecognizedmeandconsideredmetheirfriend.Iranforeveryofficethatcamealong.”

NotonlywasSamelectedtojustaboutallofthoseoffices,buthealsocarriedthatphilosophyintotheworldofretail,whereyoucanseeitpracticedeverydaybyWal-Martassociatesthroughouttheworld.

（Samwaspresidentoftheseniormen’shonorsociety,QEBH,anofficerinhisfraternity,presidentoftheseniorclassandcaptainandpresidentofScabbardandBlade,theelitemilitaryorganizationofROTC.）

EveryDayLowPrices

AfterservingintheAmryinWorldWarTwo,SamWaltonknewhewantedtogetintothebusinessofretail.HestartedoutbyrunningastoreintheBenFranklinfranchisewherehelearnedaboutbuying,pricingandpassinggooddealsontocustomers.

Hecreditsamanufacturer’sagentfromNewYork,HarryWeiner,withhisfirstreallessonaboutpricing:

“Harrywassellingladies’pantiesfor$2adozen.We’dbeenbuyingsimilarpantiesfromBenFranklinfor$2.50adozenandsellingthematthreepairfor$1.Well,atHarry’spriceof$2,wecouldputthemoutatfourfor$1andmakeagreatpromotionforourstore.

“Here’sthesimplelessonwelearned…sayIboughtanitemfor80cents.Ifoundthatbypricingitat$1.00,Icouldsellthreetimesmoreofitthanbypricingitat$1.20,Imightmakeonlyhalftheprofitperitem,butbecauseIwassellingthreetimesasmany,theoverallprofitwasmuchgreater.

Simpleenough.Butthisisreallytheessenceofdiscounting:

bycuttingyourprice,youcanboostyoursalestoapointwhereyouearnfarmoreatthecheaperretailthanyouwouldhavebysellingtheitematthehigherprice.Inretailerlanguage,youcanloweryourmakeupbutearnmorebecauseoftheincreasedvolume.

Sam’sadherencetothispricingphilosophywasunshakable,asoneofWal-Mart’sfirststoremanagersrecalls:

“Samwouldn’tletushedgeonapriceatall.Saythelistpricewas$1.98,butwehadpaidonly50cents.Initially,Iwouldsay,‘well,it’soriginally$1.98,sowhydon’twepaid50centsforit.Markitup30pecent,andthat’sit.Nomatterwhatyoupayforit,ifwegetagreatdeal,passitontothecuatomer.’Andofcoursethat’swhatwedid.”

Andthat’swhatwecontinuetodo—workdiligentlytofindgreatdealstopassontoourcuatomers.ThankstothelegacyofSamWalton,Wal-Martisastoreyoucancountoneverydaytobringyouvalueforyourdollar.Andthat’swhyatWal-Mart,youneverhavetowaitforasaletogetyourmoney’sworth!

TheWal-MartCheer

GivemeaW!

GivemeanA!

GivemeanL!

Givemeasquiggly!

GivemeanM!

GivemeanA!

GivemeanR!

GivemeaT!

What’sthatspell?

Wal-Mart!

Who’snumberone?

TheCustomer!

Don'tbealarmedifyouheartheseenthusiasticshoutsfromourassociatesasyou’reshoppingatyourfavoriteWal-Martstore.AllthenoiseisourWal-Martcheer.Somepeoplemaythinkit’scorny,butwe’reproudofit.It’sthewayweshowprideinourcompany—infact,wehopeyou’lljoinrightin.overtheyears,ourcompanyhasgrowntoincludestores,associatesandcuatomersinmanypartsoftheworld,sonowourcheercanbeheardinmanydifferentguages.

TheRoadtoHell

Johnbaker,achiefengineeroftheCaribbeanBauxiteCompanyLimitedofBarracaniaintheWestIndies,wasmakinghisfinalpreparationtoleavetheisland.HispromotiontoproductmanagerofKesoMiningCorporationnearWinnipeg—oneofConstinentalOre’sfastexpandingCanadianenterprise—hadbeenannouncedamonthbefore,andnoweverythinghadbeentidiedupexceptthelastinterviewwithhissuccessor,theableyoungBarracabianMathewRennalls.ItwasvitalthatthisinterviewbeasuccessandthatRennallsleaveBaker’sofficeupliftedandencouragedtofacethechallengeofhisnewjob.AtouchonthebellwouldhavebroughtRennallswalkingintotheroom,butBakerdelayedthemomentandgazedthoughtfullythroughthewindow,consideringjustexactlywhathewasgoingtosayand,moreparticularly,howhewasgoingtosayit.

Baker,anEnglishexpatriate,was45yearsoldandhadservedhis23yearswithConstinentalOreinmanydifferentplaces:

theFarEast;severalcountriesofAfrica;Europe;and,forthelasttwoyear,theWestIndies.HehadnotcaredmuchforhispreviousassignmentinHamburgandwasdelightedwhentheWestIndiesappointmentcamethrough.Climatewasnottheonlyattraction.Bakerhasalwayspreferredworkingoverseasinwhatwerecalleddevelopingcountriesbecausehefelthehadaninnateknack—morethanmostotherexpatriatesworkingforConstinentalOre—ofknowingjusthowtogettingonwithregionalstaff.

24hoursinBarracania,however,soonmadehimrealizethathewouldneedallofhisinnateknackifheweretodealeffectivelywiththeproblemsinthisfieldthatnowawaitedhim.

AthisfirstinterviewwithGlendaHutchins,theproductivemanager,thewholeproblemofRennallsandhisfuturewasdiscussed.ThereandthenitwasmadequitecleartoBalerthatoneofhismostimportanttaskswouldbethegrommingofRennallsashissuccessor.HutchinshadpointedoutthatnotonlywasRennallsoneofthebrightestBarracaniaprospectsonthestaffofCaribbeanBauxite—atLondonUniversityhehadtakenfirst-classhonorsintheB.Scengineeringdegree—but,beingthesonoftheministeroffinanceandeconomicalplanning,healsohadnosmallpoliticalpull.

CaribbeanBauxitehadbeenparticularlypleasedwhenRennallsdecidedtoworkforitratherthanforthegovernmentinwhichhisfatherhadsuchaprominentpost.Thecompanyascribedhisactiontotheeffectsofitsvigorousandliberalrationalizationprogramthat,sinceWorldWarTwo,hadproduced18BarracaniaatthemiddlemanagementlevelandgivenCaribbeanBauxiteagoodleadinthisrespectsoverallotherinternationalconcernsoperatinginBarracania.Thesuccessofthistimelyrationalizationpolicyhadledtoexcellentrela