6-2 Controlling for Success

This post is going to show a "winning" company who has pulled through a recession and still remains successful and prosperous today. I decided to choose the Canadian coffee chain Tim Horton's, run by Donald Schroeder, President and CEO. 

Tim Horton's is North America's fourth largest quick-service restaurant chain, with restaurants in both Canada and the United States. There are 2939 outlets in Canada, and 536 in the United states, and the company continues to grow as it becomes more popular. Tim Horton's has always been a Canadian favorite, but the economy hasn't always been in the company's favor. Like all other organizations, recession has hit Tim Horton's and caused certain difficulties, but Tim's has overcome the hard times by doing a number of different things to keep business up and running.

The first thing I found out Tim's does to overcome recession is to continue to open new stores across the country. Most people would think that during a recession, this might not be the smartest move, but the CEO of the company believed differently and in turn became more of a success. The company opened new stores in high traffic areas like major cities in both Canada and the U.S. and opened various kiosks in office towers for easy access to those in a hurry. As well as opening new stores, Tim's has brought out new menu offerings and offered other chains in their restaurant such as Cold Stone Creamery Ice-Cream, which has helped them successfully sore through recessions. 

After researching the company more on their website, their main reason for success is the road map of stores all over North America, and also being a well known brand. I found this report/article on their website highlighting most of the company's success during 2010. http://www.timhortons.com/ca/pdf/Tim_Hortons_Inc_2010_Annual_Report_on_Form_10-K(1).pdf

In this report, the CEO of the company states that "Looking Outside" and "Thinking Inside" is what has made the company such a success and positioned themselves to overcome challenges and opportunities. 

Overall, Tim Horton's is one of the most successful Canadian born coffee chains out there. By developing new products and opening new stores across the Canada and the United States, they will continue to remain prosperous and popular. 

*All information found on the Tim Horton's website: http://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/index.html; and the textbook: Essentials of Contemporary Management

Blog 4 Sustainability

What is sustainability? As defined by the textbook Essentials of Contemporary Management: Decisions that protect the environment, promote social responsibility, respect cultural differences, and provide an economic benefit. Basically, sustainability is a way to meet the needs of the present without sacrificing the future. These decisions are made for the good of a company as a whole, and encourages employees to engage in company well-being. In this blog post I will be showing examples of what I think good sustainable decisions would be. In order for a decision to be sustainable, it must take the four contexts above into consideration. I will be listing 3 policies that I would use if I was the manager of a large corporation. 

 The first policy:

To ensure that workplaces are fair, non-discriminatory, and safe for all workers.

This policy should really be used by every company. In order to be successful, a company needs to satisfy the one thing that keeps it going, employees. Employees need to feel comfortable and safe when working, and this is something that I as a manger would guarantee. I would also want to respect every individual by having a workplace that is non-discriminatory, and non-prejudice based on culture, sexual orientation etc. Employees really are the fuel to the fire in a company's success, and by providing them with a safe reliable workplace, business will flourish. 

 The second policy:

 To manufacture and purchase recyclable products in order to reduce environmental footprint.

Our environment is so important to us. Nowadays, most organizations are trying very hard to be environmentally friendly, but some still take it for granted. We should all respect and try to preserve our planet for future generations; this being said, I feel that this is one of the most important sustainable decisions a company can make. Being green isn't just good for the planet, but good for society as a whole, and all who are alive today. Environmental protection makes the companies involved in it look good in the public eye, thus increasing social responsibility. 

The third policy: 

To ensure all employees receive flex days twice a month, and that those with children are provided with unlimited on-site childcare until the age of 5. 

We're all human, and humans can get overworked and stressed very easily because of the number of things we do on a day to day basis. By giving employees flex days 2 times a month, that stress and heavy workload can be lifted off of their shoulders, so that they can focus on their needs alone. If we overwork our employees, stress is sure to set in which can sometimes cause physical illness, preventing them from even coming in to work. These flex days are designed to help employees relax and unwind after tough weeks at the office. Flex days can also give employees more quality time to spend with their families, because family always comes first. As well as flex days alleviating stress, employees with small children can rest assured that their child/children are being well taken care of at our onsite daycare. Employees are the most important factor in an organization, and by reducing stress, they can perform to their full potential, thereby economically benefiting the company. 

 As you can see, sustainable decisions affect all of us, and they truly make a difference in the long run.