Introduction
Nowadays, the role of management is more complicated than it was before. Its duties and responsibilities are expanding since leaders need to be able to inspire others, be role models, and design solutions that will help support diversity and multicultural environment (Jones & George, 2015). To understand these changes, it was essential to interview a representative of the industry and understand how theoretical concepts were applied in practice. In this case, I interviewed David Hui, a human resource manager at Bossini International Holdings Limited in Hong Kong. The company was founded in 1987 by Law Ting-Pong (“Bossini: About Bossini”, 2017). Today, the enterprise can be considered as one of the leading brands in the apparel industry that uses the concepts of retailing and franchise (“Bossini: About Bossini”, 2017). The company has an international presence with its offices located in Singapore, China, and Taiwan while operating worldwide with the help of the franchise model (“Bossini: About Bossini”, 2017).
To analyze the main findings of the paper, the questions for the interview were designed based on the theoretical concepts addressed during the lectures. Consequently, the primary goal of the report is to summarize the main findings of the interview and understand the practical application of the topics highlighted in the textbook. The subsequent sections indicate the lessons that were learned from the interview and discuss whether this knowledge can be applied in managerial practice. In the end, the conclusions are drawn to summarize the findings of the report.
Interview Results
David Hui was eager to respond to the questions and share his experience in the managerial field. In the first place, one of the topics covered is the influence of global economics and trends on the operations of the enterprise and the sphere of HR. “Bossini operates internationally, and it opens new opportunities for the financial growth and expansion of the company. We plan to open more offices worldwide by using a franchise model. I often face diversity since I work in the HR department”, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) states. Thus, he also claims that the major challenge is to find the right approach to managing diversity in the company since establishing trusting relationships with the international partners is one of the key factors for the company’s success (D. Hui, personal communication, February 16, 2017). To address this problem, the managers of the organization rely on the principles of global leadership. In this case, Bossini slowly changes its policies and encourages communication and working in diverse cultural groups.
As for the main values, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) summarizes them as “being customer-focused, innovation-oriented, passionate about work, and promote high-quality clothing for energetic lifestyle”. These concepts imply that Bossini emphasizes the fact that substantial attention is paid to the company’s vision and its successful integration into other departments. “Thus, we have to focus more on integrity and international performance”, the HR manager replies to the question about the changes that are required to be made (D. Hui, personal communication, February 16, 2017). As it was mentioned earlier, Bossini pays critical attention to team collaboration to encourage idea sharing and support diversity. Thus, they target integrating departments to develop new products that comply with the needs of the customers and market them successfully. The company aims at this goal, as, now, issues such as the lack of active communication and the absence of initiative from the employees are of paramount importance.
“Yes, we use different ERP systems and other software to control sales, our inventories, and employees’ workloads”, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) comments on the role of information technology in their company. Various tools such as Skype and e-mail help the enterprise communicate with the partners and avoid misunderstandings. At the same time, various Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as sales and number to visits to websites create a clear image of the employees’ performance and can be used to develop training, educational sessions, and strategies. “We also try to have interesting content on our website. We are also thinking about strengthening social media marketing to attract more customers to our brand”, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) claims.
When being asked a question about the competitive advantage of Bossini International Holdings Limited, Hui (personal communication, February 16, 2017) said “Today, Bossini is a profitable international business that uses a model of a franchise. Our well-developed network of retailers and suppliers, geographical coverage, competitive pricing for colorful outlet clothing are our major strengths”. It could be said that all aspects mentioned above are highly important for the company’s success while being potential drivers for financial growth and well-developed brand image at both national and international levels.
Lessons Learned
It could be said that this interview helped discover the duties and responsibilities of managers from the inside and define the main challenges. In the first place, conversation with Hui revealed that the actions of the company are highly dependent on various external factors such as globalization and the rising importance of diversity in the workplace. Nowadays, being an international company creates even more challenges than operating nationally. Having a well-developed multicultural organizational structure is one of the keys to success (Jones & George, 2015). Nonetheless, policies and values have to be regularly discussed to avoid misunderstandings and ethical problems.
At the same time, it became clear that the company is a complex mechanism that consists of many interdependent components and departments. Consequently, to ensure its competitive advantage and sufficient functioning, equal attention has to be paid to each process such development of IT and marketing. In this case, management has to control and monitor different activities and matters and react to any changes rapidly (Jones & George, 2015). This aspect has to be discovered as a pivotal goal of management, but it is not its only responsibility. Overall, it remains apparent that this interview helped me understand that managerial duties tend to extend continuously. Meanwhile, the management of Bossini or any other company has to be prepared to take advantage of the constantly developing business environment, face and resolve issues, and consider changes in consumer preferences and IT to maximize profitability.
Managerial Implications
Apart from the theoretical concepts, managers have to pay attention to actual changes that tend to take place in the modern world (Jones & George, 2015). Considering these matters will help design an effective competitive advantage and become one of the market leaders. At the same time, global leadership and international marketing can be discovered as the major strengths of Bossini. In this case, other companies can use Bossini as an example and copy the elements of its strategy to support the expansion and financial growth.
Another finding that can be actively implemented in the managerial field is the fact that it is essential to consider specifics of various cultures. Taking into account this aspect will help redesign policies and values of the organizational culture that will comply with the commonly accepted ethical principles (Jones & George, 2015). This approach will help avoid conflicts and create favorable working conditions for the employees. Furthermore, the example of Bossini showed that one of the keys to success is being proactive and responsive to the changes in the market structure and consumer preferences. It is one of the major challenges for the management of the company, but integrating different departments to create innovative solutions and encouraging the employees to participate in the decision-making process are the central approaches that can be learned from Bossini. Overall, all these strategies and findings discovered with the help of the interview have to be used as a combination to design effective solutions, select the most profitable options, and establish trusting relationships with the workers.
Conclusion
Overall, based on the factors indicated above, it could be said that the concepts of managerial practice tend to change in the modern world due to the rising popularity of globalization. In this instance, this interview portrayed a managerial role from different angles and revealed its complex nature. The example of Bossini can be actively used to design effective expansion strategies and internal structures that will support the development of the employees and the overall financial growth of the company. At the same time, it will help avoid conflicts and ensure that the organizational vision is actively supported and reflected in the major activities. It could be said that the enterprise was able to take advantage of a franchise model and design a business strategy that considers all business processes and departments such as HR, R&D (research and development), and marketing of equal importance.
References
Bossini: About Bossini. (2017). Web.
Jones, G., & George, J. (2015). Essentials of contemporary management. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.