Executive Summary
The article has been written by Alan Farnham. Mary Kay’s novel sales procedures and methods have aimed at enhancing the self-esteem of her sales force. Today, Mary Kay Ash Co. is the leading direct-sales company of cosmetic all over the United States. Mary Kay started her business in 1963 by selling beauty products under the name of Mary Kay Ash.
Mary Kay has developed important techniques to motivate and compensate her employees. She provides her consultants a high amount of compensation, Cadillacs, commissions, yearly trips for the best sales person of the year and above all enables them a highly friendly working environment to improve their self-esteem and sense of confidence.
She has made her sales force a part of her family by calling them her “daughters”. She has trained her employees in the same manner. Therefore, they also treat their customers in the same way.
The writer has mentioned a number of positive aspects of the Mary Kay’s corporate culture, and the way she has applied the advanced techniques for motivating her employees. However, the article has been written in an informal manner. The author has not mentioned any biased opinions about the company.
Furthermore, the writer has not emphasized upon the downturns the company had to face. The statistics should have been shown in the article to prove that the information provided is correct and précised. Although, the ending of the article is very appealing, as the writer has left a sense of enthusiasm in every person’s mind who is working for other companies by stating a tempting statement, ”The genius of great leaders is that they understand money is only one of the things that make people light up. Applause and prizes do it too” (Farnham, 1993).
Body
The article depicts the corporate culture of Mary Kay Ash Co. In 1937, Mary Kay was working for Stanley Home Products. She was direct-selling cleaners and brushes to the housewives and other women. She was really poor at that time. She dreamed of having her own business. In the year, 1963 Mary Kay started her own business by selling beauty products.
Her son Richard Rogers supported her in the business. The sales revenue of the company grew rapidly, and today it is the leading direct-selling cosmetic company in the United States. The company consists of more 300,000 employees, who are mostly women.
The corporate culture of Mary Kay Co. is egalitarian in which the company’s environment is impersonal, very task-oriented, the performance of employees is highly counted, motivation techniques applied in this culture are appealing and encouraging for the work force.
Mary Kay is highly supportive to her employees, she calls them her “daughters”, and on the workplace they are called as consultants. The most exceptional features of Mary Kay Cosmetics is the eagerness of its employees. The top performers are showered with generous gifts and appreciation from the public.
Every year she gives her best employees many awards such as pink Cadillacs, yearly vacation trips, diamond jewelry and a high amount of commission. As mention in the article John Kotter, the professor of Harvard Business School states that, “Mary Kay is an opportunity-generating machine” (Farnham, 1993).
According to Mary Ash, feting is the most important aspect for creating a well-balanced corporate environment, and is the best means for the company’s success. The employees are given inspecting ribbons made up of gold or metal bands that helps to motivate the sales force, and helps to achieve the required tasks or goals.
Every year a seminar is held for all the company’s work force on which Mary Kay crowns the women who are the best performers in the sales and recruiting throughout the year. She has built a sense of leadership and self-respect in her employees’ minds. She also provides benefits to the husbands of the women who are working for her company.
The style and concepts of her corporate environment was once the focus of enjoyment in the business world, but today all other companies are highly impressed by her motivating techniques, and are studying her methods to boost the self-esteem of their employees.
In the article, the writer has stated all the positive features of the Mary Kay Co. The article has also been written in an informal manner. The writer has overlooked the biased and opposing opinions for the company. The writing depicts that the company has never seen any ups and downs in the business world. The research shows the writer’s personal ideas only.
It doesn’t show that a thorough research has been made. The author has used statistics to demonstrate the points, but fails to specify the source. There are no references included at the end of the article.
The writing raises a number of questions in readers’ minds that should the reader rely upon the statistics the writer has mentioned, or is the information provided truthful. It can also be the writer’s personal creation because only the positive aspects have been mentioned in the article. Furthermore, there are no sources and references available creating a doubt in the reader’s mind.
Conclusion
The article has been written in a highly appealing manner, especially the ending leaves a curiosity in the reader’s mind that when will other companies also implement such ways and procedures to motivate their employees. However, if the writer would provided sources and reference at the end of the article, and would have mentioned some opposing opinions the article would have been more reliable and précised.
References
Farnham, A. (1993). Mary Kay’s Lesson in Leadership. Fortune , 1.