Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
IKEA
IKEA started in Sweden over 50 years ago with one mans vision.
Ingvar Kamprad, the founder of IKEA, asked the questions:
Why are nice homes only possible for people with a lot of money?
Why should none be able to afford a nice, functional home?
Why does furniture have to be so expensive?
Why is there no one offering a wide range of home furnishing
articles of good form and function at prices so low that the many
people can afford them?
Ingvar Kamprad wanted to help create a better everyday life for the
people in the area of Sweden where he lived. He was brought up in a
farming community where ordinary people were struggling to make a
living out of stony fields and limited resources.
Nothing could be taken for granted and survival meant hard work,
ingenuity and working together. Ingvar Kamprads desire to help
ordinary people founded the basis of a strong company culture, which
2
was refined and put into operation on a large scale. All this allowed for
long production runs, which provided economies of scale and growth
whilst maintaining the quality of the finished products. Instead of
increasing the numbers of service personnel when the business grew,
he kept the numbers the same, reasoning that employing more people
would cost more money and this would make the products more
expensive (so that buyers would not be able to afford them).
The simplicity of the way of working is what makes IKEA successful.
The initial vision to create a better everyday life for the many people
is even more relevant today than it was 50 years ago.
IKEAs vision
A vision is the ideal or aim to which an organization and its people
work. The vision statement should answer the question Who is
IKEA? Having a clear vision enables an organization to enthuse its
employees, customers, suppliers and other important stakeholders.
Ingvar Kamprads vision, for example, was different and exciting
because it said that ordinary people mattered. Nowadays, many
modern organizations set out to create a corporate and a personal
vision for the people that work for the organization.
Today IKEAs corporate vision is that of A community of
professionals, constantly developing the skills necessary to create a
better everyday life at home for the many people.
This is translated down to a personal vision for IKEA employees:
I, as an employee at IKEA, can make a difference. I am able to help to
create something for the benefit of everybody, a better everyday life
at home.
IKEAs mission
Having created a clear vision, it is then necessary to translate the
ideas into a mission - i.e. a purpose which can be used as a clear
guiding principal for how the organization and its employees will be
able to achieve the vision. The mission statement lays out the direct
practical steps, which the organization and its employees will be able
to take to achieve its vision. With a clear mission, it is possible to set
out what the organization and its people need to do to secure
improvements in performance.
IKEAs mission is: To develop the skills of every IKEA employee, so
that they may become professionals in providing a complete range of
home decorating products of good form and function at a low price.
The mission for IKEAs employees is: I will gain the knowledge
necessary to develop myself and my skills so that my work and my life
are more meaningful.
4
factory. The chair was produced in formed wood and was light, strong
and beautiful.
Function - this was a typical example of a chair, which could be easily
stacked, fitted many styles, and was comfortable and elegant without
being extreme. Thanks to its lightness, it was easy to move and
handle.
Low price - this, however, was not enough for Ingvar Kamprad, who
commented, The chair is too expensive - we cant sell it in a flat
pack.
Designer Gilles Lundgren found the solution. A supplier in the USA,
together with the enthusiasts from Smaland in Sweden, found new
materials and production methods to make it possible. Today the chair
is made in recyclable polypropylene for use indoors and out. It comes
with a stool, an Ogglett, in many different colors and combines the
three dimensions of IKEA: form, function and a low price.
Meeting the needs of the consumer
Because IKEA is fundamentally concerned with serving the
requirements of the many people, the design process begins with
finding out what the consumer wants. IKEA therefore engages in a
continual cycle of market research to find out about consumer
lifestyles, what benefits consumers are seeking from a range of
household furnishings, what consumer perceptions are of existing
products and many other things. IKEA has always been conscious of
the importance of a detailed analysis of customer needs.
For example, because IKEAs primary market is the many people
rather than the privileged few, a prime concern of furniture design will
be to provide solutions for people who may live in small, compact
homes. The form and function of furniture designed by IKEA is thus
very much driven by the needs and requirements of consumers.
Conclusion
This case study shows the importance and influence of vision within a
company. Ingvar Kamprads original vision has provided IKEA with a
clear set of goals and principles that have contributed enormously to
the success of the company. His vision to provide home furnishings of
good design and function at prices so low that the majority of people
could afford them has led to a company culture, which necessitates the
best practice in not only the design of its products but also the design
of the company structure and its systems.
Questions:
End of Questions