1.0 Introduction
Panda is one of the most famous and successful restaurants in the US preparing and selling Chinese food. Indeed, the ultimate success of this company is an indication that there are several aspects that gears its breakthrough. A close and critical analysis conducted in regard to the business shows that some of the components studied in class have been applied in the company as discussed in section 2.0 and 3.0.
2.0 Components in Class Readings Used by Panda Express
2.1 Social Media Use
During the class readings, the essence of social media and how it affects customer relations as well as the efficiency of business was discussed. In this regard, it was noted that customer are fond of using social and online platforms to search for hotels (Verma, Stock, and Mccarthy 183). In this light, Panda Express has incorporated a social media platform within their business strategy. Looking at the company’s official website, the company has provided a link to both its Facebook Page and Youtube Channel. As such, these are essential components in business marketing especially in the contemporary world where globalization is far too real.
2.2 Culture
In addition to social media, chapter nine of the book by Michael, Corgel and Verma emphasizes the need for cultural incorporation and sensitivity in business. In this regard, Panda Express has taken care of culture in various dimensions. Importantly, the company has introduced Chinese cuisine, which is part of the Chinese culture, in America. As such, it has harnessed the desire of the Americans to explore and transformed it into monetary value. In addition to this, the company employs people from different cultural backgrounds in order to ensure a nationalistic and global picture. This has gone a long way in helping the company to succeed in US.
3.0 Components in Podcast Used by Panda Express
3.1Serving as a Leader
In the Podcast, there was a detailed audio from TED radio discussing how leaders handle failure. In this case, there was a story of General McChrystal who resigned after making defamatory claims about the government of the United States (How Do Leaders Deal with Failure). After this incidence, the general decided to resign from service showing an extraordinary attribute of selflessness. This aspect has been incorporated in a program by Panda Express known as Panda Cares (How We Serve Para. 1). This program donates food to the needy and promotes healthy lifestyle in the society. This is an act of selflessness to the extent that the company does not only concentrate on profits but also the corporate social responsibility.
3.2 Common People Can Lead
In the podcast and discussions, also, there was a detailed perspective on whether common people can lead. This discussion was very important because it brought out the idea that everyone can inspire a vision and lead people into achieving it (Can Ordinary People Become Leaders). This component was equally incorporated in the company business strategy. In this case, Panda Express has partnered with an organization known as the “Leader in Me”. This organization promotes the essence of leadership among children (A Whole-School Transformation Process). This is an indication that the organization believes that leading is an attribute that can be embodied by all people regardless of their age or societal status.
4.0 Conclusion
It is evident that the components learnt in class are fundamentally applicable in the real business scenario. In this case, culture and social media were found to apply in the business processes as structured by Panda Express. In addition to this, the company has also proved that leaders must serve besides the fact that even common people can lead.
Works Cited
"Can Ordinary People Become Leaders?" NPR. TED. Web. 17 Apr. 2016. <http://www.npr.org/2014/01/17/261096538/can-ordinary-people-become-leaders>.
"How Do Leaders Deal with Failure." NPR. TED, 06 May 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2016. <http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1>.
"How We Serve." Panda Cares. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2016. <http://www.pandacares.org/how-we-serve>.
Sturman, Michael C., Jack B. Corgel, and Rohit Verma. The Cornell School of Hotel Administration on Hospitality: Cutting Edge Thinking and Practice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2011. Print.
"A Whole-School Transformation Process." The Leader In Me. Web. 17 Apr. 2016. <http://www.theleaderinme.org/what-is-the-leader-in-me/>.
Verma, R., D. Stock, and L. Mccarthy. "Customer Preferences for Online, Social Media, and Mobile Innovations in the Hospitality Industry." Cornell Hospitality Quarterly 53.3 (2012): 183-86. Web.
