Gap Inc is a company that prides itself in the production of high quality garments. Some of my relatives have worked for the company and they always told me good news about the company. The company is one of the largest earners in the world when it comes to the clothing industry. This paper seeks to explain the organizational aspects that I encountered during a visit to Gap Inc.
One of the most important aspects that I learnt about Gap Inc is the level of organizational learning that is present. Organizational learning is the aspect of an organization that adapts and evolves. This aspect of organizational learning is important as it encourages problem solving that is important in resolving issues. Gap In has a good problem solving culture that is based on sharing of information between all levels of the organization. I found that Gap Inc prefers to learn quickly so as to resolve issues as fast as possible. The organizational learning is based on learning within the organization as well as learning from other companies in order to maintain a competitive edge in the organization.
Another aspect that I learnt was the leadership in Gap Inc. The leadership of Gap Inc is something that is holds together the company. When talking about the executive management, most staff members showed respect rather than fear that is expected in most companies. The leadership guides the main aspects of the organization. The leadership is not rigid and allows for the flow of ideas and criticism which creates an avenue for self improvement within the organization..
The success of Gap can be attributed to the values that were cultivated into the company by the founders. The founders believed that Gap should maintain family values in its product design. This is an important aspect that was evident during my visit to the organization. Gap Inc also prides itself in having creative designers who are responsible for creating products that have made it a market leader in the clothing sector.
Another major reason for the success of Gap Inc that I learnt is the culture of making the customer’s needs the prime importance. This aspect is one of the main reasons why Gap Inc maintains a steady market share. The 21st century is made up of businesses that produce almost similar products. The main way to gain a competitive edge is by creating a good customer relationship. This has been done well by Gap Inc. One of the main ways is the maintenance of production in the United States. This has given Gap Inc an advantage of producing goods that are of higher quality. The personalization of goods in by customers is also a major driving force. Gap gives customers an opportunity to customize their own labels on order. The proximity of the manufacturing sector of the business makes its services fast and of high quality.
During my visit to Gap Inc, I realized that the company does not have a well-defined mission and vision statement. Though they exist, the main culture that is encouraged is that of creating an emotional bond between the customers and the products. This is done through compelling and unique designs that are strategically marketed. This aspect of the production is taken seriously in the design phase. Another aspect of Gap Inc is the emphasis of family values. Gap is one of the few manufacturing companies that still prides itself in the creating a work environment that promotes ethics and responsibility among its employees. This aspect improves the quality of the work that is done by employees. Employees feel that they are responsible for the creation of each individual article of clothing, and they try to maintain high standards. To me, this approach creates a favorable working environment that breeds success in the business. Gap views its employees as a prime factor in gaining a competitive edge over their main rivals. To maintain this, Gap has a unique organizational structure that welcomes the contribution from employees, customers and other stakeholders in the clothing industry. This encourages commitment and passion in all those involves the production process. This aspect of communication within the organization is discussed by Mumby as he explains that organizations require communication in the organization in order to create a sense of ownership. This sense of ownership in the creative aspect of the organization improves quality services by the employees.
The organization culture in Gap is one that allows interaction and sharing of ideas. According to Mumby, the human relations in an organization are important aspects. The organizational culture is an important component in the business environment. The staffs of Gap Inc come from different races and social background. In order to foster communication and social relations, Gap Inc encourages tolerance to the ideas of others in the organization. This factor creates an environment of understanding and support which enhances the quality of goods that Gap Inc takes to the market.
Another area where communication is encouraged in Gap Inc is communication between the company and customers. Gap Inc prides itself on an open policy in communication where anyone can voice their opinions and suggestions. This includes customers. Communication from customers is taken with a lot of importance in Gap. This communication allows customers to feel as though they are part of the production process. Employees in the sales department are encouraged to interact with customers and get opinions on products as well as suggestions to changes that can be made.
The company also enhances social interaction between people within and outside the company. Human interaction is an important aspect in the smooth running of organizations. Mumby explains that the relations of people in and outside an organization are important in the success of the business. This aspect is important in the apparel industry which is a middle ground between manufacturing and service. Gap Inc’s policy is that people relate to one another with courtesy and respect.
Gap Inc also encourages communication to be the heart of its organizational culture. Communication between employees is encouraged at Gap. Staff members continually interact. Gap provides avenues such as breaks where people take a pause from the rigors of work. According to Mumby, interaction between employees is a good way of relieving stressful jobs. Most of the work in Gap Inc requires high levels of concentration and repetition. These types of jobs can become monotonous and boring. Social interaction between people relieves stress and makes the employees more productive. The fact that Gap also want to create a competitive advantage using its employees is a major motivator for enhanced communication. Gap Inc ensures that members of staff interact on various platforms that promote cohesiveness. The overall aim for communication within the organization is to make the whole company act as one unit in design and manufacturing.
According to Mumby, communication and organizing are two aspects of an organization that need to work together to ensure that the company runs properly. Communication is based on the structure and processes that go on in an organization. At Gap Inc, the senior management interacts with the junior staff regularly. This is so that the senior staff can impart knowledge on management issues on the junior staff. The main reason for this is to act as training for future promotion. Gap Inc looks at communication patterns and employee behavior as one of the key considerations for promotion. This is an important aspect in creating continuity of staff traditions in the organization. This aspect ensures that the family values in Gap Inc continue even after key individuals leave or retire.
Gap Inc is an organization that prides itself on creating high quality apparel clothing. During my visit there, I saw how communication use can be used to create a successful business franchise. Communication between the staff, customers and stakeholders, creates a feeling of ownership of the products offered. This improves quality of goods as well as enhancing creativity in the apparel clothing business. The importance of communication is clearly seen in Gap Inc.
References
Blundel, R. (2004). Effective organisational communication : perspectives, principles and practices. New York: Harlow.
Mumby, D. K. (2013). Organisational Communication: A critical Approach. New York: Sage publishers.
