Using business concepts and other information relevant to the study of organizational structure and culture - Essay Example

The project makes an analysis of Greggs the Bakers, which operates as one of the largest retail bakery chain in UK. The company had started as a very small concern but has demonstrated rapid growth and now has more than 1400 outlets. It is even listed in the London Stock Exchange and has plans to expand its outlets even further. The project aims to bring forth the changes occurring in the company with special relevance to the business theories and concepts. Special emphasis has been provided with regards to the company’s change strategies with were implemented through the use of innovative techniques and mechanisms and with the introduction of such products which were unique and not produced by any of its competitors.

Changes taking place in Greggs the Bakers Greggs and Bakers have been demonstrating rapid organizational change. Organizational change is the process in which organizations move from their present state to a desired future state with the view of attaining effectiveness (Jones, 2008, p.10). The objective is to optimize its use of resources and using them in improved ways such that the organization is able to add to its value and consequently improve its performance. The rapid growth of the firm from small scale bakery to one of the largest bakery chain in the world demonstrates the company’s dramatic organizational change.

The change process includes numerous acquisitions of bakeries and expansion steps. During the 1990s, the company was most aggressive in its expansion strategies and took over as many as numerous Bakery Oven chains of more than 100 shops in the year 1994. In fact in another four years, the company’s number of shops exceeded 1000 and by the year 2010, the number crossed 1500. This included its first all night store which was established in Birmingham. It primarily supplies its products from its large bakeries, however, a number of shops of the company also have their own bakeries.

In terms of the number and scale of is outlets, the company possesses double the numbers of stores in Britain than Starbucks, about 300 stores more than Subway and 200 numbers of stores more than McDonalds. This shows the rate at which the company has grown and has been successful in expanding its operations across the United Kingdom. Application of business theories and concepts Gaining Competitive Advantage The company tried to develop on its core competencies in order to achieve competitive advantage in the market.

In fact it has been successful in doing so by producing its own unique products, maintaining its qualities and own system of distribution (Hill & Jones, 2009, p.6). The company introduced its own recipes and dishes. Its bakery product like the sandwiches, which are made freshly on the premises and their sausage rolls accounts few of the special dishes that has found immense popularity among masses. These recipes are sold by more than 2 million numbers in a week. It also sells a large range of other baker fresh stuff and other local special dishes which are primarily for the high street customers.

The company has been trying to its operations using its unique products to different parts of the world. Promoting efficiency, speed and efficiency The promotion of efficiency, innovation and speed comprises of few of the major changes that the organization implemented in order to add value. The better the organization functions, the faster is it able to create value in the form of better production of goods and services. Research reveals that the capacity of organizations to create values is directly related to its ability to use innovative measures and better ways of producing quality goods and services (Jones-a, 2010, p.14). The company tried