NIKE Company Management - Paper Example

Introduction

NIKE, Inc. located next to Beaverton, Oregon is ranked as the world's leading designer, distributor, and marketer of athletic footwear. It also avails apparel, equipment, and accessories used within the sporting field and fitness. However, just like any other business, the company can be argued to be profit-oriented thereby neglecting the social and environmental needs of its locality and the community. As a consultant, I have some advice I can give to the NIKE management that can help in addressing the social need. It is essential for the management to consider focusing on creating social and shared values other than concentrating exclusively on expanding the company's profit.

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The first strategy I would propose for the NIKE Company is to engage in campaigns against social vices within the community it serves such as road safety, corruption, and healthy living. For instance, when marketing their athlete products, they can encourage people to take part in road works and other physical fitness activities that can prevent obesity. Moreover, I recommend the company to design cheap products for the less household income earners to involve the entire communities irrespective of their economic situations (Rothaermel, 2017). Another critical approach is involving Non-Governmental Organizations within the company's marketing process. Through this, the company can take part in addressing social problems within the neighboring communities such as inadequate housing, public health issues and education (Rothaermel, 2017).

Nevertheless, the company can partner the communities, consumers, and government to address societal problems such as unemployment and crime rates experienced within the society. An increase in employment, as well as reduced crime levels, will lead to better living standards within the community. In the long run, this can facilitate the development of new talents alongside nurturing new skills.

NIKE Company can also take part in the creation of skills by participating in training programs for the neighboring communities organized by other related institutions. Nevertheless, in designing its products, it should consider the disadvantaged groups within society. I also suggest that the company can take part in establishing supply chain opportunities to the community members and through social enterprises (Rothaermel, 2017). Furthermore, NIKE Company can organize skill workshops for the residents as a strategy geared towards sharpening their skills in different fields. Most importantly, the company can take part in community development by improving the neighboring projects that directly enhance living standards for the people (Rothaermel, 2017).

Connecting economic and social needs is one of the approaches that can be helpful to NIKE Company in ensuring it attracts a large customer base as well as making a profit. With the ever-changing technology, I can advise the company to take part in innovation targeting social media services, smartphones and customer relationship management (Font, Guix, & Bonilla-Priego, 2016). Social media platform will increase the interaction between the economic and social aspects of the company. For example, the company will know the needs of the customers and the community at large. Nevertheless, the company can support the board of director program by sending the management to attend to seminars and workshops through which they can learn both economic and social trends influencing the industry (Font, Guix, & Bonilla-Priego, 2016).

Another approach that helps connect economic and social needs is building a strong relationship with customers. Customers present a diverse source of personalities who come from different segments of society. With a strong relationship with customers, NIKE Company will understand the governmental policies affecting the business area, the culture and social needs of the communities as well as religious needs. Also, having the views of the customers will help the company in decision making which therefore incorporate the needs of the society and corporate world (Porter, & Kramer, 2019). The company can also organize an outreach program targeted at neighboring communities and government departments to help the management be well conversant with the existing social and economic factors (Porter, & Kramer, 2019). The outreach programs can also target other related firms and business environments to enable the company to learn the market share and trending social issues affecting the business (Porter, & Kramer, 2019). Finally, the company design marketing strategies that conform to the cultural environment as this will make the communities feel represented.

References

Font, X., Guix, M., & Bonilla-Priego, M. J. (2016). Corporate social responsibility in cruising: Using materiality analysis to create shared value. Tourism Management, 53, 175-186. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517715300273

Porter, M. E., & Kramer, M. R. (2019). Creating shared value. In managing sustainable business (pp. 327-350). Springer, Dordrecht. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-024-1144-7_16

Rothaermel, F. T. (2017). Strategic management concepts (Custom 3rd ed.) New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from http://www.semesteratsea.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Allred_SEMS3500_StrategicManag4.pdf