GM Turnover Challenge (one-page maximum) Mecca Cola

Mecca Cola

Personally, I would be so glad to buy all the products of Mecca Cola. Just like other people, I will not hesitate to have a taste of the new products offered by this company because it provides alternative services initially provided by Coca-Cola as well as Pepsi Cola which, have of course, been dominant players in the beverage sector. As a strong consumer for beverages, I will opt for the new company because there are lots of things that have been bothering me about Coca-Cola.

The first reason I will buy Mecca Cola’s products is because it is pro-Muslim and appropriate for all Muslim followers. I will settle on Mecca Cola’s products because I prefer its philosophy. As a company, Mecca does not subscribe to the capitalist and imperialist ideologies of Coca-Cola. Instead, it has decided to manufacture products tailored to a specific segment of the market. I am always ready to support protest products because they will help in preventing America from spreading its ideologies and forcing everyone to believe in them.

Being that the company will be using 20% of its profits on charity encourages me to consider supporting it. If this money is used for supporting the poor as planned, then, as a customer, I need to support the company fully. This implies that buying Mecca Cola’s products will giver me an ample opportunity to contribute to charity. He company’s Corporate Social Responsibility 9CSR0 strategies appeal to me because it is exclusively aimed at liberating the ordinary Muslim community from the yoke of poverty.

Q2

Obviously, as the dominant player in the beverage market, Coca-Cola will not sit down and watch as its market share is taken away by Mecca Cola, the new entrance in the market. Everyone expects the company to react to this new development and do whatever possible to retain its dominance. The first response expected of the company is to engage in well-calculated strategic communication exercise. Here, the company’s top management needs to come up with ideas on how explain to the general public especially the Muslim segment targeted by its rival. It should protect its reputation and explain to the public that Mecca Cola is not out to liberate the Muslim community, but only concerned about profit-making. The company needs to create awareness that Mecca Cola is merely engaging in unhealthy competition and is using the Muslims as an opportunity to expand its operations within and out of Asia.

At the same time, Coca-Cola should reorganize its marketing strategies to ensure that it does not completely lose the Asian market and other Muslim-dominated regions. Even if the company has been losing a large share of this market, it should come up with new plans to help it improve its reputations and coverage as it used to do initially. If its rival is banking on CSR, the company should not hesitate to emulate it and come up with such like strategies. Instead of focusing of profit-maximization, the company should also consider donating a large share of its profits to local charity organizations serving the Muslim communities especially in Asia. Better still; the company can counteract this competition by manufacturing and distributing non-alcohol beverage products. It should acknowledge that alcohol is not condoned by the Muslims because it is not appreciated by their culture and religion.

Q3

Yes. Mecca Cola and other protest products will do a great long-term harm to American companies like Coca-Cola. The introduction of ‘Buy Muslim Challenge’ will be posing a big threat to the American companies. The use of religion is a feasible strategy because it will help in changing people’s minds. Once a commodity is associated to religion, all its adherents will have no choice, but to accept to use it. This is what happens to brands like Zamzam Cola and Mecca Cola which have been mainly targeting the Muslim community. Such products will kill American brands because they appeal to a segment of market for which they are meant.
The launching of Mecca Cola, for instance, will lead harm Coca-Cola in many ways. First, it is a non-alcoholic brand that is suitable for the Muslims who are religiously forbidden from consuming alcohol. Besides, its slogan and philosophy of supporting the Palestinians and other Muslims through charity work will be acceptable. This will make people identify with it and accept it as a noble initiative aimed at liberating them from their problems like poverty. Lastly, Mecca Cola has proved successful because it is gaining acceptance in many countries including Europe, United Arab Emirates, India and even the USA in which Muslims are. Very many people have shifted from Coca-Cola to Mecca Cola. Its name itself will give it an added advantage over brands like Coca Cola which are pro-western.

General Motors Company

If I assume the role of the Human Resources Manager in General Motors Company, I will do whatever I can to retain employees within the organization. Of all the strategies I will adopt, I will have to advise the top management to take the following measures to minimize the rate of employee turnover.

First, the management needs to improve the hiring process and only recruit those who can fit into the system. When hiring employees, the management needs to consider cultural diversities and prioritize those who can cope up with the organizational culture without many constraints. This will help in brining in right people into the workforce.
Secondly, the management needs to promote open communication within the organization. To know the challenges facing the employees, their desires, dislikes and satisfactions, the management needs to have open lines of communication at all times. However, to retain employees, their opinions should be respected by appropriately implementing them.

Thirdly, the management needs to provide a flexible working environment for all the employees. Despite the complex structure, the organization should create room for employees to be engaged and freely interact with one another without many limitations. The complex structure has been making employees quit the company because they feel that they can not fit. However, all this can come to an end if the system is made to be accommodative to everyone regardless of their diversities.

Lastly, the management should organize for periodical surveys in which they seek the opinions of all the employees during such studies; workers should be given an opportunity to express their ideas, feelings and tell the management about their challenges, motivating factors and whatever they need to be done for them. When this is done as expected, all employees will feel recognized and motivated to continue serving the company.