Case Study: Five Guys Burgers and Fries - Research Paper Example

Then all of the above mentioned characteristics make the competitive environment challenging for the companies. However survival in the industry solely and wholly depends on the innovative ability of each player. Undoubtedly Five Guys is the leading organization in the arena of fast food production and distribution. The key reasons for the success include decentralized management, participative decision making, autonomous job structure, pay for performance and friendly work environment. The company’s tendency to integrate new technologies in its infrastructure is also playing a significant role in validating its competitive advantage.

Competitive Advantage of Five Guys The company wholeheartedly accepted Michelle Obama’s moment that is supporting healthiness and cleanliness in the industry of fast food (Swarns, 2009). The market leader also took few concrete steps towards ensuring safety of the products. The management acquired farm houses in order to gain increased control over breeding and raising processes of chickens and other ingredients used in its products. The flexible and project based management style permitted Five Guys to come up with a substantial number of new products in the past few years.

In short, the secret of competitive advantage lies in willingness to embrace change and therefore becoming better than the current standards in the industry (Cheng, Caverlee, Kamath, & Lee, 2011). The tendency to keep changing continues to puzzle the competitors because they have to keep guessing about the next move that does not allow them to perform their own innovative activities efficiently and effectively. Analysis of the Original Values The original values of the companies include decentralized management, autonomous jobs and sponsoring of innovative projects.

Firstly decentralized management helped the company in involving each and every employee in the strategic development that enhanced organizational commitment among the workforce. Secondly managerial staff has been observed with the ability to nurture creativity among their subordinates. The supporting behavior towards original and imaginative projects induces employees towards bringing something new every now and then and thus helping in carrying the journey of differentiation forward (Morgeson, Delaney-Klinger, & Hemingway, 2005).

The company is also one of the leading organizations that are using social media and internet as a marketing and advertisement tool (Shocker, Srivastava, & Ruekert, 1994). The company nonetheless prioritizes clientele with respect to their location and offers fewer prices to those who are located away from its facilities. External Influences on Five Guys Additionally the management practices that are currently followed by Five Guys are not new in nature because Apple Inc in the leadership of Steve Jobs implemented all of these concepts.

However Five Guys modified the practices so that they can be used in the fast food industry. The major and most profound attribute of the targeted organization is its ability and competency to modify its products according to changing customer preferences (Smircich, 1983). The company for instance introduced vegetable burgers on a brink of the shifting tastes of the people. Social and Corporate Responsibility at Five Guys The leader in the field of fast food is also renowned for its commitment towards green management.

The Five Guys is working very hard in terms of replacing chickens that have been consumed within the