ISSUES IN GLOBAL BUSINESS & CONSULTANCY

61M004

ASSIGNMENT

Prepared by

Usama R. Khan

UDo: 100184974

06 – May - 2011

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Table of contents

Internal Consultancy

Role of an internal consultant …………… Page 3

Can you act as a consultant to the organisation you belong to? …………… Page 3

Identify the skills and expertise that you possess to initiate a consultancy role. …………… Page 4

Are you a ‘good’ change manager? …………… Page 4

Will the organisation allow you to take on a consultancy role? …………… Page 5

How do you acknowledge your sphere of influence in the organisation? ....………… Page 5

How would you present yourself differently to others in the organisation? ....………… Page 5

Case Study: IKEA …………… Page 6

IKEA …………… Page 7

Corporate Structure …………… Page 9

Marketing Communication …………… Page 10

Stakeholder Analysis …………… Page 11

PEST Analysis …………… Page 12

Porter’s Five Force Analysis …………… Page 13

Key Issues/Problems with IKEA …………… Page 14

References …………… Page 16

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Internal Consultancy

Role of an Internal Consultant

Internal consultants play a very important role in the success of an organization. The decisions they take or the changes that they make may affect the performance of the organization in a positive or negative way. It must be first noted that a consultant cannot flourish in a business environment where he cannot build relationships & gain trust and respect of other around him. It might be easy to influence certain individuals with particular decision, but to convince an entire department is not an easy job. In order to bring about change in the entire department, each & every individual has to be convinced about the consultant’s approach. Also, being reactive & not taking a proactive approach harms the interests of the consultant. The role should be important in terms of improvement & innovation. Many a times consultancy experts are so busy formulating new plans based on previous performance that they fail to realize the potential opportunities around them which could help them innovate.The most challenging role for the consultant is perhaps to disagree. Employees may nod their heads at every decisions taking by their managers, but the consultant behaves differently. He has to analyze the situation, risks, costs etc. & take action accordingly. Most of the time, it may be the case that the consultant might not agree with the view-point of the management. This is what we call as push-back.As such we can say that the following roles are expected on behalf of a consultant:

To bring in certain expertise so as to improve the performance of the concerned company.

Develop strategies & plans. To serve as a change manager & to make sure the change is smooth. To help employees & train them so as to make them ready to accept the changes. Resolve business issues & implement solutions.

Can you act as internal consultant in your organization?

Yes, it is a very frequent case in real life. Every employee who works for the organization is an internal consultant in his/her own right. All of them present their ideas formally or informally, thus helping out with the decision making process.An employee can also have the tag of an ‘internal consultant’ applied to him/her officially once the firm recognizes that he/she possesses the adequate knowledge, expertise etc. to analyze the problems, work them out & present feasible solutions to the management. However, chances of failures are also there as the extra responsibility might hamper the employee’s potential by placing extra work-load. In some cases it might lead to over-confidence on part of the employee & hence become a barrier rather than a way forward.

Choosing to start with a revival mechanism & then maintaining it in changing conditions over a period of time is not an easy thing to do. Hardcore communication & immense patience with regards to results is extremely important here. It may so happen that some of the colleagues might feel jealous of the new responsibility placed on the employee, they might not give out correct data & information. Same might be the case with some managers. The ‘internal consultants’ also need to realize that they are not going to be working for the long term. As such,

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after short intervals they need to remind others of the value they bring to the firm through their skills. This will also help to fit in the hierarchy & hence be in more direct contact with the top level management. Recognizing true potential in one’s self will help the firm in a very positive way, will also sharpen the skills of the person involved & relationships, if any with any clients will improve due to reductions in cost & efforts but better results.

Identify the skills and expertise that you possess to initiate a consultancy role.

The most important skill required in order to fulfill the duty of an internal consultant is communication. Being confident in my dealings with others will greatly help boost my communication level. Great communication will automatically lead to better response from the concerned individuals/groups & hence help me to form a better understanding of the situation. Being able to analyze the situation in the best possible manner not only requires correct data from others, but also strong analytical skills on behalf of the consultant. This analysis will also include the responsibility of me having my roles & responsibilities defined very clearly. The courage to say ‘no’ – being very frank is the cornerstone of my communication style. If a decision or strategy harms the organization in the long run, I will oppose it, no matter if brings some benefits in the short run. Sometimes, I might draw some criticism from some areas of the firm, this is when I will have to prove my stand on the issue. Again, this boils down to how I communicate with them.Time management – ‘time & tide wait for no one’. Decisions have to be taken keeping in mind the time constraints. It is of no use if I take a decision & go about its implementation after the time-frame for that particular situation has passed.

Are you a good change manager?

Well, yes & no. the good part is that I understand many of the elements required for change. However, putting them into practice doesn’t always go down well in many cases. I understand that change management does not end as soon as the change is implemented. It goes on through communication, hence ensuring the best possible achievements. A ‘good’ change manager is one who is satisfied when he meets his initial objectives he set out to accomplish. A ‘good’ change manager ensures that results are derived through an organized strategy such as understanding change, planning change, managing resistance to change & then implementing the change. What works in my favor is that I try to understand my organization’s culture & values as important part of my assignment. This ensures that I am more loyal to my work. Once a change takes place, I feel satisfied & try to prepare myself for the next step, i.e., the next phase that will command change. A successful change manager shows personal enthusiasm in expressing plans & ideas and then selling them to others by assuring them of positive results. One must not forget that a change manager never sets goal that he fears he might not achieve. Being over-confident about meeting your target leads nowhere & is going to create worse scenarios.

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Will the organization allow you to take on the consultancy role?

Well, that depends on plenty of reasons, the most obvious being whether they trust me or not to deliver the results which make the most positive impact on the organization’s time & effort.Based on my years of experience in the firm, the trust they have on me will vary. The longer I have stayed with them means the more in depth knowledge I have about the organization’s culture. I will able to meet the corporate goals as I will be readily available all the time, will have access to inside information, most likely be readily accepted around the place etc. Relationship building, active listening & self-awareness are some of my qualities that I thrive on for success. All these help in understanding & bringing about change & achieving positive results. Based on my success with earlier assignments with my firm, I believe that I am a strong contender to take up the consultancy role although there might be some issues with colleagues who will object to my appointment.

How do you acknowledge your sphere of influence in the organisation?

I seek opportunities for change by searching for valuable & effective ways to manage & lead my team. Creating clear vision & strategies with my team before implementation of the plan is always my prime concern. I make decisions using the contributions from the staff with regards to important issues such as resource allocation, financial strength etc. Goals cannot be achieved if no clear indication is given as to what is expected from the team. We talk openly about personal & team success. I appreciate that communication should flow both ways. As such, I ask my team to judge my performance as well & address my short-comings.

How would you present yourself differently to others in the organisation?

Correct body language works wonders in case of communication & hence helps towards delivering the best results. Being very straight-forward with my ideas would be a positive trait as it will encourage others to be open about their views, whether positive or negative.

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Case Study: IKEA

“Affordable solutions for better living.” IKEA’s tagline sums up their aim- to provide good quality home solutions at affordable prices,

without compromising on the design aspect.IKEA offers a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. This is the idea at the heart of everything IKEA does, from product development and purchases to how they sell their products in

IKEA stores globally.  

Making a high quality product for a high price is no difficult task, as is making a low quality product for a low price. However, the real

challenge arises when good quality product are to be made at reasonable prices. It involves methods that are innovative & effective. IKEA has been working in this direction by passing their cost savings onto their

customers, hence building a loyal consumer base.This case study shall give an overview of the history and evolution of IKEA, which has rapidly established itself as one of the leading home furnishing retailers in the world. I have also attempted to analyse its

position in the market with regard to its competitors, suppliers and other stakeholders. In this process, I have been able to identify two major

shortcomings, which will be dealt with in detail at the end of the paper.

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IKEA

1926 – The origins of IKEA can be traced back to when founder Ingvar Kamprad was born in southern Sweden. He was raised on 'Elmtaryd', a farm near the small village of Agunnaryd. Ingvar, from a very young age, was keen on developing a business.

His business career began when as a young boy who would sell matches purchased in bulk individually for a profit to his neighbours. With profits came growth and he diversified – he began selling fish, seeds, Christmas decorations and eventually, pencils and ball-point pens. The reason that he made profits & saved enough to invest in new ideas was because of how economically he conducted his business during those days. Cycle was used as a means to deliver his customers’ purchases. Later on he started using the local milk delivery van for this purpose.

1943 – At the age of 17, Ingvar excelled academically, and received a monetary gift from his father. He was clever enough to use this gift to establish a business. Using his initials- Ingvar Kamprad, the name of the farm on which he was born- Elmtaryd- and the village nearby- Agunnaryd, he came up with the acronym IKEA. At this time, he was selling everything from pens and wallets to watches and nylon stockings by going door to door and selling directly to his customers. By 1945, the first advertisements for IKEA began showing up in local newspapers and he had developed a basic catalogue.

Locally manufactured furniture first showed up in the IKEA product range in 1947 and garnered positive response from customers. However, it wasn't until 1951 that Ingvar began to focus only on furniture and discontinued all other products from the IKEA product range.  The first IKEA furniture catalogue was published that same year and 2 years later, in response to competition, the first furniture showroom opened in the village of Älmhult. This same competition caused other furniture stores and manufacturers to put pressure on the suppliers to boycott IKEA which led to the critical decision to design their own furniture, beginning in 1955.

Designing furniture for their own stores allowed IKEA to focus on low prices, improve function and ultimately led to the success of the company. It was around this time that IKEA started considering the idea of designing furniture to be flat packed. This was thanks to an employee who had removed the legs of a table in order to fit it into the trunk of a car and avoid transportation damage. In 1956, IKEA began testing the concept of flat pack to reduce costs through reduced transportation expenses, lowered storage space requirements, decreased transportation damage and reductions in labour costs.

1958 – The first full IKEA store opened in Älmhult.  It was the largest furniture display in all of Scandinavia.

1963 – The first IKEA store outside Sweden opened near Oslo in Norway, followed by the flagship store in Stockholm - a whopping 45,800 m2 circular store inspired by the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.  The success of this store however, highlighted the difficulties faced in serving customers due to an overfilled capacity. This led to the open warehouse concept that is the key to the current structure of IKEA stores and the IKEA experience in general.

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1973-present – The first store outside Scandinavia was opened near Zurich, Switzerland, followed by rapid growth in Germany starting with IKEA Munich in 1974.  Germany remains IKEA's largest market today.  In 1975, IKEA Australia entered the market and IKEA Canada debuted in 1976 bringing the mega furniture store to two new continents in 2 years.  IKEA US opened its first store in 1985, and IKEA UK first opened in 1987. In 2010, IKEA boasted more than 300 stores in around 36 countries, and it is still the world's largest furniture manufacturer.

Fundamental activities such as eating, sleeping, storing items, socialising and so on create a demand for furniture and practical products that solve these essential human needs. The IKEA product range meets these needs by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at quite affordable prices. The IKEA range includes products for every part of the home.

Most IKEA products are also designed to be transported in flat packs and assembled at the customer's home. This lowers the price by minimising transportation and storage costs. In this way, the IKEA Concept uses design to ensure that IKEA products can be purchased and enjoyed by as many people as possible.

IKEA products are identified by single word names. Most of the names are Swedish in origin. Although there are some notable exceptions, most product names are based on a special naming system developed by IKEA in collaboration with Colin Edwards (international naming expert and furniture enthusiast):

Upholstered furniture, coffee tables, rattan furniture, bookshelves, media storage, doorknobs: Swedish place names (for example: Klippan).

Beds, wardrobes, hall furniture: Norwegian place names. Dining tables and chairs: Finnish place names. Bookcase ranges: Occupations. Bathroom articles: Scandinavian lakes, rivers and bays. Kitchens: Grammatical terms, sometimes also other names. Chairs, desks: Men's names. Materials, curtains: Women's names.

Garden furniture: Swedish islands. Carpets: Danish place names. Lighting: Terms from music, chemistry, meteorology, measures, weights, seasons, months,

days, boats, nautical terms. Bed linen, bed covers, pillows/cushions: Flowers, plants, precious stones. Children's items: Mammals, birds, adjectives. Curtain accessories: Mathematical and geometrical terms. Kitchen utensils: Foreign words, spices, herbs, fish, mushrooms, fruits or berries, functional

descriptions. Boxes, wall decorations, pictures and frames, clocks: Colloquial expressions, also Swedish

place names.

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Corporate Structure

Despite its Swedish roots, IKEA is owned and operated by a complicated array of not-for-profit and for-profit corporations. The IKEA corporate structure is divided into two main parts operations and franchising.

Most of IKEA's operations, including the management of the majority of its stores, the design and manufacture of its furniture, and purchasing and supply functions are over seen by INGKA Holding, a private, for-profit Dutch company. Of the IKEA stores in 36 countries, 235 are run by the INGKA Holding. The remaining stores are run by franchisees outside of the INGKA Holding.

INGKA Holding itself is wholly owned by the Stichting Ingka Foundation, which Kamprad had established in 1982 in the Netherlands, as a tax-exempt, not-for-profit foundation. The Ingka Foundation is controlled by a five-member executive committee that is chaired by Kamprad and includes his wife and attorney.

While most IKEA stores operate under the direct purview of Ingka Holding and the Ingka Foundation, the IKEA trademark and concept is owned by an entirely separate Dutch company, Inter IKEA Systems. Every IKEA store, including those run by Ingka Holding, pays a franchise fee of 3% of the revenue to Inter IKEA Systems. The ownership of Inter IKEA Systems is exceedingly complicated and, ultimately, uncertain. Inter IKEA Systems is owned by Inter IKEA Holding, a company registered in Luxembourg. Inter IKEA Holding, in turn, belongs to an identically named company in the Netherlands Antilles that is run by a trust company based in Curaçao. The owners of this trust company are unknown (IKEA refuses to identify them) but are assumed to be members of the Kamprad family.In Australia, IKEA is operated by two companies. Stores established on the East Coast includingQueensland, New South Wales, and Victoria are belongs to by INGKA Holding. Stores in another location in the country encompassing South Australia and Western Australia are belongs to by Cebas Pty Ltd.   Like elsewhere, all shops are operated under a franchise affirmation with Inter IKEA Systems.

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Marketing Communication

The general task of IKEA trading connection is to construct the IKEA emblem and motivate persons to come to the stores. The IKEA notion builds on a connection with the consumer. Nine key notes are utilised inside the IKEA trading association to construct this relationship. These are:

The IKEA notion is founded on their market positioning statement. "We manage our part" focuses on their firm’s promise to product design, buyer value and quick-witted solutions. By utilising cheap components in an innovative way and minimising output, circulation and retail charges, their clients benefit from reduced prices.

The IKEA product range is evolved to be comprehensive enough to have certain things that appeal to every individual and to cover all purposes in the home. The products are contemporary, and not trendy, so they are practical enough for everyday use.

IKEA is the home furnishing specialist- IKEA goods are functional and appealing; they facilitate customers to improve their home life through convenient answers to everyday problems.

Low prices aren’t appealing unless they provide good worth for money. This is where IKEA is adept at making a genuine difference. IKEA is committed to having a good connection with their suppliers and so they are able to buy good quality, economically made designs that are bought in bulk to keep costs down. By producing all their furnishings flat packed they slash down on transport and assembly costs.

Function - IKEA goods are founded on a practical approach to design. IKEA design means products that are appealing, functional and user-friendly. They don't have unnecessary characteristics; they give genuine solutions for home furnishing requirements and are made of the most apt components for their purpose.

The right quality- IKEA goods are exposed to rigorous checks to confirm that they meet nationwide and worldwide safety standards.

Convenient shopping- The IKEA shop boasts "everything under one roof", most of it accessible for direct take-away. IKEA offers service where customers require it, but permits them to make most of the choices themselves. This means that they need to make it easy for them to choose the right products by displaying them correctly, describing them accurately and having a straight forward return policy.

A day out for the entire family- IKEA aims to care for their customers by planning for their needs. Not only do they supply inspiration and concepts, but they furthermore encourage visitors to feel, touch and use the products on display to understand how they would fit into their own homes. They have new products being developed all the time, seasonal themes, play areas for young children, special events and a great family restaurant.

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Stakeholders Analysis

Based on the information gathered about IKEA, it has been noted that apart from the management, the customers of IKEA play a vital role in attaining the organizational aim of IKEA. The management abilities of the managers have helped IKEA in becoming the biggest, most powerful and competent house furnishings as well as food company in the world. Additionally, the commitment of the customers and the confidence it provides to the company has assisted the business to keep up its competitiveness. The staff and workers are the ones that facilitate the company to relentlessly accomplish the desires and claims of the customers.  The suppliers and other stakeholders support can be considered as the added factor that has helped IKEA reach the position it is in today

Type Formal or Voting Economic Political

Sta

keho

lder

s

Equity

INGKA Holding B.V. Anders Dahlvig (President-

IKEA Group) Hans Gydell (President-

Inter IKEA Systems)

Store Managers

Economic Investors Customers

Suppliers The media Regulators Saudi Government

Influencers

Customers Partners Designers Competitors Regulations

Environmental Organisations

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PEST Analysis

Political – As part of the nationwide and international changes and developments, IKEA is just one example of companies that are thriving in both domestic and worldwide business. The Swedish furnishings retailer has discovered that the Scandinavian style of furnishings that was blended with “do-it-yourself” flat packaging became extremely popular and became a global cult emblem.

Economic – The company, due to the economic changes and trends is taking up different kinds of strategies that will appeal to their customers, and thereby hopes to own the customer loyalty. The strength of IKEA increased from the transfer of ownership of the enterprise to Stitching Ingka. It helped the company to take up other furnishings segments, for example dinnerware, lightings and even rugs. However, the economic situation influenced the company’s market performance and it announced a slowdown because of a lack of the needed strategic direction. In order to develop the high performance of the enterprise, IKEA should be very careful in analysing and contemplating the key matters that are concerned with any feature of the company and proceed accordingly.

Social – IKEA has contributed a lot to the society as it provides opportunities to people and the employees are entitled to different benefits such as insurance and retirement packages. In addition, the company has pledged to provide more high quality furniture that doesn’t deviate from their original concept – stylish furnishings at affordable prices.

Technological – IKEA has used updated technological systems and expertise to promote shorter queues, better scheduling, tracking and dealing in patterns, and staffing. It intends to be more creative and set up worker preferences. The system put IKEA in a position to make sure that the right numbers of employees are in the right place and at the right time, to match the individual trading patterns of each IKEA store. The business outlook of optimizing everything from the supply chain is also applicable to optimizing and managing the workforce to create an effective store environment and keep their clientele happy.

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Porter’s Five Forces Analysis

Porter, in his book – “Competitive Strategy- Analyzing Industry & Competitors” describes the model of the 5 competitive forces that shape the working of an organization. He goes on to show that any organization that functions in a competitive environment needs to be aware of its opportunities & threats. These 5 factors directly or indirectly determine the level of competitiveness & therefore the profitability of the industry. An organization should aim to use these factors in such a way that they become vital tools in the drive to be successful. Often when we mention Horizontal, it refers to companies and products that are on the same level as us, vying for the interest of the same customers (and suppliers). In contrast, those relationships which a company depends upon- be it their relationship with suppliers or their relationship with customers- these come under the purview of Vertical relationships. Each of the above mentioned forces also act on their own horizontal axes. The more power that the players on that level garner, the more they can influence the players on the other levels.There are distinct level of significance per force, depending on the situation and kind of the firm. When a business is more powerful horizontally, a market-leader, even a monopolist, it does not have to fret about suppliers as much, and may even be financially capable, to grow vertically, taking over some of its suppliers and/or some of the middle-men that stand between the business and its customers. Vertical integration can be significant when one desires to control the supply chain for some reason, such as to boost the quality levels of the products. It can furthermore become significant if competition on one’s level axis is threatening or may become so in the future.

Power of the Buyers - There is little power because of the exiting low-price options. Furniture and other little items have substitutes and consumers have restricted alternate choices that make IKEA exclusive amidst its competitors. Also, another way to answer the customers’ needs is their affordable price strategy.

Power of Supplier - IKEA has thousands of suppliers that set the standards in delivering the materials. Once in a while, IKEA makes bids for contracts with multiple companies for the design and development of the same products. Most of the suppliers work with IKEA and have to contend with other suppliers, and so they have very little negotiating power. Because of the low-pricing, IKEA’s profits margin further affects the prices in raw materials.It should be noted that the situations and the present system in the house furnishings as well as food shop business largely decides the extent to which productive competition can be achieved. The negotiating power of a supplier could be a threat to the earnings of the business, and IKEA is very much conscious of it.  In this way, IKEA is seeking to have a good agreement with its supplier- IKEA makes it certain that they are benefitted in the said agreement while the suppliers also enjoy the contract along with them.  In this kind of enterprise, there is a high grade of competition in the house furnishings as well as food brand supply market.

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Rivalry - IKEA’s furnishings competitors boast distinct styles and functionality. It is the most successful in delivering the entire package to the clients. IKEA still relish their competitive place in the international market. In this paper, it shows that the business still dominates the house furnishings as well as food market by supplying those good value and innovative services. This means that IKEA is still on top of the competition amidst other house furnishings as well as food retail businesses in the world. The business enjoys its competitive place in the region and still seeks to maintain its competitive advantage amidst its rivals.

Substitutes - There is no product that can be an exact substitute for the furnishings, but IKEA still have to keep up with the newest trends. Another benefit is that, through their cutting edge and leading technology, IKEA could reproduce any new style fairly and send each of the product into its stores.

New Entrants - Another furnishings business is functioning on a low-cost strategy and should contend with IKEA as the top business in delivering furnishings and house wares. IKEA shops haven’t been opened in many small towns and this is an opening for the new competitors to proceed into small and midsize towns with smaller stores and lesser selection. But it won’t be as easy in the cities as new entrants will need to establish their supply chains and also create their own unique brand names.The first component of Porter’s Five Forces Model encompasses threat of entry of new companies. Apparently, the target of IKEA is to construct a place in the house furnishings as well as nourishment stores service commerce and to be identified as business which would  habitually be comparable in the international market. IKEA is said to be a world-class business in supplying house furnishings as well as nourishment goods and services in market environment. With this, it can be said that because of the reality of IKEA, having another house furnishings as well as nourishment stores is pointless except, the new business  which will appear will have the befitting and effective trading scheme to outgrow both premier  companies.   Hence, it can be said that the house furnishings as well as nourishment shop  pertains to a higher application obstruction because of the reality of comparable businesses like the businesses and their other competitor industries.

IKEA begun as a vendor & generated cash through their innovative methods & ideas. The end outcome was certain thing that was healthy IKEA as well its clients – good value goods at  sensible prices caught everyone’s attention.

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Key issues/problems with IKEA:

1) Most of the products at IKEA are similar to each other as per product base. Also, on the other hand an expanded product range will be more costly.

2) IKEA basically deals with contemporary furniture, ignoring classical designs.3) Many customers are not satisfied with the delivery & after-sales service from IKEA.

Solutions:

1) Increase the product base, but limit the number of products per concept & design. This will lead to almost the same number of total items being produced, but there will be more diversification & the consumer will have more choices.

2) The idea here is to hire designers who are willing to supply classical designed products at a price not much higher than the cost price.

3) The point to be noted is that the customers usually do not receive their orders on time. It is true that IKEA never promises a certain date for the product delivery at the time of purchase, however, sometimes deliveries take many days. The fact is IKEA has partnered with a few local companies to deliver their products to the customers homes. An option here is to tie-up with some other more efficient companies or to invest in its own delivery system.

Limitations:

1) Increasing the product line may not be the cheapest thing to do even if there are ready customers. It needs more floor/shelf space.

2) Classical furniture at a low price is not the easiest thing to do. It involves expensive materials & a lot of hours to take shape. Storing classical furniture in the warehouse is also very risky business.

3) During shopping seasons, IKEA might receive delivery orders beyond the numbers that it can handle. Most of the customer complaints regarding late delivery were found to have been made during peak seasons.

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References:

Websites:

http://www.change-management.com/tutorial-internal-consultants.htm

http://www.alexanderhancock.com/training/internal_consulting.htm

http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/training-public-detail-about.pag?crsid=2874607

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm

http://www.themanager.org/strategy/change_agent.htm

http://www.ikea.com

http://www.willemvanlancker.com/entrepreneurship-case-study-ikea

http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-business-essays/strategic-management-free-essay/

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_23/b3936415.htm

http://www.ikeafans.com/articles/1000-ikea-corporate/330-ikea-corporate-structure-.html

http://www.ikeafans.com/articles/1072-ikea-history/329-ikea-history.html

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CN/about_ikea/press/press_releases/annual_report.html

http://ivythesis.typepad.com/term_paper_topics/2010/06/strategic-analysis-ikea.html

Research papers & assignments:

IKEA Case Study Author: Riddhima Chopra Date: 31/12/2009

Inside or Outside: Internal & External Consultants Authors: Beverly Scott & Jane Hascall

CASE STUDY ON IKEA Author: Vijay Ganesh

IKEA Case Analysis Authors: Susette De Castro Palomino, Silvio Lacayo, Jonathan Lara, Francisco Vanoni

A Model for Re-Designing Product Lines at IKEA Author: Marv Weisbord

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