Outdoor Adventure Paintball Park - Objectives, Incentives and Motivation, Social Media and Marketing - Example

II. Executive Summary

The outdoor adventure Paintball Park began as a family business and has grown i capacity as well as in terms of the activities involved. Therefore a need has arisen for there to be a defined mode of leadership and a structure to manage the activities involved in running the business. Amongst the objectives that will prove to benefit the company is setting up an organizational structure, rebranding, creating a new work culture, creating incentives and motivations for the employees, social media marketing, and managing risks. All of which will play a role in redirecting the course of the business to a more competitive and marketable place in the community and beyond.

III. Background and Situation

Outdoor adventure Paintball Park emerged as a result of two people belonging to the same family sharing a vision and a passion for business. After sharing their ideas they included a third party in the plan that was also a relative but had experience as an athlete trainer. The three minds combined their ideas and saving and developed a plan to bring their vision to life. Their aim was to create an avenue where young adults, teenagers and teams from the local area could be able to enjoy outdoor entertainment and fun. Due to the limited sports and entertainment for the target audience the family as a result decided to open an outdoor paintball park which was themed Outdoor Adventure Paintball Park. The park offers a variety of five battlefields to customers each giving an opportunity of a different level of play. There is a civil war field which has simulated trenches; the woods which offer a field for battle with placement of an old castle made of a tower and multiple levels; several man-made buildings for additional cover the village which consists of a large field that has a wooden are running down on one side and a two-story building that has bunkers in the middle; the hill which has a wooden section and bunkers on a steep incline. The business also has a shooting gallery that is created to allow individuals to exercise their shooting skills. It contains a variety of moving and still targets and high-velocity paint guns. This allows players to have shooting battles, practice aiming or blast targets away for the sake of enjoyment. The costs vary to customers depending on the package that they desire.

The business venture started with the only the owners as the staff members but has now grown to a staff of twenty people. The business seemed to grow steadily as the family's passion of working with the youth and engaging in sporting activities started to pay off. The tournaments have become very popular in the local news channels and the business has secured the loyalty of customers to frequently purchase items and attend the various sessions being offered. The business has also developed a positive image of being a safe family friendly environment.

However despite the marked success in the business in terms of profits and having many loyal customers frequenting the business to enjoy the services and purchase the products there have been a few growing pains within the organization. Scheduling the activities has become one of the challenges that are facing as the activities on the field continually increase. The staff members have to engage in more than one task of which they do not feel they are adequately trained for, they complain that they do not have a clear understanding of their job description outside the paintball fields and thus require additional training and procedures. Major events are also sometimes as a result of double booking leading to a number of customers being dissatisfied with the services and as a result hold back on taking part in the activities offered in the field which could impact negatively on the returns of the company. As a result, some local businesses have ceased to respond to discounts offered for events by employees. There has also been an increase in mistakes in the workplace, which could result in serious accidents which in turn create a lot of doubt in the kind of leadership being offered and the sustainability of the company if the same warring trends continue. Since the mishaps started a decrease in sales was noted and the family feels as if they are losing control of the business. There is a fear that the competitors could draw their customers if things are not changed. Mike who is amongst the three members who began the family is interested in the continued growth and success of the company but is uninterested in the work since it no longer seems amusing. The other family members take the depreciation in sales and mistakes as an opportunity to grow and expand.

IV. Defining the Park's Objectives

• Short-term goals

Structure

The first objective for the park is to have a structure under which the various activities can smoothly run. Structure brings order and accountability in any given organization. In the event that a mistake has occurred it becomes easy to trace the source and manage the situation as well as prevent any chance of it occurring in the future. The structure can be customized in a way that suits the organization as it offers various products and services to the customers. Having a clear structure can also help in the scheduling issues that have been prevalent which would ultimately mean more profits for the organization (Dale, 1962).

Risk management

The business has previously had a couple of incidences where mistakes have been made that could lead to serious accidents. Therefore there is the need to reduce the occurrence of such incidences and manage risks in order to create an environment where people feel safe using their products and services. Risk management is an essential part of any industry. Risk management is defined as the planned effort to identify access and reduce any potential risk to employees, customers and the assets of the organization where necessary. It is created in a way that minimizes incidences of accidents and injuries which are preventable which I turn have an effect on the reduction of financial loss that can occur due to these accidents. Proactive activities are involved in risk management meaning that they are directed towards preventing a loss that has the potential of occurring. The activities can also be reactive in nature which means that once a potential risk has occurred it is damage controlled to prevent further harm from taking place. There are four main steps that are involved in risk management that can be applied to protect customers and assets in the park. The first step involves the identification of a potential risk, which is done by gathering information concerning past and current events (Dionne, 2013). After identifying the potential risk, the second step involves evaluating the extent of the current exposure of the assets and people to the potential hazard and the previous occurrence of the threat in order to limit the impact of the risk. The third step entails treating or controlling the risk which refers to the response of a company to the areas of significant risk which are directed towards limiting the liability that is associated with any risk events. In the event that a risk cannot be managed there is the stage of accepting the risk after all possible measures have been taken to prevent any hazard and there is nothing more that can be done. The final stage is risk financing action where after the technique of treatment has been implemented the results are analyzed and monitored for effectiveness (Crockford, 1994).

For any given risk there is a hierarchy that is followed meaning there are risks that are prioritized more than others which is dependent of how much potential harm a risk can cause. Therefore it is the work of a risk manager to access the situations and know which risk needs to be prioritized over others and analyze the effectiveness of the risk management strategies. Risk managers are also responsible for conducting trainings for staff members and teaching them how to identify risks and who to report to in the event of identifying a potential risk. A risk manager should thus be a team player and builder, a keen listener and have an art of persuasion in order for them to be able to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. It is also their responsibility to ensure they customize the risk management strategies in a way that suits the company (Dionne, 2013).

Incentives and motivation

The staff members should be given incentives that motivate them to work. Apart from what they earn monthly they can be given access to equipment that is not used and monthly vouchers that can be used by their families and friends. Having a structure in the workplace can also help the employees be motivated to work harder and improve their skills in order to rise up the ranks and secure better compensation packages as well as positions. Another form of motivation can be job security, when people have secure jobs they are able to work in a more settled mindset that increases the productivity of the company as a whole (HORIBA, 1999).

Rebranding

Since the local customers have been previously discouraged by the many health hazards and the mismanagement of the facility rebranding could be a way to create a sense of newness of the company as well as provide the company with the opportunity to share its values and mission. Creating a new logo or changing the colors of the business can help change the perception of individuals (Hubler, 2009).

• Long-term objectives

Culture

The culture of any given organization governs the employees and employers way of thinking, behaving and feeling. It's a set of shared beliefs, values, and assumptions which determine how people conduct themselves in organizations. The culture of any company affects how people perform their duties which are determined by the nature of the organizational structure. The culture of any organization is made of several characteristics that either has a low or high priority. There are also distinctive values for the characteristics which define the culture of the organization when combined. Staff members make decisions based on the values that the company holds and adjust their actions in accordance to what is acceptable as a culture in the organization (DENISON, HAALAND, & GOELZER, 2004). Therefore noting that the culture of an organization is of great importance it is important to effect a change and transform the culture in order for the company to function effectively with the new changes. Some of the characteristics that should be developed are an orientation to risk, provision, achievement, fairness, rule, collaboration and competition. Risk orientation encourages the staff members to take the bold step and innovate new ideas and perform the set way of doing things. Precision creates a degree of attention to details which push the workers to perform their duties with great precision reducing errors that would cost the company in the long run. The emphasis on an outcome is of great help when it comes to the sales department as targets are rest to reach a given minimum number of customers which ensures the company is assured of a number of orders in any given moment. It also helps with planning as the company can be able to predict the orders that will be made in a given season and what needs to be acquired to make the orders ready and accessible to customers.

Creating an environment where fairness is achieved and staff members are handled with utmost dignity and respect goes a long way in ensuring the employees are satisfied and thus sustained. Ensuring there is the low turnover of employees creates continuity and growth of the various parts of the organization. Collaboration and teamwork is an essential part that should be incorporated. Since the organization is connected through networks a break in communication would mean the company does not function effectively as it should. Therefore ensuring that work activities are organized sound teams rather than individuals creates a ground for people to work as a team which ensures positive relationships amongst people are created. Aggressiveness in the organization creates healthy competition when it is encouraged, members become assertive enough to compete with the larger market (DENISON, HAALAND, & GOELZER, 2004). Lastly, the rule orientation gives the staff members a sense of boundaries and direction of what should be done and what is acceptable in the company which helps provide predictable and consistent levels of output as well as allowing the company to operate in its level best in the dynamically changing market.

Social Media and Marketing

In the modern day world brands have learned the impact that the social media has on their competing position in the market leading to them heavily investing on marketing on social media. One of the methods that have been largely used due to the influence it hold on the consumers is using celebrities to advertise products (Vernuccio, 2014). This is due to the fact that we live in a time where people obsess over celebrities and will emulate what they do and the products they purchase. Thus the business could benefit from making associations between celebrities and their products and services. Since social media is not limited to a particular location it would means that the business is able to attract customers beyond the local setting. The business can thus develop an image that is affiliated to a celebrity who is liked by many potential customers in order to appeal to their purchasing power. Creating a profile for customers to the company’s website also gives the customers a sense of belonging in a community and allows them to give prompt feedback which can help in adjusting the products and services to suit the needs of the customers. The owners and top managers can comment on the websites in order to make the customers feel that they are connected to them further creates deeper product loyalty.

VI. Observations

Strengths of the business

The lack of open and aggressive conflict between the family members, the steady growth of the business as well as having frequent loyal customers is commendable. There is an increase in the number of activities that people engage in and the number of purchases of equipment has also increased.

Weaknesses of the business

The current management system does not have a clear organizational structure and defined mode of leadership as each party does what they prefer. There are delays in taking action on issues that are pertinent to the success of the organization. The negative publicity that is not taken into account could eventually harm the business' image. Lack of clear direction, training of staff members and unorganized personnel could work against the business. The lack of cohesion in ideas and values amongst the owners of the business is also dangerous to an extent.

Management Model

A democratic hierarchy is more suitable for the organization to function effectively. The final authority would still reside with the administrators and managers who head all departments and form the board of the company. The managers in such a model consult with their team players before they make decisions which will directly affect them. The team members and leaders are allowed to be in charge of themselves, they oversee their work which motivates them to be productive and diligent in executing their duties. Democracy allows excellence, quality and for people to explore their current abilities. It recognizes the potential of the people, their accomplishments and abilities. People are also rewarded for their initiative and the model provides an avenue for mentorship. The park can largely benefit from such a model in that it would engage staff members in the decision making process since everyone is more experienced and knowledgeable in a given field more than another and sharing the knowledge and insight can help improve the business as well as provide sustainable growth. In order for the given management model to have full effect a structure which would suit the organization can be employed. The most suitable one for the outdoor paintball park business venture is a functional organization structure as discussed in depth below.

Management structure and communication

A functional organizational structure could be more suitable for the company since the business is based on functional areas. The organization could be arranged in small groups that are based on the functional areas in order to increase efficiency and enable people to focus on their roles and responsibilities. Departmentalizing the functions allows for there to be efficiency in operations since employees who have shared skills and knowledge are grouped according to their functions. Therefore in this given structure the organization will be arranged in a variety of ways or structures that determine the ways in which the company will operate and perform. The common configuration of a functional structure is dividing the business into smaller teams which are grouped by the areas that they have specialized in. some of the functional areas are referred to as silos which are a unit in business within which communication and collaboration occur in a vertical manner with the cooperation that is limited beyond the unit (Dale, 1962).

The top management of the company should be formed by the functional heads of the different teams that are departmentalized and specialized. This ensures that the management team is well aware of what happens in the various teams since there is a representative in every department in the management team. If any changes are to be effected it is easier and more efficient to engage people who are well aware of the systems that are set into place. In this form of organizational structure, each sector of business operates independently from the other while still answering to a central command, therefore, the system remains connected. Various parts such as of the small groups from the company as a whole when each part functions effectively and independently. The separation of various functions helps create better oversight of the constituent operations (Dale, 1962).

The management setting is a unique one whereby each department is represented and communication is passed on to the top leaders freely and rapidly without stringent bureaucracies that tend to slow down the system. Therefore those who are in top management are accessible through open management between the upper corporate management and the personnel who handle customers. It ultimately increases the level of loyalty and also helps retain the employees since the staff members are shown that their contribution matters and is essential to the company. Such a setup also ensures that there us control over projects and operations that are delegated to individuals thus creating a greater possibility of success being achieved. The functional management structure thus makes it possible and manageable to monitor the work progress assigned to individuals and makes it easy to trace any problems and mistakes that have been made.

Apart from having specialized functions, the structure will also entail a chain of command which refers to the structure of responsibility, leadership, and authority in the corporation. Once the roles are clearly defined and people are organized in accordance to their specializations then the next course of action is to delegate authority in order for there to be clear accountability. Giving people responsibilities such as leading teams, managing projects and ensuring everyone has a responsibility ensures systems are run efficiently. The chain of command also makes it possible to recognize where errors emanated from and where there is a higher risk which can be controlled as opposed to a system that is run generally without specific individuals being in charge and responsible for their workstations.

Roles and responsibilities of the owners and employees

The owners are responsible for ensuring that the customers are safe when they use their equipment and services. They are also responsible for ensuring the staff members are well acquainted with their roles and responsibilities and how they are meant to use the various tools. The employer's role is also to ensure that the staff members are well compensated and their

The employees are responsible for ensuring the health hazards are observed and that they follow the due process in order to ensure that the customer's safety is assured. They are also to maintain the protocols in place when they identify a particular risk.

VII. Scorecard

The scorecard contains four components namely the financial, customer, internal, learning and growth. The customer component

Financial Component: entails the of cost concerned in terms of operating costs of the company and return on investment

Customer Component: measures the point of customer retention, their contentment and share of the market held by the business.

Business Process Component: measures the cost and quality that relates to the business process

Growth and Learning component: it is the component that includes knowledge customer happiness,management and retention of employees (Peters, 2014).

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

OBJECTIVES

MEASURES

TARGETS

INITIATIVES

FINANCIAL

Financially strong

Asset utilization

Profitability

Cost leader

Profitable growth

Cash flow

Net margin

Volume growth

Premium ratio

$550mm

18%

45%

$2B

Asset disposition program

Store alliances

CUSTOMER

Delight the customer

Win-win dealer relations

Delight the targeted consumer

Build a win-win relations dealer

Share of segment

Mystery shopper rating

Dealer gross profit growth

45%

4.5%

25%

Mystery shopper program

Dealer committee

INTERNAL

Build the franchise

Increase customer value

Operational excellence

Good neighbor

Innovative products and services

Best in class teams

Inventory management

Cost leader

On spec time

Dealer quality score

Unplanned downtime

Run out rate

Activity cost vs competition

Perfect orders

Days away from work

4.5

<3%

<2%

15% of sales

90%

99%

<250/yr

Review programs

Safety training

ISO 9000

LEARNING AND GROWTH

Motivated and skilled workforce

Competencies

Excellence

Fast in acting

Employee survey

Personal BSC (%)

Strategic competency

>4.8%

80%

85%

Skills program

Competency development

VIII. Recommendations

Recommendations for improvement to management covering all aspects of POLC include:

• Develop a mission statement to guide the business
• Develop an organizational structure that will define the job description designs and training that is needed to help
• Motivate the staff members through rewards and incentives
• Define standards and other measurable outcomes;
• Take into account the feedback given by customers since it helps the management to access the company's progress and know where it can improve.
• Creating a new organizational culture in order to change the work atmosphere and how things are done which goes hand in hand with rebranding. The rebranding will help customers to view the venture as having an aspect of newness.
• Promptly act on the new ideas in order for change to occur