Progress Report

Subject: Proposal for Team Project / Individual Team

Date: September 19, 2012

The retail market is abundant with companies with which to choose communication styles. Walmart and Target are the most similar in product mix, customer base and overall structure.

BACKGROUND

Walmart Stores, Inc., with headquarters located in in Bentonville, Arkansas, was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton, became a publicly traded company in 1972. Even though it is publicly traded; the Walton family still is the largest shareholder and still retains control. Some interesting facts:

world's third largest public corporation, according to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2012.

largest private employer with over 2 million employees

largest retailer in the United States

8,500 stores in 15 countries

Target Corporation, with headquarters located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was founded in 1902 and was originally named Dayton Dry Goods Company. The first Target store was opened in 1962 and through growth and expansion became the largest division of the Dayton Hudson Corporation. Because of the success of Target stores, the company was renamed Target Corporation in August 2000. Some interesting facts:

second-largest retailer in the United States

employs over 365,000

1,767 in the U.S with an additional 100 to 150 stores in Canada by 2013

PROJECT SCOPE

I have chosen to address how each company reaches it's target customers and communicates with employees effectively. Online retailing, email advertisements, print ad mailing and use of coupons are all used by each company to some extent but how do they determine which communication method is best for which customers and how is the audience for each communication selected. Even though marketing may play a role within each communication style, I will only use marketing methods as a tool to assess and explain why each communication style is used and the overall effectiveness of each selection that each company has been able to track. As for employee communication, email, memos, meetings and online are all ways which are used within both companies but each company has very differing views on employee interaction. The best research for this area is face to face interviews with employees and management of local Walmart and Target Stores to find out what they feel is the most effective way that the company communicates with them or communicates information to them. I will seek out staff and management, make appointments with them if needed, to find out their views on what they feel is the most effective.

METHODS

During the preparation of this project, I plan to use various sources for reference. Online references have abundant information to draw on and many books are available on the companies that I have selected. I have found many websites which describe the style of communication that each company favors and many are indirect methods. One which I plan to explore is the method of employee title which communicate value to the employee. Target coveys the message that their employees and managers are valued by the titles they are given. Even though this is indirect, it affects the employees overall attitude toward the company. I also plan to use face to face interviews of Walmart and Target management and employees to get a personal idea of how effective the company communication styles are to them.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Since this project is no longer being done as a group but ended up being an individual assignment, the work need not be divided. I am attaching a Gannt Chart to give an overall picture of when each piece of the project will be completed. I got a late start because of the group assignments and being unable to contact those in the group.

SCHEDULE

1. Week 4- Selected companies and began preliminary research

2.