Paper Summary:

This paper explores the guiding principles related to employees, product line modification and customer relations that have become Harley-Davidson's foundation for organizational growth and prosperity. The paper shows how the new CEO revamped the company's product quality, instituted a flattened organizational team approach and gained customer loyalty that has set Harley-Davidson strategically and solidly apart from competitors. The paper concludes that the successes over the past two decades have established this company as a global icon.

Outline:
Paving the Road to Change
A Team Approach
Productivity and Global Growth
Building Brand Community
The Future
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"To fully comprehend the challenges faced by organizations in changing times, the volatility of the marketplace, and the unforgiving drive of global competition, one needs to look no further than the experience, vision, and enterprising capabilities of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Amidst a devastating product decline, a deteriorating reputation, and subsequent financial collapse, the survival of this Century-old organization hinged on its capacity to completely re-invent itself. By methodically embracing new high performance practices, Harley-Davidson not only completely re-invented its manufacturing and production practices; it established guiding principles that empowered employees and cultivated a lasting and loyal brand community that will no doubt sustain Harley-Davidson well into the future (Young, & Murrell, 1998)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Attaran, M., & Nguyen, T. T. (1999). Design and implementation of self-directed process teams.Management Decision, 37(7), p.553.
• Cheese, P. (2006). Focusing HR on growth at Harley-Davidson. Strategic HR Review, 11(3), 6-21.
• Fessler, C. (1997). Rotating leadership at Harley-Davidson: From hierarchy to interdependence.Strategy and Leadership, 25(4), 42-44.
• McAlexander, J. H., Schouten, J. W., & Koening, H. F. (2002). Building Brand Community.Journal of Marketing, 66(1), 38-55.
• Stephens, R. T. (2006). Replicating the business strategies of others. DM Review, 16(3), p. 24.

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