Intro
Kudler Fine foods is a company specializing in specialty foods, including both foreign and domestic foodstuffs. Founded in 1998 by President Kathy Kudler this upsacle chain has expanded into three stores located in the San Diego area. This paper will examine the primary functions of Kudler Foods management structure as well the responsibilities of the management team. In addition, this paper will attempt to explain how technology and the internet are utilized at Kudler Fine Foods and how it affects the management team. Lastly, this paper will look at Porter’s Five Force Model using examples from the Kudler Fine Foods scenario.
Management Functions
According to authors Gomez and Balkin there are three levels of managemnt: Strategic managers, the top executives with the overall company direction; tactical managers, who are responsible for flowing down the directives of upper management; and operational managers, who oversee the day-to-day decisions. (Gomez and Balkin 2002) Kathy Kudler serves as the president for Kudler Fine Foods and her primary function is one of Strategic Management.
The Strategic Manager primary focus is on long-term objectives and strategies. It is written in Management and its Evolution, “Strategic Managers are the senior executives of an organization and are responsible for overall management. Their major activities include developing the company’s goals, and typically strategic managers focus on long-term issues and emphasize the growth and overall effectiveness of the organization.” ( )
The Tactile Managers of Kudler Fine Foods are separated into three divisions: Finance, Store Operations, and Human Resources. The directors of each division and the branch store managers report directly to President Kathy Kudler. The role of the Tactical manager is to translate the strategies and goals developed by upper management into specific objectives. The decisions of the Tactical manager are...