Team Research Project Plan, October 3, 2000

Goal: Our goal, as Smart Research, Inc., is to produce a timely, informative and professional product to be presented to our customers, Dr. Carol Larson Jones, Michelle Reymundo, TA, and our MHR301 classmates. Our team project is about Dayton Hudson Corporation, which changed its name to Target Corporation in January 2000. In the February 21, 1999 and March 1, 2000 issues of Fortune Magazine, Dayton Hudson was ranked number two in the category of General Merchandisers. Fortune Magazine uses eight key attributes of a company’s reputation. For the purposes of our project we elected to report about 1) Quality of Management and 2) Social Responsibility. Our goal is simply to show how and why Dayton Hudson has consistently ranked number two, as one of America’s leading general merchandisers. In addition we intend to show how Dayton Hudson has utilized the management principles we will be learning in class, thereby reinforcing the importance of effective and efficient management. As a by-product each team member expects to include this report in his portfolio as a valuable accomplishment to share while interviewing with prospective employers. 

Strategy: Our product will encompass the history and development of Dayton Hudson. We will demonstrate why Dayton Hudson continues to grow and remain successful as an employer of choice and major contributor to local communities. Each team member is committed to conducting research about Dayton Hudson, its executive management team, the Company’s financial success and their competitors. We’ll do this by conducting research using the Internet, reading magazine articles, books, and creating questionnaires to interview employees and senior management. Each team member will conduct individual research and work on sub-teams. Primary objectives will be to determine what needs to get accomplished and then creating a master calendar to ensure timely results. Primary research includes use of the Internet and secondary research will include magazine articles, books and conducting interviews. Both primary and secondary research includes class learning objectives and how they apply to Dayton Hudson and it’s rankings in Fortune Magazine. 

   1.Attend scheduled meetings each Tuesday & Thursday  at 7:30am and each Sunday from 6pm-9pm @ library Entire Team  on-going 

   2.Check out at least one book and one magazine article on management theories and/or merchandising from brary  Entire Team  10/8 (selection dependent upon allocation of attribute

   3.Collect internet information about Dayton Hudson and it’s entities: Mervyn’s, Target, Marshall Field’s, regarding: Corporate history, Quality of Management and Social Responsibility (the two attributes) and financials  Entire Team 10/6 

   4.Prepare Master Calendar for team utilization that  includes due dates for expected results from research, rough drafts by individuals, & progress reports   Janet   10/6 

   5. Order Annual Report from Dayton Hudson Corp.  Janet   10/6 

   6. Conduct research on Social Responsibility attribute,  Sandra, Hung including competitors (utilizing articles, books & internet) & Khuong  10/8 

   7. Conduct research on Quality of Management attribute,  including competitors (utilizing articles, books & internet) Tram & Mary 10/8 

   8. Prepare draft of Company history for Report   Khuong  10/8 

   9. Prepare draft of Introduction for Report   Mary   10/8 

  10.Review progress of objectives by team members and prepare draft of Progress report for review by team Janet   10/8 

  11. Turn in Progress Report #1 (two copies)    Entire Team  10/10 

  12. Begin collection of data from members for preparation of Bibliography Mary   10/11 

  13. Develop Employee Questionnaire with 10 questions focusing on Fortune Magazine’s eight attributes and employee work history information (likes/dislikes, benefits, advancement opportunities, longevity)  Janet 10/11 

  14. Begin conducting 10 one-on-one interviews with employees at local Target and Mervyn’s stores (5 each)   Janet & Tram 10/15 

  15. Prepare draft of Social Responsibility attribute  Sandra, Hung for review by team & Khuong  10/15 

  16. Prepare draft of Quality of Management attribute  Tram & for review by team     Mary   10/15 

  17. Begin development of six Power Point slides (completed by 10/26)   Hung & Khuong 10/16 

  18. Review progress of objectives by team members  and prepare draft of Progress report for review by team Janet   10/18 

  19. Turn in Progress Report #2 (two copies)   Entire Team  10/19 

  20. Review Objectives and time lines, revise if needed  Entire Team  10/20 

  21. Develop Interview questionnaire and conduct three interviews with senior management at Corporate Headquarters for Dayton Hudson (target candidates are VPHR, President, VP Operations)    Janet    10/20 

  22. Review Annual Report for M,D&A, financial data and make determination of what data & graphs to include in report Entire Team  10/20 

  23. Collect data and prepare survey results of employee interviews from Target and Mervyn’s stores for Report Tram   10/22 

  24. Prepare write-up of financial information to be included in the Introduction, including graphs  Sandra  10/22 

  25. Review completed Power Point slides (6) and make changes or additions if needed    Hung & Khuong 10/26 

  26. Begin collation of and formulation of Final Report data to begin preparation for typed report. (includes: Intro, History, 2 attributes, Employee interview survey, financial data, Sr. management interviews, graphs, Ppt. slides and bibliography)  Entire Team  10/26 

  27. Begin Team Member Behavior Observation (handout) Entire Team 10/26 

  28. Review documentation and begin typing the   Sandra, Tram rough draft of Final Report     & Janet  10/28 

  29. Prepare typed Bibliography for Final Report   Mary  10/28 

  30. Review typed draft of Final Report by team members and make necessary additions or changes   Entire Team  10/29 

  31. Present and review Power Pt. slides & disks (2)  Hung & Khuong  10/29 

  32. Review progress of objectives by team members and prepare draft of Progress report for review by team Janet   10/30 

  33. Turn in Progress Report #3 (two copies)   Entire Team  10/31 

  34. Make 7 copies of Final Report – one for each team member and one copy to turn into Dr. Jones   Entire Team  10/31 

  35.Prepare “thank you” letter to VPHR at Target Corp. Headquarters for cooperation & data  Sandra  11/1 

  36. Turn in Final Report to Dr. Jones    Entire Team  11/2 

  37. Turn in Team Member Behavior Observation  Entire Team  11/2 

  38. Prepare rehearsal schedule for Report presentation  Hung   11/6 

  39. Begin rehearsals for group presentation   Entire Team 11/9 & 11/12 

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