Question

The Swatch Group and Cultural Uniqueness

Summary

This case explores the Swatch Group and the influence of Swatch on culture. Founded in 1983 by Nicolas Hayek, Swatch is now the world’s biggest watch maker. The company not only produces finished watches, it also produces jewelry, watch movements, and watch components. Indeed, Swatch Group supplies nearly everything used in the production of its 18 individual brands that includes icons like Omega and Harry Winston as well as more mainstream options like Tissot and Longines.

In addition to its own line of products, Swatch Group sells watch components to third-party watchmakers and produces parts used for sport event timing. Swatch employs about 37,000 people across 37 global subsidiaries. With some 40 percent of the company still under the control of the Hayek family, Swatch focuses on diversity and culture.  

The Swatch Revolution combines Swiss excellence in watchmaking with quirky affordable plastic components. Swatch promotes its watches as a means of speaking without words. Wearers of Swatch watches are telling more than just time, they are telling the world something about themselves. Swatch even suggests that wearers share their individuality and preferences on Instagram by tagging #MySwatch.   

Discussion Questions

1. With the Hayek family controlling nearly 40 percent of The Swatch Group, how do you think the family’s influence impacts the corporate culture in the company? What about the company’s international culture being impacted by the Hayek family?

2. Many of the Swatch brands have become cultural icons among a strong core following of customers in the global marketplace. Some even talk about the “Swatch Revolution” that began when Nicolas Hayek founded the company. Why do you think Swatch has such a strong cultural following?

3. As mentioned, Swatch wants you to create your own unique way of accessorizing through its Swatch watch. Is a watch a way to show who a person is culturally? Does a watch get embedded into a person’s culture? Can a watch create a cultural image?

Answer 1

*****Please please please LIKE THIS ANSWER, so that I can get a small benefit, Please*****

With the Hayek family controlling nearly 40 percent of The Swatch Group, how do you think the family influence impacts the type of corporate culture in the company? What about the company’s international culture being impacted by the Hayek family?

With regard to the Hayek family, which controls nearly or more than 40% of the Swatch Group, I believe that the family has an influence on the definition of corporate culture by appreciating their individual employees as family members. The employees should work together as a team, regardless of their jobs.This creates a strong organizational culture for the Swatch Community which improves business performance in a variety of areas. The company's foreign culture can be affected by family values that affect the whole business. However, the differences in national culture that cause popular values and meaning to be lost. This decreases connectivity, trust and information contributions within the global economy.

Many of the Swatch brands have become cultural icons among a strong core following of customers in the global marketplace. Some even talk about the “Swatch Revolution” that began when Nicolas Hayek founded the company. Why do you think Swatch has such a strong cultural following?

A combination of the technology and the innovation that has embedded Swatch Community on its brand / product can explain the important cultural monitoring. The Swatch model focuses on basic architecture, robotics and assembly technologies as well as advances in branding and advertisement. It started with an affordable and high-tech watch that all of us could afford. The key reason for Swatch Group's growth in business was affordability.Nevertheless, the Swatch Organization continually innovates and sells the product to tech research and development teams. The Swatch Group has grown from cheap to expensive watches in any market category.

As mentioned, Swatch wants you to create your own unique way of accessorizing through its Swatch watch. Is a watch a way to show who a person is culturally? Does a watch get embedded into a person’s culture? Can a watch create a cultural image?

Watch plays a major role in symbolizing a petson. It shows various elements such as a view on the time, a symbol of richness, a statement of fashion or a reminder of forthcoming appointments. When people see that they're late, time perception may imply the business term "time is money" that does not matter where they are late. A sign of wealth can mean that a person flashes his economic prosperity with a luxury watch. It makes a style comment to use a watch as an accessory. The time you've experienced a look will tell you, you will recall the next appointments.

I don't know I'm exposed to a country's society, according to myself, because some people wear intelligent watches. Culture is a synthesis of the beliefs , practices, language and values of a particular group. Symbols of culture may reflect all types, such as nationalism, systems of belief, rituals, language and values. A cultural image would have a certain significance because certain cultures have a Swastika cultural picture, which is optimistic.

Hamsa is the hand of God as a cultural symbol for certain traditional groups. A cultural image should not be used as an image away from visually unrealistic standards and should be fragmented. It is now a sign of wealth, power , high status and fashion and not every attribute, according to me, has an significant cultural picture.

*****Please please please LIKE THIS ANSWER, so that I can get a small benefit, Please*****