Business communication principles and practices

Mercedes Benz is one of the most reliable and trusted automobile companies in the world. The origins of this division of Daimler-Ag go as back as 1886 when Karl Benz developed the design for first gasoline powered automobile and Gottlieb Daimler converted a carriage by adding a petrol engine to its design. Since then Mercedes Benz has not looked back and it is now proud owner of some of the best vehicles in variety of categories including cars, buses, coaches and trucks. Mercedes-Benz has a strong presence in almost every country of the world. This is a truly global giant with a strong brand portfolio that includes Mercedes Benz luxury cars and MB vans. Daimler, the parent company, has even larger brand portfolio with such well-known names as Maybach, Freightliner, Western Star, Mitsubishi Fuso, Setra, Orion and Thomas Built Buses. The company is known for its efforts in producing best quality vehicles and its commitment to the cause of environmental protection.

By 2008, the company had sold 2.1 million vehicles which made it one of the biggest automobile manufacturers in the world. It has a workforce of over 270,000 people; the revenues came to a total of over $200 billion and Earnings before income and taxes came to an overwhelming $5 billion.

Some of the most well-known Mercedes Benz products include the following lines:

A-Class Hatchback

B-Class Sports Tourer/Hatchback

C-Class Sedan, Sports Coupe & Wagon

CL-Class Coupe

CLK-Class Coupe & Cabriolet

CLS-Class "4-door Coupe"

CLC-Class luxury compact car

E-Class Sedan, Coupe & Wagon

G-Class Cross-country vehicle

GL-Class SUV

GLK-Class SUV

M-Class SUV

R-Class Minivan

S-Class Sedan

SL-Class Roadster

SLK-Class Roadster

SLR-McLaren High Performance Coupe & Roadster

Mercedes-Benz has been known for its fair hiring policies. The company is an equal opportunity employer with at least 33% of its senior management positions held by women. The company believes in complete employee satisfaction because it translates into better performance of the firm. Mercedes-Benz's employees earn on average of $70,000 annually and are provided training if required. Though male female ratio is still low which means there are more males working at Mercedes Benz branches around the world, females are still eagerly recruited by the company. (Turner, 2005)

Some of the very interesting facts about employment are connected with benefits to the employees. Most of its offices have an on-site gymnasium for its employees, and they also have a nursery for children of the employees so complete child care is offered to those who need it. Apart from these perks, employees are also given full family insurance coverage. And Mercedes Benz has an excellent employment record which means most of its employees have stayed with the firm for reasonable length of time. Over 40% of its employees have been with the firm for 5 years or more. This is an interesting fact because it shows that company offers job security which is a highly desirable trait especially in current economy.

Other major benefits include a bonus scheme which helps most employees increase their salaries. There is a system for assessing performance and to see if employees are eligible for bonuses. This includes achievement of personal objectives concerned with business and meeting various performance targets set by the company. Some other reward programs are in place to ensure that every employee is duly rewarded for his or her efforts and performance.

Employee of the Month Award is a program that recognizes and appreciates the performance of an employee in a given month. This is a matter of great honor and employees are also recognized in a company magazine. Other awards include long service awards which are offered to employees for 10 or more years of service.

Employees are also offered an assistance program in the form of a confidential 24-hour telephone line service. This is a support program which helps employees and their families in the time of need and if they require confidential advice in some important matter. The services include bereavement help, legal advice, medical information and stress management counseling. Mercedes Benz is also concerned about the health of its employees and wants them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For this reason the company also offers a variety of voluntary discounts on health products.

It has been named as one of the 100 best companies to work for because of the variety of benefits that it offers its employees. Women at Mercedes-Benz are paid higher than most other companies. The company offers a great deal of flexibility to its workers so they can enjoy their family lives as well such as job-sharing, compressed workweeks and telecommuting.

In offices where child care centers are not available, Mercedes-Benz offers 10% discount to its employees so they can buy child care services anywhere they want. Several other benefits are also available.

There is a dress code which demands that all employees dress modestly and appropriately. Women are required to wear suitable attire and while casual is allowed in some cases, it cannot be inappropriate for a workplace.

The major competitors of Mercedes-Benz are BMW, Rolls Royce, Porsche and Audi. The company is more interested in competing with firms that have cars as luxurious as its own and thus it doesn't try to compete with other major automobile firms which do not cater to the same market. Mercedes-Benz still stands out from its competitors because when people think of German engineering, they think of Mercedes first. German engineering and Mercedes have become synonymous as Mantle (1995) writes: "Mercedes-Benz was the epitome of German engineering excellence at a time when Germany was driving Europe's postwar industrial recovery. Money was no object for the company and the customer. As long as the Berlin Wall remained up, the western investment remained in, and the Russians and East- Germans stayed out, Mercedes-Benz and Germany could do no wrong. The Wirtschaftswunder and Mercedes-Benz were synonymous to the point that they were inseparable, unthinkable without each other. If Mercedes-Benz ever experienced difficulties, there could be only one explanation- Germany must be in trouble." (p. 59)