...REI – Working Together for a Better World Best Company for 25 Years REI is a cooperative – and a spirit of cooperation is infused in everything that they do. Leaders and employees cooperate with each other to insure that work is done well, people have a good time, and the labor conditions for employees at REI and at suppliers meet high standards. Employees cooperate with customers to listen to what they want and provide them with great products and great service. Everyone at REI cooperates with the environment, making numerous contributions outside of work time – in the form of community service work, educational programs and financial support – to help insure that the planet continues to exist in a healthy way into the next century. And all of this cooperation has brought REI significant positive recognition as one of only 5 companies to have been selected as one of the 00 Best Companies to Work for in America in both editions of the book of that name, and in every edition of the list published annually in Fortune magazine. REI is a model of the power and positive contribution that the spirit and practice of cooperation can bring to an enterprise. Living the Mission REI is a group of people striving to live up to the fullest meaning of the words used to describe the company. REI’s core purpose is to “… inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship.” As a cooperative, everyone in the company and customers, producers and suppliers, are...
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... Student’s Name Student ID Professor’s Name Date of Submission 1. Evaluate the fundamental driving forces that shape the organizational environment of the selected company. Be sure to address the following: competing in a global marketplace, workforce diversity, ethics and morality, and technological innovation. PepsiCo has been one of the leading beverage company around the globe. The company has been ranked as one of the best companies about the work environment for one to work. The PepsiCo company has positioned itself well to compete in the global market by making sure that they have come up with marketing strategies that are unique. The company has been using a lot of funds in strategizing on the best policies to use so as to continue upholding that given global position in the production of beverages. In fact, the major competitor for decades of the PepsiCo has been the Coca-Cola Company. However, over the years, the performance gap between the two firms is reducing with the PepsiCo emerging to be the world’s best company in the different area. The company has on many occasions been awarded as one of the firms that embrace diversity. Being a company with the global status, it is currently employing talented individuals from different regions. The company is also undertaking diversity programs that ensure that the employees feel appreciated regardless of their place of origin, race, sexual orientation, and gender among other things (Braedel-Kühner...
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...this paper we will be reviewing a program called Rowe or Results-Only Work Environment. This program was first used in 2003 by Best Buy. The system was a success. The basic concept of Rowe is to take some of the pressure off the employees by relieving the stress from over working and allowing the employees to create their own work schedules. By doing this the company improved morally, decreased turnover and reduced stress. The ROWE program allows employees to work on their own time and from anywhere they were most comfortable. It gave employees the freedom to work as many and as little hours as they wanted as long as the job was complete and it reached the targeted goals. Before this program was implemented, employees tended to work long hours and were burnout, which caused the high turnover. Best Buy faced many challenges while implementing the ROWE program. Challenges included meeting the prerequisites for the company’s success. In this paper I will also discuss Best Buy being able to implement the policy in all their locations and the pros and cons of that decision. "ROWE Program at Best Buy" Culture of Best Buy Best Buy has implemented the Result-Only Work Environment or ROWE which was established by Jody Thompson. Before the ROWE system, Best Buy employees were known for working long hours and a substantial amount of overtime. The employees were over worked which affected the company as a whole. With this system in place employees have more realistic time...
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...Best Practices in Implementing Work-Life Balance Programs Srirang Jha Apeejay School of Management, New Delhi E-mail: sjha.asm@gmail.com Swarn Kant Mishra Footwear Design & Development Institute, Noida E-mail: mishra.swarnkant@gmail.com Abstract Work-life balance programs are important for contemporary organizations not only for ensuring long-term wellbeing and good health of the employees but also to attain long-term competitiveness. There have been a number of researches establishing relationship between work-life balance and organizational effectiveness. However, not many researchers have attempted to capture or review best practices in implementing work-life balance programs. This paper is a humble essay to explore if there are indeed any best practices in implementing work-life balance –a catchphrase which most of the companies love to swear by –and whether a holistic model for efficient work-life balance program can evolve from what the companies at the top are following on the ground. The authors have also tried to present a critique of gaps in current work-life balance programs. The paper raises more questions than it answers and thus provides enough fodder for the intellectual investigation on the theme. Keywords: Work-life balance, Best Practices, Organizational Excellence Introduction Work-life balance programs have attracted the attention of corporate leaders in recent times thanks to significance of such initiatives in augmenting organizational...
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...New Job and the Company * What interests you about this job? - Best Answers Be prepared to tell the interviewer the names of the companies you worked for, your job title, your starting and ending dates of employment, how much you earned and what your job entailed. * Why do you want this job? - Best Answers * What applicable attributes / experience do you have? - Best Answers * Are you overqualified for this job? - Best Answers * What can you do for this company? - Best Answers * What do you know about this company? - Best Answers * Why do you want to work here? - Best Answers * What challenges are you looking for in a position? - Best Answers * What can you contribute to this company? - Best Answers * Are you willing to travel? - Best Answers * Is there anything I haven't told you about the job or company that you would like to know? - Best Answers Phone Interview Questions About You * What are you looking for in your next job? What is important to you? - Best Answers * What is your greatest weakness? - Best Answers * What is your greatest strength? - Best Answers * Describe a typical work week. - Best Answers * How would you describe the pace at which you work? - Best Answers * How do you handle stress and pressure? - Best Answers * What motivates you? - Best Answers * Tell me about yourself. - Best Answers * Questions about your career goals. - Best Answers * What type of work environment do...
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...| Rowe Program at Best Buy | BUS 520 Leadership and Organizational Behavior | Dr. Hillman | Hillary Jackson | 12/10/2011 | | Describe the culture of Best Buy Throughout the years the best buy culture has changed tremendously. The culture at best buy started with many of the employees being overworked, underappreciated and under paid. The culture of sacrificing spending time with family for working longs hours has now changed to a more relaxed culture. The employees are now able to set their own schedules and manage their work the way they think is best. The book states that before the ROWE program started employees were expected to stay at work until a solution was found, this meant employees were rearranging their family schedules to meet business needs. They were debating whether they should quit the job because of the high demands and sacrifice they endured. Every day they were having an internal struggle with themselves on whether the job was worth all the heartache. Another example shows an employee being rewarded with a plaque for staying up three days straight to finish a report, which in turn caused this employee to end up in the hospital Hellreigel & Slocum). The old traditions were not moving the company ahead and it needed to be changed. Although the quantity of work being produced was the same, women were accepting jobs considered to be part-time. This was the only option they had that allowed them to have the flexibility and family time they...
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...Best Workplace Tinda Reagan MGT 415 Instructor Laird Livingston March 3, 2014 Best Workplace Each year, since 1998, Fortune magazine has published a list of firms deemed the “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” based on their superior employer-employee relations. This relationship represents an intangible asset that may significantly influence future firm performance. In 2014, three of those companies consisted of Google, SAS, and the Boston Consulting Group. These three companies find motivational ways to boost employee motivation and foster group cohesiveness. Google holds the number one spot for best workplace and for good reason. Google currently employs over 42,000 employees (Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, 2014). Google gives employees plenty of options when it comes to choosing a team from engineering design to sales operations. Whether building products, growing businesses or helping to keep Google going, we do cool stuff that matters (Google Teams and Roles, 2014). According to Lush (2012), the group is cohesive because members like and are attracted to one another. Some major sources include member similarity and member attractiveness. The more choices an employee has about where they are placed in a company the more motivated they become. When employees are motivated it will help foster group cohesiveness. The second spot for best workplace has been granted to SAS. SAS employs a little over 6,500 employees with a growth rate of 3.6%. We believe...
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...because of the consolidated approach that the company has established over the years. They are not only leaders in home appliances, but they reach consumers with different needs, such as: tools, fitness equipment, home and garden, automotive repair and maintenance, and apparel. Sears, Roebuck and Co. also provides different homes services to customers, which consist of home repair, maintenance, installation, cleaning, and home improvement. Richard W. Sears made his way into the retail industry by receiving a shipment of watches that was unwanted by a neighboring jeweler. He purchased and sold the watches Culture in business or corporate America is described as a blend of the values, beliefs, taboos, symbols, rituals and myths companies develop over time (http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82104.html). My definition of culture for organizations in business is what makes the business operate the way that it does and what strategies they use to reach their goals. Before Best Buy implemented the new plan called ROWE, the culture at Best Buy was like any other organization, come to work on a daily basis and repeat the same task over and over again. This caused a great deal of turnover within the company that needed a workable solution, because employees felt over worked, had no family time or job satisfaction, so this caused the production from the employees to be very low. Many companies operate under situations like this and do...
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...Management Practice has been shown to enhance company performance by contributing to employee and customer satisfaction, innovation, productivity and development of a favourable reputation in the firm’s community. A best company usually recognize in aspect of having the best practices in its organization. A best practice is a method or technique that has consistently shown results better than others and that is used as a benchmark. It is the process of supporting employees and helps them succeed. In addition, the employee best practice is to make the people feel good about their employers. For better understanding about the company best practice and how it leads to be a market leader in the industry, we have chosen Maxis Berhad, a well established local communications service provider in Malaysia. The objective of the study is to recognize the importance of recruiting, training and retaining good employee company sustainability as well as how the company leads to be a market leader in the industry. In the end, we would propose other new and improvement of best employee practices to our new organization. Company Background Maxis Berhad is a local communications service provider in Malaysia for both individual and business customers. In 1993, the company that was formerly known as Maxis Mobile Sdn.Bhd has obtained license to run a nationwide GSM 900 mobile network, a local fixed network and an international gateway. Then in 1999, the company first starts to introduce the popular prepaid...
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...information technology would pay dividends to back up, store, and process electronic accounting data for Deloitte. The merger of the big 4 completion in 2002 the financial accounting industry will never be the same. PricewaterhouseCooper, Ernest & Young, KPMG, and Deloitte round out the big 4 audit firms. Deloitte is currently the largest of the big four by a narrow margin. All of the big four are among the top places to work (2009) nationally and in their respective headquarter locations. Since the 2000’s Deloitte has become an industry leader and model organization. The focus on recruiting the right talent to continue pushing the bar has been successful for Deloitte. Deloitte is striving to separate themselves from the big four and set the trends for the accounting industry. Criteria/ Audit Methods: 1. Diversity mission statement 2. Programs/ Implementation 3. Diversity percentages 4. Recognition 5. Community Involvement Diversity: Deloitte’s diversity mission statement is: “To assertively attract, retain and develop the best talent so that we bring thought leadership and insights to our clients and foster a culture whose diversity and inclusion are...
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...Running head: BUS520 Assign 5 ROWE Program at Best Buy Abstract The work force has become a stressful place to work. Employees have found it hard to balance jobs and personal life. Employees have been looking for businesses that promote a balance of work and personal life. To the same token Employers are realizing that turnovers are costing them money also. Employers are looking for ways to improve morale within their company and reduce turnover. Best Buy has implemented a program that will treat their employees with a perfect balance of work and personal life. Background Best Buy corporate culture was to solve problems no matter how many hours it took to finish the problem or project. The employees were expected to work long hours and a sacrifice their personal life, for the benefit of the company. In 2003 Best Buy adopted a new work environment policy called Results-Only Work Environment ROWE. Describe the culture of Best Buy Best Buy has had two types of cultures. The first culture of Best Buy was working their employees without giving interest to the employees’ personal life. Best Buy would give assignments with deadlines to their employees without regard for the amount of hours that it took for completing the job. Best Buy understood that this was not the best way for the company to survive in keeping their seasoned employees. The second culture of Best Buy was Results-Only Work Environment program, or ROWE. Best Buy decided to change their culture to a more...
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...Leadership and Organizational Behavior December 9, 2011 ROWE Program at Best Buy In 1966 Richard M Schulze and partner start up a business called Sound of Music, Inc. Sound of Music, Inc sold home and car stereos in St. Paul Minnesota. In 1971 Schultze bought out his partner and began to expand the retail chain, no longer selling just stereos. “His first step was to expand Sound of Music's offerings to include appliances and VCRs. Schulze saw sales quickly climb. In 1982 revenues reached $9.3 million; the following year the company renamed itself Best Buy Co., Inc. and firmly oriented itself toward an older, broader, and more affluent customer base.” (Dougins, 2003) This was the birth of Best Buy.Best Buy is not one of the leading consumer electronic dealers within the United States. The Culture of Best Buy The culture of Best Buy has changed quite a bit since the first store opened in 1982. The newer culture is much more laid back and is more oriented to the work home balance. “The nation's leading electronics retailer has embarked on a radical--if risky--experiment to transform a culture once known for killer hours and herd-riding bosses. The endeavor, called ROWE, for "results-only work environment," seeks to demolish decades-old business dogma that equates physical presence with productivity. The goal at Best Buy is to judge performance on output instead of hours.” (Conlin, 2006) Now, if Joe wants to leave at noon to go fishing or Sallie wants to sleep...
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...ROWE PROGRAM AT BEST BUY Abstract We all have been employed at a job that we thought overworked us and did not get enough time off with our families. And if we were to try and take time off, someone would always have something to say about it. We all also wish that we could have a job where we can make our own schedules and our managers could not control us as much. That is why Best Buy implemented a program called ROWE (Result- Only Work Environment) that would help out with all of these factors. The program will also help reduce voluntary turnover, improve productivity, and increase employee morale. Working somewhere that we hate to work can affect our morale, performance, and attitudes about the employer. Best Buy is one of the few companies who found a solution to combat these problems. If all companies implemented the ROWE program within their organization, would the workplace be better? Would the employees respond better to their employers and perform better? ROWE PROGRAM AT BEST BUY Describe the culture of Best Buy At Best Buy, the culture is like it is at most employers. All eyes are on you at all times and everything that you do is seen. As for Jennifer Janssen in this case, she needs to leave to pick up her kids from daycare but if she does leave early, someone is bound to notice and say something about it. Or at least before the ROWE was implemented in Best Buy’s culture, a coworker of Jennifer may have judged her. In 2003, Best Buy finally launched the ROWE...
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...Organizational Behavior Student’s Name Student ID Professor’s Name Date of Submission 1. Evaluate the fundamental driving forces that shape the organizational environment of the selected company. Be sure to address the following: competing in a global marketplace, workforce diversity, ethics and morality, and technological innovation. PepsiCo has been one of the leading beverage company around the globe. The company has been ranked as one of the best companies about the work environment for one to work. The PepsiCo company has positioned itself well to compete in the global market by making sure that they have come up with marketing strategies that are unique. The company has been using a lot of funds in strategizing on the best policies to use so as to continue upholding that given global position in the production of beverages. In fact, the major competitor for decades of the PepsiCo has been the Coca-Cola Company. However, over the years, the performance gap between the two firms is reducing with the PepsiCo emerging to be the world’s best company in the different area. The company has on many occasions been awarded as one of the firms that embrace diversity. Being a company with the global status, it is currently employing talented individuals from different regions. The company is also undertaking diversity programs that ensure that the employees feel appreciated regardless of their place of origin, race, sexual orientation, and gender among other things (Braedel-Kühner...
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...signing a pivotal contract. IBM called Microsoft in July 1980 inquiring about programming languages for its upcoming PC line;[1] after failed negotiations with another company, IBM gave Microsoft a contract to develop the OS for the new line of PCs.[2] Paul Allen and Bill Gates, childhood friends with a passion in computer programming, were seeking to make a successful business utilizing their shared skills. The January 1975 issue of Popular Electronics featured Micro Instrumentation and Telemetry Systems's (MITS) Altair 8800 microcomputer. Allen noticed that they could program a BASIC interpreter for the device; after a call from Gates claiming to have a working interpreter, MITS requested a demonstration. Since they didn't actually have one, Allen worked on a simulator for the Altair while Gates developed the interpreter. Although they developed the interpreter on a simulator and not the actual device, the interpreter worked flawlessly when they demonstrated the interpreter to MITS in Albuquerque, New Mexico in March 1975; MITS agreed to distribute it, marketing it as Altair BASIC.[3] They officially established Microsoft on April 4, 1975, with Gates as the CEO.[4] In August 1977 the company formed an agreement with ASCII Magazine in Japan, resulting in its first international office, "ASCII Microsoft".[5] The company moved to a new home in Bellevue, Washington in January 1979.[4] Microsoft entered the OS business in 1980 with its own version of Unix, called Xenix.[6] However,...
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