...The challenge that I believe that would pose the biggest threat to Zappos would be the sustainability challenge like the economy. If the economy makes a turn for the worst, consumers won’t have the money to be able to spend on extra wants or extravagant purchases. They would have to purchase shoes at local stores that were at a lower cost to them. Another challenge to them would be trying to keep good help. They said that only one in 100 applicants pass their criteria then they offer $2000 in the training process for a person to quit. Some people might decide to try to get hired just to get that offer to quit. If more and more people do that, they wouldn’t be able to have enough people to work for their company. Human resource management practices can help meet these challenges by keeping an eye on the economy and listening to the employees when they talk about not being able to afford the products themselves. With the keeping good workers, they need to again listen to their employees better and if it seems like they are getting unhappy about something, maybe they can find out if there is something that would help make it better. A good employee would be bad to lose over something small that the company could have taken care of. I think that the employees of Zappos have a high level of engagement because the company seems to take care of them. The training is extensive and their benefits are good. Zappos takes care of their employees so that they will be more productive for...
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...what they are trying to accomplish. Doing so will allow them to improve their business performance and develop organizational culture while becoming more flexible and getting a competitive advantage (Mello, 2011). After reading the case study I have a much better understanding of what SHRM is by reading about the company Infosys, and their ability to link their company’s goals and objectives with their human resources. Over the years Infosys has done a tremendous job with implementing SHRM throughout their company. They were able to do this so that they could experience the good times that they had and are still having and they used SHRM properly to get them through their rough times. Infosys did this by including the function of their HR when they were implementing the company’s strategies for recruiting, selecting, training, and employee rewarding programs (Delong, 2006). Infosys is using SHRM to link the people within their company to the strategic needs of their business, and that is why they have been able to become as successful as they have. They have been rated as high as #1 in the Business Today Best Employer Survey, which means that it is a wonderful organization to work for. BACKGROUND: In 1981 Narayana Murthy and six other people founded the company we know today as Infosys. Infosys is a computer software company that is based in Bangalore, India, and it was created around the concept of these six people, which was to create the products in India (Delong...
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...Report: Mismatched Worker Stephenie Butscher Alexandra Edwards Saint Leo University Professor: Susan Gibbons Executive Summary Skills mismatches are one of the most common challenges faced by the economy. Observations show that in far too many cases, workers are not well-matched with their current jobs ("Skills mismatch," 2012). The economy is seeing increasing numbers of job vacancies but their unemployment rates are not going down. This is because many of the workers who lost their jobs due to the economic downturn do not have the skills the market now demands. In the actual workplace management is often finding themselves taking an unusual amount of time talking with their employees about what went wrong on the prior project and how can they fix, or noticing employees are trying to play catch up, working overtime and missing deadlines. These are collective concerns and are often related with the organization being understaffed, but also can be affected by a skills mismatch. Skills Mismatches Skills mismatches denote a lack of fit between people’s skills or qualifications and their jobs’ skill requirements (Mello, 2011, p. 270). There are two types of skills mismatches over-and under qualification. Over qualified employees have skills and/or education that exceed the skills required to perform a job. Under qualified employees typically are ones’ with a high school diploma or less. When a person is in a position that does not match their skill level a mismatch has...
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...Case Title: HAPPY NEW YEAR: “Good News-Bad News!” | Summary of the key point(s) or problem(s) presented in the case.Marquis works for the Savannah, Georgia Street Department and had just earned his associates degree in supervisory management and was looking forward to moving up in his company. He heard that the city was experiencing some financial losses. Marquis was one of the 8 employees laid off. Now he has to find a way to support his family. | Question #1: The depressed economy has caused many organizations to eliminate thousands, if not millions, of jobs across the nations. This has had a profound effect on employee morale both for those whose jobs have been eliminated and for the survivors left behind who are expected to do more and more. What steps should the city’s HR department do to minimize the impact of downsizing on employee morale? On those who survive? | Answer to Question #1: The HR department should communicate with all of their employees and let them know what is going on and that there may be some downsizing. Everything should be stated clearly so that there is no confusion and no one spreads rumors about some people being laid off. | Question #2: What else could the HR department have done to soften the blow on the eliminated employees? | Answer to Question #2: The HR department could have used Upward communication to soften the blow on the eliminated employees and explain to them the reason behind it instead of just laying them off...
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...tracking, skills development and tracking, benefits administration and compliance with associated government regulations. (Entrepreneur.com) The human resources (HR) role is becoming increasingly important in the business world. Human resources includes the combination of traditionally administrative personnel functions with performance management, employee relations, and resource planning. The field draws upon concepts developed in industrial/organizational psychology. In the past, HR personnel did a lot of administrative work. This is changing with the global shift to service-based industries. As the role evolved, HR practitioners wanted to become business partners and actually engage more in the organization’s core business. At present, we see the function of HR going beyond being that of just a business partner to being at the forefront and, in some instances, heading business initiatives (Jones, 2012). We became interested in the field of HR for several reasons. One, it offers an attractive area of employment for business students. Also, it requires a good mix of interpersonal and analytical skills, rather than just number-crunching abilities like in more quantitative areas. And it is an area with promising growth for the future, especially for people interested in international careers. Furthermore, HR is especially important in Singapore, which is small and lacks natural resources. It has based its economic growth of providing superior human skills and...
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...ByeongHo Hwang (Terry) SP14 BUSMHR-4321: International Labor HR Professor Tashlin Lakhani February, 18, 2014 Case Memo : Honda in India (Saini 2006) <Question 1-1> Prior to March 2005, what was the overall business and HR strategy (or philosophy) at Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI)? To begin with, the human resource policies of HMSI were influenced by the philosophy of its parent company, HMCL. As a result, HMSI had adopted fundamental beliefs and values from HMCL. There were two core beliefs: “Respect for individual differences” and “Three Joys”. First of all, HMSL had thought that individual contribution would be one of main keys for the company’s success, so they especially considered the independence of spirit and freedom, equality, and respect for human beings. Moreover, HMSL had focused each individual’s capacity to think, to reason and to dream. Second, in alignment with the philosophy of its parent company, HMSL had also accomplished the concept, called Three Joys: the joy of buying, the joy of selling, and the joy of manufacturing. This idea was used to in order to help staff and workers become happy from their daily work. <Question 1-2> What HR policies and management practices were in place and were they consistent with the overall strategy? HMSL had HR policies and management practices, such as performance appraisal system, works committee and employee welfare. First of all, the promotion opportunities for workers ranged from...
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...one which is most criticised. The debate whether HR is for the benefit of the employees or the organization has been one of the most contentious issues in management. The fact is that, the purpose of HR function is to enable the organization to achieve its strategic goals by providing it with the best possible talent. Therefore, before evaluating whether HR is on the side of employee or management, one must understand that HR is part of the organization and exists for the benefit of the organization. However, this does not necessarily mean that HR has to be against the interest of employees. The HR is the function which is responsible for managing the organization’s human capital. In this age of Knowledge economy, human capital is a strategic asset which can give the organization a competitive advantage. However, since HR is the employee facing function, employees expect HR to be of assistance to them and help them with their issues at the workplace. When this does not happen due to one reason or another, the HR is seen as the Bad party which is just working against employee interest. In reality, the fact is that the HR is neither on the side of the management, nor on the side of the employee. The purpose of HR is to meet its role in the organizational strategy. When we talk of strategy, many a times, HR gets ignored because of a feeling that HR cannot be responsible for anything strategic. The most well known function of HR such as recruitment, compensation, training etc....
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...Strategic HRM for banking The environments in which organizations operate today are divergent. Myanmar banking sector has been facing unprecedented challenges with the wave of privatization and globalization of myanmar economy. Banks are under intense pressure to perform in today’s volatile market place. Steep competition, globalization, growing customer demand and exposure to higher credit risks are forcing the banks to find new ways of providing better customer service so as to improve profitability. The strategic management of human resources is one of the ways companies may use to increase their competitiveness in the new organizational landscapes, since managing in a global marketplace, introducing new technology, developing organizational knowledge, improving customer service or product quality, requires considering the “human equation” (Pfeffer, 1998). The management of organization human resources is an integral part of how an organization is going to achieve its mission goals. Without people, there is no one to do the work. Therefore, integrating HRM into the organization strategic plan is important step in Establishing an HR Strategy. The function of building human resources management strategy requires analyzing the current strategies of the organization and its goals which means Because of the globalization, the competition is very intense to get competitive advantage. Globalization represents the structural making of the world that is characterized by the free flow...
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...Key Success Variables 11 Global market value and competitive advantage 11 Internal & external customer satisfaction 11 Key Success Variables 12 Conclusion 12 List of Figures Figure 1: Strategic Human Resource Management Model 6 Figure 2: Traditional HR versus Strategic HR 7 Figure 3: Pest Model 9 Introduction In the current global business environment, the role of HR cannot be neglected. HR consideration is equally important as the knowledge economy expects from their workforce to share their contribution in building the structure of the ideas for the benefits of organization as a whole and at the same time support in compliance of its strategy. HR competent people working in an organization set the benchmark in value additions for the business activities that are undertaken in return to have the desired achievements of goals and objectives. Hence it has been pretty crucial to acquaint with the dynamic HR changes that are happening in an economy. The effective HRM atmosphere is vital to ensure the rise in productivity, performance outcomes and modernization when it comes to analyzing all segments operating within an economy. The need to study HR and its ingredients is a hot issue as the role of HR is being demanded consistently with the span of time for the organizations operating locally or globally, therefore the rapid growth in the...
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...employees leave companies due to feeling unworthy of the skills they present to the organization. In today’s economy it’s not easy to pick up and move to the next company this is also why there’s a lot of unhappy staff working in organizations just for a paycheck every two weeks. Adopting the human resource theory can definitely help hiring managers to hire the best candidates for the position. Personally I can identify with the Human Resource Management School style by being an employee. I work many people who have different views about their job. You have the theory x people who are lazy and irresponsible and need direction, you have the theory y people who are responsible and work well if rewarded, and you have theory z which are people who feel important especially when making decisions on the job. In today’s economy many people are taking whatever job they can get their hands on just to have a paycheck but are not happy with their duties. This causes decrease efficiency and lack of motivation which can lead to high turnover for organizations and bad reputations for hiring the wrong people. This is why organizations need to plan “the Storey model, for example, stresses extra-contractual relations as the basis of planning. Hiring new workers and business plans all revolve around the building of trust, and this trust is built around general managers and floor managers as key HR players. Planning cannot function without those management inputs”. Many organizations need to adopt...
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...Week 8 Assignment 4: Case: Texas Roadhouse Won’t Scrimp on Making Employees Happy LaTeesha D. Mungin HRM 500 Dr. Bagwell Strayer University November 27, 2011 “If we take care of our employees, they will take care of our customers” is a common phrase. In your experience, is it actually practiced or is it just a cliché on the wall? I believe that it is just a cliché on the wall because most employers don’t take care of their employees in a way that employees would like them to show appreciation. Most employers don’t follow the phrase. Although most of them are aware of it, but may not believe it applies to the organizations. It is a rare situation for some people to have an opportunity to work for a company that treats employees exceptionally well. It would be helpful if employers would remain loyal to employees but it doesn’t always seem to work that way. It’s a strange relationship – employer and employee. Unfortunately, most do not know how to communicate either way. As a result, there are minor issues that may surface but never addressed and sometimes grow into major issues. The loyalty in the relationship doesn’t always seem to work both ways. Texas Roadhouse uses money as a motivator for employees. In today’s economy, describe alternative methods that could be used to motivate their employees. Since today’s economy is facing financial challenges, employers have an opportunity to motivate employees in other ways such as paid time off, gift cards...
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...Understanding Organisations and the role of HR CIPD Level 3 Certificate in Human Resources Practice Rufaro Masawi Briefing Note: an Introduction to Priory Farmfield CIPD Number 45163345 2193 Words Priory Farmfield is a part of the Priory Group of services. Farmfield specialises in providing a forensic mental health service on behalf of third parties such as the NHS, Local Authorities and Prisons. The NHS is one of Farmfield's main commissioners they fund the patients stay at Farmfield. The goals of the service are to provide an exceptional service in order for them to attract more customers which will result in the company gaining a profit. External factors that can impact the business activities of the organisation are legal, political, economic and environmental. The main legal aspects that affect Farmfield are regulating bodies. Farmfield is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who monitor, inspect and regulate all health and social care services in England. The CQC conducts inspections of all health providers in England and they publish their findings online. Commissioners such as the NHS are able to read these reports when making decisions about referring their patients to Farmfield. An unfavourable review can be detrimental to current and future business. If the hospital is found to not be operating according to the set standard by the CQC they can be shut down immediately...
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...Why We Hate HR In a knowledge economy, companies with the best talent win. And finding, nurturing, and developing that talent should be one of the most important tasks in a corporation. So why does human resources do such a bad job From: Issue 97 | August 2005 | Page 40 | By: Keith H. Hammonds Well, here's a rockin' party: a gathering of several hundred midlevel human (Yo, Wayne Newton! How's the 401(k)?) They are here, ensconced for two days at faux to confer on "strategic HR leadership," a conceit that sounds, to the lay observer, at once frightening and self contradictory. If not plain laughable. Because let's face it: After close to 20 years of hopeful rhetoric about becoming "strategic partners" with a "seat at the table" where the business decisions that matter are made, most human aren't nearly there. They have no seat, and the table is locked inside a conference room to which they have no key. HR people are, for most practical purposes, neither strategic nor leaders. I don't care for Las Vegas. And if it's not clear already, I don't like HR, either, which is why I'm here. The human force that blindly enforces nonsensical rules, resists creativity, and impedes constructive change. HR is the corporate function with the greatest potential the one that most consistently underdelivers. And I am here to find out why. Why are annual performance appraisals so time henchman for the chief financial officer, finding...
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...Challenges of business leaders and HR managers when managing the 21st century workforce ” A company’s workforce represents one of its most valuable resources: for this reason the way this workforce is managed represents a critical element in enhancing internal effectiveness and improving the organization’s competitiveness” (Rennie 2003)”. Introduction Most HR management systems available in most firms were formed at a time when business and technological practices were completely different. As the world is becoming more economic globalized so is the workforce. The 21st century workforce will consist of multi-generational team and a mix of minorities. With a more diverse and complex workforce, the challenges facing the HR managers also expands. There are several issues faced by contemporary business leaders. First is globalization-which is the present flow of capital, goods, services, ideas, people, and information virtually. Second is talent acquisition and talent management issues- HR Administrations are still struggling with managing their talent efficiently. Most corporate employment and talent meanings are reactive and hardly are they future focused. Third is fruitful human capital administration-the explanation to handling your multi-generational staff. As we move towards 2020 there will be four generations working side by side, how can we accomplish knowledge transfer and maintain good team work when there exists intergenerational problems due to generational differences...
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...------------------------------------------------- Top of Form Case: Texas Roadhouse Won’t Scrimp on Making Employees Happy In: Business and Management Case: Texas Roadhouse Won’t Scrimp on Making Employees Happy “If we take care of our employees, they will take care of our customers” is a common phrase. In your experience, is it actually practiced or is it just a cliché on the wall? Discuss the implications of your answer. Solution: The above phrase holds true in today’s competitive world and is actually practiced, where the focus is on the customer. The phrase is very much applicable for the service-oriented companies, where employees play a huge role in the success of the company. It is believed that employee job satisfaction is directly related to customer satisfaction. The management should take decisions and develop measures to increase the motivation of its employees to serve their customers better. An employee can increase the service quality through five important dimensions, namely, discussed as below: Reliability: The ability of the employees to deliver the promised service to the customer, in promised time and error free transactions, would increase the customer base and boost sales. Assurance: The politeness, knowledge and courtesy of the employees towards customers, in dealing with the products sales and after-sales service, builds a huge amount of trust and confidence. Tangibles: The personality and well-dressed attire of employees, attractive and simple...
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