Personal Values Paper

The ability to evaluate professional and personal values and ethics is an important aspect in today’s organizations. The Ethic awareness inventory offers valuable information and insight to ones ethical point of view which enabled me to realize my own ethical standpoint and compare the result with the inventory analysis. Williams Institute Ethics Awareness Inventory Assessment helped me look at what are the personal values that I have in my personality. I got the scores or C and E. When reviewing the questions, I apparently felt that character is not as important in one making ethical decisions.. After the results were in, I questioned my self. I believe that one’s actions, decision making, how they interact, or fail to interact with others has a direct reflection on one’s character. Therefore, I do not consider a focus on one’s character to be the most important aspect in terms of ethical decisions. A person’s character is built through time and experience. The outcome of a decision is how we learn to respect one another. How the decision is made and who it affects has direct reflection on one’s character.
Kudler Fine Foods has a values system like most savvy business owners. Kathy Kudler business owner of Kudler Fine Foods values excellent customer service and prides her staff on being customer oriented. Kudler is in the business of providing perishable goods by using only organic ingredients. Kathy purchases the majority of all her produce from local farmers. If she is not purchasing from local consumers she buys from either international or national wholesalers. Unlike most small business owners Kathy tries to develop a personal relationship with her customers, and when she has the time she even runs the cashier, tends to customers needs, and provide quick results to any problem. Kathy’s values personally and within her company range from helping the poor, easing the burden of the middle class, improving the environment, and producing loyalty and unity. Kudler prides itself on respect and repeat customers, Kathy has developed a loyal customer standing with banks and currently with all three stores open she pays her bills on time and this value is very important in the business aspect. Kudler is continuously trying to make improvements within the gourmet shop and evaluating fluctuation so money is not being lost.
The product waste is at high at 12%. Kudler would like to become a more active part of the community and in doing so; Kudler will cook meals twice a week for the local homeless shelter to help offset the cost of wasted produce and products. Kudler employees will be offered the opportunity to volunteer their time at local homeless shelters. The food donated to the shelters is tax deductible and the money saved throughout the year will be in surplus to also afford the bonuses given to the employees.
Kathy would like to expand her business by opening up additional stores. This is a great idea, but perhaps happening too quickly. Currently, Kathy is lacking in adequate management in all her stores because she is run too thin. While Kathy is working on the business expansion, I will work with the already established stores to create uniformity in policies and procedures. In addition, additional duties will be assigned to each store employee that is interested in learning other aspects of the business. This opportunity will be viewed as a management trainee program.
The additional duties will include in-store training, delegating product inventory to two employees to be responsible for ordering and stocking shipments. As employees broaden their skills, Assistant manager positions will be posted throughout each store. I will take on the responsibility to travel between each of the established stores and once the new location is settled, Kathy can resume her position as the owner/operator of her business. She will know that each of her stores is being handled efficiently in a consistent manner.
Throughout all the changes, which cannot happen overnight, the team morale of all stores needs to be raised. The employees feel secure and confident that their leadership and ideas will be heard and valued. In order for the changes to transition successfully, employees need to be included and asked for help.
The decisions made are for the betterment of the company and employees alike. They will be given opportunities to grow with the company, broaden their skills, and have their ideas heard and tried. Asking the employees to be a part of the changes, allows employees to take pride and ownership in the success of the business. When employees take pride in their work, they provide a better product and service to existing and new customers. When the store succeeds, employees succeed. As the customer clientele basis grows, the salaries can be reviewed and raised appropriately to meet the needs of each individual’s skills, with placing the company into financial distress.
With my Ethical values and the way I work, I would have raised my voice to let her know that employees are not being empowered. Empowerment to an employee gives the work satisfaction as well as ownership of doing some thing meaningful to the team.
Overall, the object of creating a better work place for Kudler Fine Foods includes the assistance of the employees, some minor changes without raising the cost of products, or losing employees. The new skills of the employees will also help gain new customers and retain existing customers.

REFERENCES
Kudler’s Strategic Plan (2003.) from University of Phoenix, Resource, MGT/521 – Management Course Web Site: https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp