Tanglewood Stores Case Study

Current Environment Assessment Due to fast growth rate and purchasing of smaller companies, legacy procedures are still found in HR practices among stores. Current polices and procedures managing the human asset must resonant with original mission statement. Competitors The competitor list would be any company that does business in non-durable general retail industry. Specifically, listed in the case study has Kohl’s and Target as competitors but I think that Dillard’s and Saks should also be listed since they align with operating revenue, number of stores and employees.All of these businesses compete for middle to upper income customers. Structure The organization has a tiered hierarchy with multiple levels of management reporting upward while maintaining a participatory management style even down to the departmental managers having the ability to create methods for running the department. Employees There are approximately 215 employees per store. The employees are see n as an essential asset developing and maintaining the values and culture of the organization.Each employee is part of a team and encouraged to suggest operational improvements for the business. Financial rewards are provided to employees with improvements that are chosen for implementation. Leadership shows that every employee is seen as a member of the core work force by offering permanent positions over temporary. Culture and Values The philosophy of the founders is taught at orientation; â€Å"If you tell someone exactly what to do, you’re getting half an employee. If you give omeone the space to make their own decisions, you’re getting a whole person. †Through clear and honest communication (business health or otherwise) plus keeping performance and customer service in forefront, leadership has provided an avenue for employees to be engaged at every level. The process of hiring only dedicated employees on a permanent basis fosters the culture and value of t he company. Human Resource Function 2 level HR process; corporate and store: Corporate level ? analyses data received from individual stores, ? designs policies and programs, sends specific recommendations to the stores (not sure to whom this information flows – it should be the Assistant Manager of Operations and Human Resources) Store level: ? Assistant Manager for Operations and Human Resource staffs the store, trains new hires Recommendations Operations Staff should be consistently managed throughout all stores with a core value with specific policies and procedures with a balance of allowing the continued personalized involvement from the manager.Staff Levels Have a balance between developing current workforce while acquiring key personnel with needed skill set and experience to the higher level core positions. ? Outsource the recruiting and hiring of new employees; use their expertise and compliance tracking capabilities. ? Continue with internal hiring as you develop a nd train the next generation of employees and business success; an employee familiar with company policies is an asset to the company. If current business situations need â€Å"new eyes† look to hiring externally. More companies are catering to the flexible workforce. Provide an environment that has some flexibility as this adds to your benefits of keeping a quality and qualified workforce. ? Create a strategy of cross training using the team environment that is already in place; this will help with minimizing the impact of turnover plus provide a hiring pool as management can have performance evaluations on hand. ? Currently with the size of the business and managing multiple controls;I suggest looking into the benefits of outsourcing the IT department and data analysis locally. Attracting or relocating key personnel through the outsourcing of the potential hiring firm can validate the extent of this need. ? The current position of the business would be to overstaff until it has met the needed results. Once that has been achieved, the business has the ability to develop the extra employees for new roles or let them go. ? I suggest keeping the long-term goals in the forefront while continually measuring the short term goals. The short term goals are easier to reach but it takes focus to keep the business on the long term path. Staffing Quality Multiple levels of job requirements should be identified as minimal tasks to perform; this will aid in the person/job and person/organization match.While some positions may be less task oriented needs, more emphasis would be on necessary personality qualities that adhere to the organization culture and values. ? For your corporate structure I suggest you have specific KSAOs listed as these positions require specific knowledge, skills and abilities. The store manager, assistant store managers and departmental managers should have general KSAOs as their workforce and responsibilities are more apt to have changes on a regular basis. The base of your leadership and management workforce should be exceptional quality the store shift leaders and associates would be listed under the acceptable workforce quality. But with that being said, if you are looking to encourage your staff and have them suggest improvements, there will be some looking to make a career at your organization. You must not lose site that the associates are the first exposure to your customers – if they are not respected or treated well, that will show in their service.I did find a risk with the implementation of improvement suggestions as it is left up to the manager on how it is carried out. The improvement should have metrics assigned and a timeline established for follow up and results provided. ? Actively pursue diversity within your organization; the benefits to this organization will be a well rounded workforce ready to enter into more markets, a deeper understanding of customer needs and the ability to provide oppor tunities for all people.

Ergonomics Essays - Ergonomics, Computer Peripherals, Chairs

Ergonomics Essays - Ergonomics, Computer Peripherals, Chairs Ergonomics What is ergonomics? Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker. When there is a mismatch between the physical requirements of the job and the physical capacity of the worker, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) can result. Workers who must repeat the same motion throughout their workday, work in an awkward position use a great deal of force to perform, repeatedly lift heavy objects or face a combination of these risk factors are most likely to develop WMSDs. In this report, I will outline the main factors in having a safe workstation. Sitting-Chair There are certain ways in which you may choose an ergonomically correct chair. Does the seat feel comfortable and fit you shape? When you sit in the chair the seat should be at least one inch wider than your hips and thighs on either side. The seat should not be too long for your legs otherwise it will catch you behind the knees or it will prevent you from leaning fully back. Most ergonomic chairs have a seat with a front that prevents the seat from catching you behind the knees. The seat should also be contoured to allow even weight distribution and it should be comfortable to sit on. Is the seat chair height adjustable? The chair should be adjustable so that you can adjust seat height while you are sitting on the chair. Some chairs have a mechanical height adjustment (spinning) mechanism. Does the chair have a comfortable lower back rest? Many chairs have cushioned lower back supports that can be adjusted up and down and forwards and backwards to fit your shape. If the chair has a fixed height lower back support and it feels comfortable when you sit back against this then a fixed lower back support may be acceptable. When you sit back against the lower back support is there space for hips? Insufficient hip room can make you sit too far forwards on the seat so that you will not have enough thigh support. Does the seat still feel comfortable after you've been sitting in it for 30 - 60 minutes? If the seat is made from foam then continuous use can cause it to become deformed and then it will not provide cushioned support. Insufficient cushioning and inappropriate contouring can cause discomfort and hip and back fatigue. Is the tilt of the seat adjustable? In some situations it can be helpful to change the tilt of the seat pan to help to maintain a healthy seated posture. Does the chair have a 5-pedestal base? The chair should have at least a 5-pedestal base with casters that glide freely over the floor surface. You may also want to choose a chair that swivels ea sily. Do you need armrests on your chair? If so, are the armrests broad, cushioned and comfortable? While sitting can you adjust the height of the armrests and can you move the armrests closer together or further apart? Typing- Keyboard In the ideal typing posture both static and dynamic muscle loads are minimized. This posture is achieved when the keyboard is below seated elbow height and the keyboard base is gently sloped away from the user so that the key tops are accessible to the hands in a neutral posture. In this position the arms, shoulders, neck and back can relax, especially during brief rest pauses. Also, in this slightly reclined sitting position the low back rests against the lumbar support of the chair, the elbow angle is opened to promote circulation to the lower arm and hand, the abdominal angle, and the popliteal angle (behind the knees) are opened to promote blood circulation. The feet rest firmly upon the floor. Looking-Monitor Optical glass glare filters on computer monitors can reduce health and vision problems related to computer glare and help boost productivity in computer users, according to a new Cornell University study. After using a glass anti-glare filter, the percentage of problems related to tiredness, trouble focusing eyes, itching/watery eyes and dry eyes was half what they were before filter use. This was true for people, who use computer monitors all day at work, said ergonomist Alan Hedge, who is the professor of design and environmental analysis and director of the Human

How to Use the French Adverb dAbord (First)

How to Use the French Adverb dAbord (First) The  adverb dabord,  pronounced da bor, means first, at first, to begin with, in the first place, at the outset, anyway. It is a versatile, frequently used adverb that can fill many a role. Keep in mind that, as an adverb, the job of  dabord  is to modify the action, in other words, the verb. The Many Meanings of dAbord Here are some examples of each meaning: First: Nous irons dabord   Rome.   Well go to Rome first.At first, initially, to begin with: Jai cru (tout) dabord quil sagissait dune blague.   At first, I thought it was a joke.To begin with:  Dabord, tu nes mà ªme pas prà ªt  !   To begin with, youre not even ready !Anyway:  Et puis dabord,  Il a fallu le terminer. And anyway, he had to finish it. Expressions and Usage Tout dabord First of all, first and foremost, first off, to begin withAu premier abord At first sight, initiallyDà ¨s labord From the outsetVoie dabord Surgical approachManià ¨re daborder Method of approachToi dabord.   You first.Pensez dabord a soi. Think of yourself first. / Look out for, look after number one.La sà ©curità © dabord ! Safety first!Je vais rentrer dabord chez moi. Ill go home first.à ªtre dun abord facile To be approachable, accessible, easy to reachà ªtre dun abord difficile Hard to approach, difficult to come to grips with, hard to reach, difficult to get toLes raisons en sont diverses: dabord... There are various reasons: first...Dabord, je dois trouver mon livre, et puis nous pourrons commencer. First I need to find my book, and then we can start.Il semblait dabord sympathique, puis il a commencà © crier. He seemed nice at first, then he started shouting.Tout dabord, le Conseil europà ©en de dà ©cembre se prononcera sur son approbation. First of all, the December European Council will need to approve it. Il y a dabord la rà ©fà ©rence la perspective financià ¨re aprà ¨s 2006. Firstly, there is the reference to the financial prospects after 2006.Je tiens tout dabord prà ©senter les autres invità ©s dhonneur. To begin with, I would like to acknowledge my fellow honorees.

How to Write a Great Blog Post

How to Write a Great Blog Post How to Write a Great Blog Post How to Write a Great Blog Post By Ali Hale Blog posts might look straightforward, but if you’ve ever tried to write one, you may have found it was harder than you expected. Whether you want to start a blog as a hobby, as a step towards freelancing, or as a tool to promote your book your blog posts need to be well-structured and well-written. Of course, blogging offers a lot of freedom. You don’t have to write to a specific length, in the way that you would if you were writing a newspaper column or a magazine article. You can write short, newsy pieces, long, in-depth pieces, or anything in between. You’ve also got the freedom to pick your own topics – and to develop your own writing style. Perhaps you want to write nostalgic, gently humorous blog posts drawn from your own life or maybe you’d prefer to create detailed, reassuring tutorials for new WordPress users. Whatever you’re writing about, though, and whatever your reason for blogging, your blog posts need to work. They need to have a recognisable structure and they need to stick, more or less, to the point. Here’s how to write a great blog post: Step #1: Plan Your Post Before You Write Your blog post should have an introduction, main body and conclusion (or, if you prefer, a beginning, middle and end). Here’s how those work: The introduction should set the scene for your post and hook the reader. You might do this by asking a question, making a bold statement, or giving a quick anecdote from your own life. The main body is the real content of your post. It’s where you develop a particular line of discussion, share a story, or give your suggestions or tips on a particular topic. The conclusion wraps up your post. It’s easy to miss off – but it’s really important. It should sum up briefly and, ideally, offer the reader something to do next. Step #2: Draft Your Full Post While different bloggers work in different ways, I find that it’s usually best to draft a whole blog post from start to end (rather than writing a few paragraphs here and there to stitch together eventually). You could: Imagine that you’re emailing a friendly acquaintance as you write. I find that thinking about one reader helps me to get the draft of my post down as smoothly as possible. Jot down some brief notes for your introduction, then launch in with the first key point  that you want to make. It’s often easier to flesh out the introduction once you’ve written the actual post. Avoid editing as you write. If you need to fix a quick typo or restart an occasional sentence, that’s okay – but don’t start deleting whole paragraphs at this stage. When you’re mid-way through a draft, it’s hard to see what needs to go and what should stay. Step #3: Redraft Your Post Once you’ve got a rough draft of your post, it’s time to shape it for your blog. Since you’re writing for an online audience, it’s important to: Keep your paragraphs short. It’s harder to read on a screen than in print, so if you’re used to writing for books or magazines, you may need to cut your paragraphs in half. Keep (most of) your sentences short and straightforward. The occasional more complex sentence is fine – especially if you’re writing for an academic or well-educated audience – but mix things up with some short, simple sentences too. Use a conversational writing style. That means using â€Å"I† and â€Å"you†. These aren’t appropriate in academic writing, so you might have been taught not to use them at school but when you’re blogging, it’s fine to write as though you’re talking directly to the reader. (Just like I’m doing right now!) Step #4: Format Your Post Once you’re happy with the post as written, it’s time to move on to the formatting – how your post looks. You might want to: Include subheadings and/or bold text. These help to â€Å"signpost† important parts of your post for the reader – for instance, in this post, the different steps each have their own subheading so you can easily figure out where you are within the post. Add images where appropriate. Many bloggers like to start off their posts with an eye-catching image to draw the reader in. Images also help to create â€Å"white space† (the blank bits of the page around the words and images), which makes your post look more attractive and inviting. Add links to other posts (on your blog or elsewhere). One great advantage of writing online versus writing in print is that you can link to other resources. That might mean linking to an explanation about something you mention in passing, for instance, to help your readers who are new to your subject area. Step #5: Edit Your Post While you could tackle the editing before the formatting, I find it’s helpful to do a quick edit, at least, after putting subheadings, images and links into place. When you edit: Look out for typos and misspellings. Your default spellchecker won’t necessarily catch all of these. Some bloggers find that it’s helpful to view their post in a larger size, or to preview it live on their blog, to help mistakes stand out. Check that your links are working. It’s frustrating for readers (and embarrassing for you) if a post goes live with broken links in it. Look for areas where your post could be more polished. In this post, for instance, I went back while editing to make sure that each of the â€Å"steps† had three bullet points, so that they all matched. Of course, writing blog posts is more of an art than a science – and I definitely don’t want you to think that there’s only one â€Å"right† way to do it.  These tips, though, should help you to produce polished blog posts that are enjoyable to write and that are easy for your readers to engage with. (And if youre looking for some more suggestions, check out Sarahs post 10 Tips on How to Write the Perfect Blog Post.) I hope you enjoy blogging as much as I do and if you have a great tip to share about writing blog posts, leave it in the comments for us! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Writing Basics category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 "Home" Idioms and ExpressionsConnotations of 35 Words for Funny PeoplePeople vs. Persons

U.S. globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

U.S. globalization - Essay Example Globalization come with challenges and benefits that governments need to take into consideration. Challenges that are faced due to globalization are those that need to be addressed by civil society, the governments and other organizations that create the policies. One challenge that is much faced in globalization is the ensuring that the benefits that are obtained from globalization extend to all countries. This becomes a challenge as the happening will not be automatic and the implementation has been a problem. The second challenge that is faced in globalization is dealing with the fears that occur that the process leads to instability in a country. the instability is able to occur much in the developing countries. The developed countries are stable and they are not prone to instability through globalization than it is in developing countries. The third challenge that is experienced is to address the issue in the industry that increase in global competition will lead to inevitably t o the fall in wages, labor rights, practices due to employment and deterioration in environment standards. Another challenge that is experienced due to globalization is that the complicated problems are used as mere excuses in avoiding the search aimed at new ways to cooperate in the overall interest of a nation and the people that live in the nation. Organizations that are in the civil society traditionally had the focus of aid and transfer of resources.

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 1 SLP Essay

BHS 499 (Senior Capstone Project) Module 1 SLP - Essay Example through eliminating healthcare acquired infections and other avoidable accidents. National Health Services (NHS) formulated the Quality Framework in order to achieve the more improve quality of care at the same time support local clinical teams that consist the following: (1) Bring lucidity to quality in terms of access to evidences on best practice; (2) Publication of quality information to make it available to the public; (3) Offering rewards to high quality care givers; (4) Safeguarding basic standards in healthcare setting; (5) Ensuring state-of-the-art medical advances and service design; (6) Distinguishing the role of clinicians as leaders in quality of care (Davis, 2005; p1 par 1). warning systems in therapeutic procedures for cures of progressive diseases such as cystic fibrosis, diseases like cancer and heart disease, implantation procedures of artificial hips and kidneys. Nanoparticles may be very useful to researchers to overcome problems in gene therapy, and treatment of genetically inherited diseases. .Nanoparticles generally used to apply heat to cancer cells so they will be killed.

How has the media changed the shape of American Politics Essay

How has the media changed the shape of American Politics - Essay Example Americans no longer have to search high and low for this information; instead, they simply need to turn on any news channel or go to any news website and they are presented with all of the facts that are needed, and then some. It is because of media that more people than ever are involved in the world of politics (Rozell & Mayer, 2008), even if they are just spectators. However, media is not always a helpful, reliable tool when politics are involved. Media influences people in regard to politics by feeding them the information that its deems to be important; those in charge of media have their own agenda. This is often dependent on the news station, the individual relaying the news, or the political party of anyone involved in the broadcast (Curran, 1995). If a story is being presented by Democrats, there is a good chance that the Republican party will not be shown in a good light, and vice versa. The same holds true for issues regarding propositions or bills that are waiting to be p assed, such as the growing concern of border control along the southern states. What originally began as a method to keep Americans informed of political goings-on has long since become a battle to make one side look worse than the other, all because of the universality and bias of media.