Organizational Culture Case Study: Patagonia
Patagonia is a manufacturer of outdoor clothing. While the climate at some firms evolves without much thought or conscious planning, Patagonia's climate has been carefully molded to help employees realize their potential. The hope, of course, is tha...
Job Performance and Rewards
Sometimes it's very challenging to determine if an employee has met established goals, particularly if that individual is part of a larger team. And it can be especially challenging to appropriately reward individual job performance within the conte...
Job Descriptions
It's important that those seeking to fill a position are in clear agreement as to what the job is about. Job descriptions and specifications become the basis for determining which applicants best fit the needs of the organization.
Human Resources Case Study: Four Seasons Hotel
As anyone connected with the Four Seasons Hotel operation will attest, there is nothing casual about the Four Seasons' employment process. It is thorough and in-depth. The goal is to find employees who not only have the technical skills to do the jo...
Human Resources and Planning
The notion that an organization's human resources are vital assets that should be included in each aspect of strategic planning sounds logical and obvious. But, in reality, the idea of integrating human resources into the fabric of strategic plannin...
Human Resources and the Law
Once the recruitment and hiring process begins, a whole host of laws and regulations comes into play. The most visible of these are mandates related to equal employment opportunities for minorities and those with disabilities.
Human Resources: Morale and Motivation
Morale in the workplace depends primarily on the working conditions that management creates. In most cases, the deciding factor is whether management treats employees as valued resources, and tries to provide meaningful, satisfying work, or instead ...
Performance Appraisals
A very important, yet often neglected aspect of managerial responsibility is performance appraisal. Simply stated, appraisals measure how well an employee is accomplishing assigned tasks. They also provide a means for communication between managers ...
Employee Training
Companies that are engaged in highly competitive industries, such as automobile and technology firms, are particularly aware of the dividends that can be gained from effective employee training programs.
Dealing With Unsatisfactory Job Performance
When an employee's job performance is sub-par, it is the manager's responsibility to inform the employee. Ideally, once the problem has been pointed out, the manager and the employee establish objectives for improvement, along with strategies that w...