CEO in the making Essays

CEO in the making Essays CEO in the making Essay CEO in the making Essay Strategic Human Resource Management (MHR 705/305H) University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business spring 2007 PROFESSOR professor Barry Gerhart 4194 Grainger Hall; Office: 262-3895; Home: 277-1061; [emailprotected] wisc. edu CLASS MEETINGS 8:00 5, Tuesday Thursday, 2165 Grainger Hall OFFICE HOURS 1 1 12:45, Tuesday Thursday, or by appointment. PREREQUISITE An introductory statistics course and ability to use Microsoft Excel. OVERVIEW This course is designed to develop an understanding of how human resource decisions contribute to business performance. No business strategy can be uccessfully executed unless the right people are in place and they are given the opportunity and incentive to contribute to executing the strategy. OBJECTIVES Specific learning objectives include the ability to: Create alignment between human resource strategies and business strategies in a cost-effective manner. Design work systems and roles that allow employees to contribute to organization performance. Identify, select, and develop people having the competencies that allow them to contribute to organization performance. Use compensation and other HR systems that provide rewards and incentives to ttract and retain employees and to encourage them to contribute to organization Understand how an employment relationship is like a contract and how the nature of this contract is evolving and taking different forms. Make human resource decisions that are legal and ethical. Learn how to use quantitative tools and information where appropriate to support decisions. GENERAL Class attendance and participation are expected. Assignments are due letter grade per day will be assessed on assignments handed in after that time. You must take the final exam at the scheduled time. Assignments and the exam should be identified by placing your name on the back of the last page. TEXT Noe, R. , Hollenbeck, J. R. , Gerhart, B. , Wright, P. (2006). Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage. Chicago: Irwin. 5th Edition. ISBN 0-07-298738-3. Several copies of this book are available from the Business School Library in case you decide not to purchase the book. Let me know if more reserve copies are needed. Class sessions will not rely heavily on the text. It will more often be a source of more detailed information on topics we cover in class as well as a source of additional company examples. PACKETS Two packets can be purchased in the room adjacent to the Business School Copy Center on the first floor: (1) Harvard cases, and (2) course topic outlines. A third set of materials, readings, and assignments is available online at the course website (see below). E-RESERVESAvailable through MYUW. ASSIGNMENTS Case write-ups (3). Please submit written analyses of Au Bon Pain, Citibank, and GEs Talent Machine: The Making ofa CEO. Each case write-up is to be completed as an individual assignment or you may work with one or two other persons. (If the latter, submit one write-up. ) As noted earlier, this and other ssignments should be identified by placing your name on the back of the last page. The cases will be discussed in class the day they are due. As such, the case write-up must be submitted at the beginning of class. The remaining cases on the syllabus are for class discussion only. No written assignment is required. Write-ups should be no longer than two double-spaced pages of text (normal fonts and margins). A one-page exhibit should also be used to summarize the Roles, Rewards, and People aspects of the HR Diamond (to be introduced in class). The most important parts of your write-up are the Alignment nd Application sections. Write-ups should incorporate relevant issues from the textbook and class (Application), as well as your own insights and analyses. The text section of your write-up should include areas A C (see below) as headings. The exhibit section of your report should have headings corresponding to D F (see below). Format and grading criteria for case write-ups: A. Business Strategy (10 points) Briefly describe the generic strategy (e. g. , cost, differentiation) the firm uses to compete in its product market. Then, be more specific: What is unique about its product or its customer experience? B. Alignment (30 points) How do roles, rewards, and people practices (HR strategy) support the business strategy? Use the HR Diamond. C. Application (30 points) (1) Apply concepts/models/theories or examples from text and class. (Company As compensation system consistent/inconsistent with theory. ) (2) Note similarities/differences (and their reasons) when compared to other companies we discuss. Company A pays employees based on _ rather than using the _ compensation approach favored at Company A because it is important that Company A whereas Company (3) Identify problems with the HR strategy. Company As decision to pay managers based on _ runs the risk of II. Exhibit/Table Section of Report (1 page maximum) (20 points) D. Roles Identify/list the most imp ortant aspects of how work is organized. E. Rewards Identify/list the most important aspects of the incentives used. F. People Identify/list the most important aspects of competencies people need and how people are selected and developed to have these competencies. A final grading criterion used is: Readability (10 points) Organization of paper, including headings. Effective communication of ideas. Problem Sets (4). You may do these as individual assignments or you may work with ne or two other persons. (If the latter, submit one write-up. ) An example of each will be provided in class or in a handout. For each problem set, there is either an example discussed in class or a detailed example included in the problem set assignment. If you need help with the problem sets, do not hesitate to email me or come by my office. It is important to quantify the result of human resource decisions to the extent possible. The problem sets provide examples of how quantitative data can be used to make better human resource decisions. Policy Evaluation Presentation. This is a team assignment. Your team should consist of 2 to 4 people. For this assignment, explain why a change in business strategy or lack of fit with business strategy created a need for an HR policy change. Evaluate the effectiveness of the new human resource policy introduced in an organization and present your findings to the class Final Exam. There is a final, comprehensive, in-class exam. The exam will re-visit cases and problem sets from the term and other issues covered in class. The exam is an individual task. Based on past semesters, regular class attendance is associated GRADING case Analyses (3) Problem Sets (4) 30 % Final Team Presentation (including peer evaluation) 15 % Final Exam 25% Attendance/Contribution to Class DiscussionComes into play if within . 5 of next grade. A 92. 5- AB87. 5 92. 4 B 82. 5-87. 4 BC77. 5 82. 4 Et cetera Course Schedule Week 1 Introduction Jan. 3 Note: For most weeks, there will be readings (mostly newspaper articles and brief magazine articles) available on your MylJW website, in addition to those listed below. Please read these additional articles each week as well. HR Strategy (HR Diamond) Jan. 25 Text, Chapters 1, 2 Reading: Right Away and All at Once: How We Saved Continental. Harvard Business Review. [available via e-reserves website] Reading: Barney, J. B. Wright, P. M. On Be coming a Strategic Partner: The Role of Human Resources in Gaining Competitive Advantage. Human Resource Management, Spring 1998, Volume 37, No. 1, pp. 1-46. [available via e-reserves website] Reading (optional): Becker, B. Huselid, M. (2003, December). Measuring HR? Benchmarking Is Not the Answer! HR Magazine, pp. 57-61. Reading (optional): Walker, G. MacDonald, J. R. (2001, Winter). Designing and Implementing an HR Scorecard. Human Resource Management, 40(4), 365-377. week 2 Case: Human Resources at Southwest Airlines Feb. 1 Roles Text, Chapter 4 (pp. 145-151 on Job Analysis; pp. 158-166 on Job Design; pp. 167-168 on HR at IBM only) Reading: Whole Foods is All Teams. FastCompany. Reading/Optional: The Anarchists Cookbook. FastCompany. Whole Foods] Reading/Optional: Love the Worker, Not the Union, A StoreSays As Some Organize [Whole Foods] week 3 Feb. 6 Rewards Case Write-Up: Au Bon Pain Feb. 8 People: Commitment Reading: Ittner Larcker. Coming up Short on Financial Measures. Harvard Business Review. Reading (optional): Barber Strack. The Surprising Economics ofa People Business. Harvard Business Review. Wee k 4 Feb. 13 People: Competencies Measures: Competencies (including personality) Feb. 15 Planning Text, Chapter 5 (pp. 174-193 only) Problem Set 1 Due: The value of favorable employee attitudes week 5 Feb. 0 Recruiting Retention Text, Chapter 5 (pp. 194-208 only) Text, Chapter 10 Reading: The 100 best companies to work for in America, Fortune [available via e- reserve] Case: SG Cowen: New Recruits [bring your ratings of the four candidates] Feb. 22 Staffing/Globalization Text, Chapter 7 (PP. 302-306 only) Text, Chapter 1 5 Reading: Four Seasons Goes to Paris. Academy of Management Executive. Reading: More Flexibility by Europes Labor Stokes a Recovery. Wall Street Journal. Reading: Deep Inside China, American Family Struggles to Cope. Wall Street week 6 Feb. 7 Staffing/EEO Issues Text, Chapter 3 March 1 Staffing/EEO Issues Problem Set 2 Due: P lanning headcount needs. March 6 Staffing/Selection Text, Chapter 6 Reading: Employers Gauge Candidates Skills at Real-World Tasks . wall Street Journal. March 8 Staffing/Selection Wee k 8 March 13 Assessing Performance Text, Chapter 8 Case Write-Up: Citibank March 1 5 Pay-setting Merit Pay Text, Chapter 1 1 Case: Merck Wee k 9 March 20 Incentive Pay: Upside Potential Text, Chapter 12 Reading: The Art Of Motivation: What you can learn from a company that treats workers like owners. Inside the surprising performance culture of steelmaker Nucor. Business Week. Case: Lincoln Electric March 22 Incentive Pay: Downside Risks Reading: Hastings, D. F. (1999). Lincoln Electrics harsh lessons from international expansion. Harvard Business Review, May-June, 163-178. Reading: Kerr, S. (2003). The Best-Laid Incentive Plans. Harvard Business Review. Problem Set 3 Due: The value of accurate employee selection decisions. March 27 Benefits Text, Chapter 13 (skim only) Case: SAS Institute March 29 Training Development Text, Chapter 7 (PP. 55-280; 298-302 only) week 11 SPRING BREAK (April 3 5) week 12 April 10 Staffing and Development/ln-basket exercise April 12 Career Management Succession Planning Text, Chapter 9 (PP. 396-417) Case Write-Up: GEs Talent Machine: The Making ofa CEO. week 13 April 17 Employee Relations Legal Issues: Union and Nonunion Employees Text, Chapter 14 Text, review Chapter 10 (pp. 427-433 only) April 19 Mergers Acquisitions HR Strategy (HR Diamond): Review Exam Review Problem Set 4 Due: Invest in Training? week 14 April 24 Work Day week 1 5 May 1 May 3 week 16 May 8 May 10 Policy Presentations Exam

How I Got my Indie Novel Into the Nations Largest BrickMortar Store

How I Got my Indie Novel Into the Nations Largest BrickMortar Store "How I Got my Indie Novel Into the Country's Largest Brick-and-Mortar Chain" - By Carol Cooper Carol Cooper is a journalist, author, and doctor. She writes for The Sun newspaper, broadcasts on TV and radio, and has a string of non-fiction books to her name including an award-winning textbook of medicine. In this post, Carol reveals how she got her latest novel, Hampstead Fever, into Britain’s largest chain of booksellers. For the last few weeks, I’ve bragged to anyone who’ll listen that my self-published novel, Hampstead Fever, is in a prestigious front-of-store promotion in WH Smith travel bookstores. And no wonder I’m proud. Not only am I distributing my novel as an ebook - readers can now get it at over 700 airports and train stations around the UK.  WH Smith, after all, is the go-to place to grab a good read for a journey or holiday.I don’t have a sure-fire recipe for other indie authors to follow, but I can certainly explain what worked for me. Read how @DrCarolCooper got her latest novel into UK's largest brick-and-mortar chain 1. Get out and listen to peopleI owe a lot to the London Book Fair, circa 2015. That’s where I came across WH Smith Travel buyer Matt Bates. He spoke at Author HQ, a part of the fair dedicated to writers. He was charming, knowledgeable and enthusiastic and he wasn’t full of himself, which, as I recall, one or two other speakers at the fair were.I said a bland ‘Hello’ to Matt at the end of his talk. I don’t remember my exact words, but I said nothing about my writing. Hampstead Fever  at the WH Smith at London Gatwick AirportNo harm in trying, especially as by then my book was in many bookstores including Waterstones, Heffers Cambridge, and a sizeable number of independent bookshops, and had featured in local press and radio.   I sent Matt a brief email, attaching that eye-catching cover.Matt asked to see a copy of the book. There followed a longish silence. Then he replied, proposing a promo in over thirty of WH Smith’s travel bookstores as part of a buy one, get one half-price offer.I needed to do nothing more, except talk to Clays about a reprint and arrange the discount and return terms that WH Smith requires.I’m certain the stunning cover did much of the work for me. As for the content, people have been kind enough to say that Hampstead Fever captures multicultural urban life. It’s an easy read and makes people laugh, but it also covers some weightier issues.To other self-publishing authors wanting to get into booksho ps, my single best piece of advice is this: aim for a quality product that booksellers will love to have in their stores. "Aim for a quality product that booksellers will love to feature." @DrCarolCooper In your chain of priorities, how important is it to you to get your book in stores? If you have any thoughts, comments or questions for Carol Cooper, leave them in the comments below. Find out more about the author on her website or by following her on Twitter.

News media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

News media - Essay Example in Papademas 11), which states that all individuals have the freedom to express and impart opinions using the media as a vehicle to convey their thoughts, even in the presence of boundaries (Papademas 11). Recognizably, people rely on news reports whether on print, television, radio, or the web, when in search of updated information about the happenings in the society. However, the freedom, enjoyed by most journalists now, has turned out to become the cause of some people’s nightmare, and the reason to this is the excessive invasion of privacy by the journalists themselves. Many incidents of privacy invasion are reported every year around the world, and as a consequence, many journalists were sued due to their repeated disrespect. According to Merrill (qtd. in Gordon et al.), seriously considering the idea of privacy for journalists is like committing suicide because the nature of their job is basically to gather and give information, and privacy is always hard to apply in this situation. Hence, if that is the case, then it would be impossible to expect that the invasion of privacy will somehow come to an end at this

Performance Measurement System in Julphar Company Term Paper

Performance Measurement System in Julphar Company - Term Paper Example RAK Ceramics is a company based in United Arab Emirates (UAE). The company was established in 1989 by Abdallah Massaad. The Company has been able to establish itself as the world’s largest ceramic manufacturing companies in a span of 20 years. The factory is however situated in the Arabian dessert. The products that RAK Ceramics has been offering consist of tableware, porcelain tiles, sanitary ware, bath ware, fittings, adhesive and faucets (Attwood â€Å"Racking up Miles for Tiles†). The Company operates in several countries of Asia as well as Middle-East such as, Bangladesh, Iran, India, Sudan, China, etc. In this study the performance of this company would be measured and analysed with respect to its customer satisfaction ability, improvement activities, internal process, employee satisfaction, competition handling, and innovation (â€Å"Company Profile†). Problem Statement It not necessary that every research study is developed to discuss problems and challen ges. Sometimes even they are even designed to evaluate and analyse situation, such as performance of a company. As in this case, the performance management system of the ceramic manufacturing company, RAK Ceramic would be analysed through statistical tools. ... Internal Process The internal process of RAKCeramics is mainly based on its technology integrated business model. The strength lies in the speed of improvement that the company manages and supplies the product to the market as soon as customers demand. The company owns 10 factories, which is well equipped with the most modern machineries. 8000 bath wares are manufactures every day in three plants in the similar location. Production and distribution is well-managed through IT based supply chain (â€Å"Corporate Profile†). Innovation RAK Ceramics’ core competency is offering innovative products and unique designs to its customers using technology. The strategy of the company is to innovate and introduce new designs for the customers is a strategy for improving performance. They are also utilising scan coding system for allowing customers to utilise their smart phones for scanning the QR code in the advertisement and directly visit the website of the company. They are also developing a mobile tool called iDesign, where customers can design their incorporate their own designs for customisation (Hankir â€Å"RAK Ceramics CEO Sees No Slowdown in U.A.E; Plans India IPO to Build Plant†). Improvement activities The demand for RAK Ceramics is continuously rising, so the company is looking forward to improve their manufacturing capacity by augmenting its power infrastructure. Several new power plants is planned to be launched in emirates in order to utilise sustainable sources of energy to respect the environmental concerns and maintain efficiency. The requirement for more power capacity was also identified in summers by the company

Health Problems as a Result of Environmental Crisis Essay Example for Free

Health Problems as a Result of Environmental Crisis Essay Given that I work in an Emergency Department, the usual encounters we have involves health problems. However, in the past months and last year, people that we encounter are those of with fever and flu. Some diseases were also frequent. Diseases that arouse were usually an effect of a downfall in body’s immune system. This has happened when the extreme changes in environmental climate took place. As a result of the fast growing effects of global warming, the weather has extreme changes within a day. The extreme cold and hot weather that occurs in twenty-four hours has a bad effect on body temperature. The tremendous  Ã‚   changes weaken the body since the type of climate that occurs does not match the survival qualifications of human. In order to be involved in this issue, I suggest that the Emergency Department lead a program awareness to fight global warming, deal with its effects, and how to be healthy during the experience of its effects. On the other hand, I can be of help to if I encourage friends and families to practice activities or home choirs that will help lessen climate change. Like, use products with Energy Star seal, this is product lessen greenhouse effect and air pollution. Also, saving energy thru maintenance and cleaning of heating and cooling equipments used in our homes. I can also save energy by using green power, where the energy is from the sun and the wind. Frugality not just in money can help deal with climate change. For example, recycling materials we use at home   and buying new stuff as a product of recycling. Another way to conserve energy is by taking public transportation in routinely going to work or school. Or maintaining the efficiency of your car so it will not emit high amounts of greenhouse emissions. In offices, power management features should be discussed with the employees especially those workers who operate machineries. With this adjustments in our daily lives, we can help fight climate change and also save the world. Reference Climate Change – What You Can Do. January 28, 2008 retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/office.html

Essay on Homers Odyssey - Comparing Odysseus and Telemachus :: comparison compare contrast essays

The Parallel between Odysseus and Telemachos in Odyssey      Ã‚     In Odyssey, Homer creates a parallel between Odysseus and Telemachos, father and son. The two are compared in the poem from every aspect. One parallel was the quest of Telemachos, in correlation with the journey of his father. In this, Odysseus is developed from a childish, passive, and untested boy, to a young man preparing to stand by his father's side. This is directly connected to the voyage of Odysseus, in that they both lead to the same finale, and are both stepping-stones towards wisdom, manhood, and scholarship.    Through these voyages certain parallels are drawn concerning Odysseus and Telemachos: the physical journeys, the mental preparations they have produced, and the resulting change in emotional makeup. These play an immense role in the way the story is set up, due to the purpose of each character's journey, their personal challenges, and the difficulties that surround them.    As Homer makes it apparent, there are other underlying themes embedded in the story that would just confuse the reader if they were not there. An example of this is the emotional aspects of both characters. If one does not understand this key element, their is no way that the sequence of events would cohere. "Why didn't Telemachos look for his father earlier? Why did Penelope wait twenty years to consider remarrying? How did this affect Odysseus in his journey?".    These are questions that would go unanswered unless the reader reaches within the emotions of the character. In the case of Telemachos, his emotions shaped his well being. For example, had it not been for Athene giving him confidence, by no means would he ever have thought of taking such a voyage, hence, Telemachos would have never participated in his "final test" against the suitors either. His sorrow and anger from the loss of his father and his mother constantly being attacked and proposed to by piranha-like suitors were also driving forces towards his journey.    Some of these are brought out in different situations, both positive and negative, such as Menaleus's mention of his father, which caused a sudden out-burst of tears, and the proud and accomplished feeling he received from leaving Sparta.. Odysseus's situation was only slightly different. He, like Telemachos had his worries about family-life, and his kingdom at stake, but also had concerns about his wife, possibly triggered by the mention of Agamemnon's by Proteus, who was killed by the hands of his own wife.

Julius Nyerere & African Socialism Essay

Socialism as quoted by Julius Nyerere as â€Å"the attitude of the mind† and often defined as a system of social organizations producing and distributing goods that are owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy. In a socialistic society it is the attitude of mind, and not the rigid adherence to a standard political pattern, which is needed to ensure that the people care for each other’s welfare. In order to understand African socialism better we need to clearly understand how a society operates. In a socialist society the means of production are owned by the workers rather than by a rich minority of capitalists or functionaries. Such a system of ownership is both collective and individual in nature. Socialism will not be a utopia simply created in people’s minds. It will be the product of economic and social development. Now African socialism is a belief in sharing economic resources in the â€Å"traditional† African way. Many African politicians supported the â€Å"traditional† African way that is often referred as African Socialism. Julius K. Nyerere who was one of them who later became the President of Tanganyika (East Africa) in 1962 and was President of Tanzania (Tanganyika and Zanzibar) from 1964 to 1985. A Socialist and Pan-Africanist, was a force for moderation and racial harmony. He worked in close cooperation with the British authorities in his homeland. However, advocates of African socialism claimed that it was not the opposite of capitalism or a response to it, but something completely different. They claimed their socialism was merely recapturing the spirit of what it was to be African. Many believed that Africa was far behind capitalist states in terms of economic development and to compete fairly with them they needed a different appeal to unite them. German economist Werner Sombart in 1906, in his definition of American Capitalism stated, â€Å"America is the Canaan of capitalism, its promised land. † Capitalism is regarded as an economic system distinguished by private ownership of the means of production and the production of commodities for sale. The modern business corporation is an original creation of the American imagination. It was first fashioned to extend local markets, then, it became an indispensable means to create a national market. Both American industrialization and capitalism were crucially dependent upon the corporate form of organization. Thus arising a political process whereby economic power can become translated into governmental policy. American capitalists had almost a free hand in gaining control of a country unimaginably rich in natural resources. In straight-out contests of strength with both organized and unorganized workers American capitalists usually triumphed. The very philosophy of individualism facilitated the adoption of slavery in the American history. President, Nyerere had to steer a difficult course by the late 1960s Tanzania was one of the world’s poorest countries. Like many others it was suffering from a severe foreign debt burden, a decrease in foreign aid, and a fall in the price of commodities. The objective of socialism in the United Republic of Tanzania is to build a society in which all members have equal rights and equal opportunities, in which all can live in peace with their neighbors without suffering or imposing injustice, being exploited, or exploiting. The nature of Tanzanian society was on rural development. People were encouraged (sometimes forced) to live and work on a co-operative basis in organized villages or ujamaa (meaning ‘family hood’ in Kishwahili). It is important to realize that the policy of ujamaa Vijijini is not intended to be merely a revival of the old settlement schemes under another name. The Ujamaa village is a new conception; â€Å"Understanding that what we need to develop is people, not things, and that people can only develop themselves. † Ujamaa villages are intended to be socialist organizations created by the people, and governed by those who live and work in them. They cannot be created from outside, nor governed from outside. No one can be forced into an Ujamaa village, and no official at any level can go and tell the members of an Ujamaa village what they should do together, and what they should continue to do as individual farmers. According to Julius Kambarage Nyerere â€Å"I have said that a millionaire can be a good socialist. But a socialist millionaire is a rare phenomenon. Indeed he is almost a contradiction in terms. The appearance of millionaires in any society is no proof of its affluence; they can be produced by very poor countries like Tanganyika just as well as by rich countries like the United States of America. † He also goes on to say that a millionaire can be a socialist; he may value his wealth only because it can be used in the service of his fellow men. But the man who uses wealth for the purpose of dominating any of his fellows is a capitalist. On the other hand the white population of the U. S. A. descended from European immigrants who, most energetic and independent elements of their peoples, crossed the ocean to escape oppression, persecution and poverty. From the first settlements on the Eastern coast, with its commercial towns, they gradually expanded over the entire continent, exterminating in continuous fight the Indian natives, clearing the forests, subduing the wilderness, and converting it into cultivated land. American capital soon played the chief role in opening up the Western wilds by digging canals and building railways. Through its friends in Congress it was rewarded for this service to the nation with big allotments for exploitation, paying not more than the bribes, the form by which the politicians got their share of the profits. Founded on the principles of individual liberty and self-determination the nascent United States provided fertile ground for the seeds of Capitalism. Conditions such as slavery, explosive growth in the number of banks, America’s powerful drive to expand its territory, neutral trade during the war between Great Britain and France, and ultimately, the Industrial Revolution enabled American Capitalism to grow into a thriving jungle. Ayn Rand, a Russian-born, American novelist and philosopher says,† America’s abundance was created not by public sacrifices to the common good, but by the productive genius of free men who pursued their own personal interests and the making of their own private fortunes. â€Å"