...The human resource activities of Zappos Introduction Zappos, which is an online shoe retailer, was founded in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn. Now it becomes a famous brand in US which have 10 sub-companies in 2011. This company cannot create such a great success without its excellent customer service and human resource management. This essay will state that the influences of environment on the strategy, HR planning and implementation of Zappos firstly. Then it will argue the relevance between HR practices at Zappos and the human resource management. At last, it will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Zappos practices and how to promote these practices. Strategy, HR planning and implementation Environment is an important element to help companies making their strategies. Strategy is a function and framework of companies’ actions in the future. The appropriate strategies setting can decide the success of the companies’ operation. So the companies usually base on their strengths, weaknesses and the different situations of external environment to make suitable strategies to achieve their goals in the operation periods. With the information technology developing, the online shopping becomes an important area for the retail market. According to Demangeot and Broderick (2010, 117), the online retailer already occupies almost 50% market of the sale industry. Nick Swinmurn foresaw this situation so he founded the Zappos as an online shoe retailer. Sometimes, the external environment...
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...MESUT KABAER 9501123507 1) SWOT analysis for Zappos Strenghts • Free shipping (Very important issue for returns, selling shoes online is tough job to do and i think this what makes them sucesseful beacuse the shoe size would be a big concern when buying them online but if customers can order many shoe size and colours and return them as they like, this is a great example of competetive advantage over other online retail business) • Customer focused business model (Long term customer relationships providing great service and happiness to customer which leads to make customer re-purchase) • Customer service ( in call center they see this as an opportunity to make the customer happy so they want people to call them to establish personel, emotional connections with the customers to serve best way and provide great service) • Strong corporate culture and work environment ( talented people and employees enjoy their work, great service and brand power, relaxed and wacky atmosphere such as nap room, wellness center, open mic, open door policy to management etc) • Unique hiring and training process (hiring right people for the job, five week training program through out the whole line of business, 200 hours of clasees) • Benefits ( benifts that it provides to its employees such as entensive health plan, medical benefits dental, visioni and life insurance, flexible spending account, pre-paid legal services, free lunches and snacks, life coaching, car pool program etc.) • Work-Life...
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...Zappos! Corporate Culture Molly Cech Management and Organization 9/20/2012 Zappos’ Corporate Culture 2. Company Profile: Started in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn and Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com is an online retailer that specializes in shoe sales [ (Zappos Family) ]. The company prides itself on its quick shipping time as well as its unique customer service experience. One of the key points in the Company’s Core Values List is to always try to “Wow” the customer through service. And, after hitting $1 Billion in annual sales back in 2008, it shows that the company is reaching that goal [ (Zappos Family) ]. a. “To Live and Deliver WOW” [ (Zappos Family) ] b. Customers complete their orders online which are then sent to the nearest warehouse where the selection is made and shipped with a goal of 8 minutes per order [ (Our Unique Culture) ]. The idea behind this speedy processing is that the company’s service should be so efficient that it “wows” the consumer every time. c. In order to complete this important task, the company needs an IT staff capable of maintaining their website as well as warehouse workers who are capable of filling the order in the time allotted. The company also requires a 24 hour customer service phone number to assist customers in their experience. 3. Company Background and Stats a. The company’s major product is shoes but expanded into clothing as well as handbags and other accessories b. As of 2012 the company employs over 1500 employees ...
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...Zappos Case Study Introduction Zappos is a successful company with a unique corporate culture and impressively low turnover rate. This case study explores the human resources strategy employed by the company, focusing first upon the significance of the environment upon human resources. The paper then identifies how the Zappos strategy fits within the human resource management model. The final section discusses the core strengths and weaknesses of the Zappos HR strategy. While the Zappos human resource practices are characterized by many strengths, they could be improved by enhancing the accountability of managers responsible for conducting performance appraisals and inviting a greater degree of employee feedback into the appraisal system. Both of these relatively small opportunities for change are consistent with the company's overall company culture. Environment and HR The external environment plays an important role in determining the direction of a company's human resources strategy. "An organization's strategy must be appropriate for its resources, environment circumstances, and core objectives. The process involves matching the company's strategic advantage to the business environment."[1] Companies develop networks with external entities, such as customers, suppliers and investors, which must be cultivated to ensure longevity.[2] Human resources must ultimately support the business with practices that will enable it to interact and compete within the surrounding competitive...
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...OM 2 Chapter 1: Goods, Services, and Operations Management Problems, Activities, and Discussions 1) Explain how operations management activities affect the customer experiences described in the anecdote at the beginning of this chapter. What “moments of truth” would a customer at Disney World encounter? Think about the total experience including lodging, food service, shopping, and transportation, as well as theme park attractions and operations. The anecdote of a Disney experience focuses on the role of goods, services, and processes in creating customer satisfaction. Students will have many great examples of their Disney or theme park experiences. Moments of truth might include (a) booking a Disney vacation and the associated service encounters with a call center and/or travel agency (b) parking at the Disney site and taking the shuttle, (c) asking Disney employees for directions, (d) waiting for a ride or attraction, (e) where to throw away trash (trash cans located at key points and about every 25 to 50 feet, (f) watching a Disney parade, and so on. Whatever the student describes make sure you lead them into a discussion of key lessons that focus on the role of OM such as (1) process design and customer flows, (2) service encounter design and Disney employee training, (3) integrating goods and services into a CBP, (4) the importance of service management skills, (5) how services differ from goods, (6) biztainment, and (7) a continuous improvement...
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... Term Paper Zappos by Daniel Silberberg – ID 329655716 Lior Stern – ID 201263910 Nimrod Stern – ID 302328992 February 23rd, 2014 Lecturer: Dr. Galit Dayan TA: Einat Brainin Organizational Behavior Part A. Introduction 1. We chose Zappos.com, an innovative and adaptive online shoe and clothing shop, due to its unique positive company culture, sky-high employee satisfaction and fascinating CEO, Tony Hsieh. Zappos is an organization that has committed itself to a fun, inspired and qualitative culture. The company CEO genuinely believes in delivering happiness to all employees, and working in an gratifying office environment. Tony Hsieh has built a remarkable reputation for himself by being an inventive leader unafraid to equip his staff with responsibility and control. 2. Zappos is one of the largest online shoe and clothing shops. Zappos offers approximately 50,000 types of shoes, providing a large variety of brands, sizes and colors. Their inventory also includes clothes, watches and kids’ merchandise. The concept is simple; it is a traditional eCommerce corporation. Orders are made online and transferred to their warehouse in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The products are then packed and the order is updated with a tracking number and shipped to the customer. Zappos is especially known for their generous shipping policies. Indeed, the shipping and return costs are free, with a return policy of 365 days for every product. Zappos works closely with...
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...productivity, accountability, and employee satisfaction. Detractors say it leaves companies without leadership and liken it to William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies (Carr). Holacracy is often described as a hierarchy of work as opposed to a hierarchy of people, which is how most organizations are built. The most well known case of a company attempting to convert from a traditional command and control organization to a Holacracy is Zappos, who’s CEO, Tony Hseih, is driving this conversion. We will reference their experience with the conversion to Holacracy throughout this report as we evaluate this organizational structure’s long-term sustainability; it’s relation to the Rule of Individual Action, its implementation within any sized company, and the advantages & disadvantages of this approach. Lastly, we’ll also consider the concept of self-management through the ethical framework of thinking. Holacracy in the Long Run Many management experts are still scratching their heads to determine if Holacracy can work for companies over the long-term. Currently only one large company has employed this workplace management technique. Juliane Birkinshaw of the London Business School expresses her thoughts of Holacracy being a fad in a recent issue of the Harvard Business Review by saying, “Ninety of approximately One-hundred branded management ideas I’ve studied so far have lost the popularity within a decade or so” (Berce) Zappos is the largest employer that has adopted the...
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...Regulations on cheating, plagiarism and collusion. I declare that this piece of work is my own and does not contain any unacknowledged work from any other sources. I authorise the University to test any work submitted by me, using text comparison software, for instances of plagiarism. I understand this will involve the University or its contractor copying my work and storing it on a database to be used in future to test work submitted by others. Note: The attachment of this statement on any electronically submitted assignments will be deemed to have the same authority as a signed statement. Signed: | Date: | Junleong: What are the most important management skills Tony Hsieh practices in successfully leading his team at Zappos? The very first significant management skill that Tony Hsieh...
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...been undertaken in order to discuss and assess the significance of employee engagement through various employee engagement models and the steps that can be taken in order to improve the employee engagement process in an organization. Various recommendations have also been provided in order to enhance the employee engagement in organizations at the end of the report. Significant company examples following appropriate employee engagement policies and their impact on employee satisfaction in the organizations have also been mentioned in detail. Employee engagement According to Albrecht (2010), Employee engagement is defined as the level to which the employees are loyal and motivated towards their work within a particular organization they work for. The level of pride they show while being a part of that organization and the extent of efforts they are willing to exert to achieve the organizational goals. Saks (2006) adds that employee engagement is simply how an employee thinks, act and feel about their job and the organization. [pic] Figure 1: Employee Engagement Model (Source: Macey, Schneider and Barbera , 2009) As stated by Macey, Schneider and Barbera (2009), there is no universally defined method to determine employee engagement. Usually organizations measure employee engagement through regular surveys...
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...believer in social media so I will display that throughout my paper. With technology in this day and age people always have the Internet in the palms of their hand and social media is always a button away. What is marketing? Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). Without proper marketing strategies businesses would not be able to sell their goods and services. The most effective rule to consumers is to ensure that they always get what they want and always meet their needs before they ever surface. Marketing has always been part of business, from the earliest village traders to large 21st-century organizations producing and selling complex goods and services (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). How people market has now evolved and is now more on social media than ever. Social media is one of the most effective marketing strategies for companies. What is social media? Social Media is text, words, pictures, video, and the like created with the intention of sharing (Evans, 2012). This definition does not completely cover what social media truly means. Some of the most popular sites all across the world are considered social media sites. Because social media sites are so popular, that...
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...S MAKING WAVES IN RURAL KENYA w 909A15 Sebastian Herrmann, Glenn Brophey and Denyse Lafrance-Horning wrote this case solely to provide material for class discussion. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality. Ivey Management Services prohibits any form of reproduction, storage or transmittal without its written permission. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Management Services, c/o Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6A 3K7; phone (519) 661-3208; fax (519) 661-3882; e-mail cases@ivey.uwo.ca. Copyright © 2009, Ivey Management Services Version: (A) 2009-07-21 With the sun setting over the Rift Valley in Kenya, Sebastian Herrmann walked back to his tent with a head full of questions. He was at a loss as he wondered what kind of marketing campaign would ensure that every family that should use a WaterHarvester received one. If he could answer this question, he could see the potential to significantly improve the living conditions for many of the amazing people he had met over the last couple of weeks during his April 2007 visit. Just yesterday, the first prototype of the WaterHarvester...
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...from Experience Case on p. 445. What is the significance of the organizational design of the company? The basis for any successful organization is for people to work together and understand how their behaviors support the organization’s strategy. Yet, talented people in even the best managed organizations are sometimes left trying to understand how their own activities contribute to their organization’s success. An organization’s design is crucial in clarifying the roles of the leaders and employees who hold the organization together. Organization design is the process of selecting a structure for the tasks, responsibilities, and authority relationships within an organization. An organization’s design influences communication patterns among individuals and teams and determines which person or department has the political power to get things done. The structure of an organization influences the behavior of employees. Therefore, an organization’s design plays a critical role in the success of an organization. Every organization’s design decision solves one set of problems but creates others. Organization design decisions often involve the diagnosis of multiple factors, including an organization’s culture, power and political behaviors, and job design. Organization design represents the outcomes of a decision-making process that includes environmental factors, strategic choices, and technological factors. Specifically, organization design should: • promote the flow of information...
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...elements/content of organizational culture. Through the process of group/team formation within the organization, leaders develop/apply varying leadership styles to enhance/ influence individual performance. Implementation strategies for managing the group process are identified to enhance group/team performance within all levels of the organization while examining the roles/interaction of its members. The purpose is to analyze efforts other organizations take and help Gene One formulate improvement initiatives/alternatives. The focus is to guide Gene One toward incorporating leadership styles that will transform the organization into a publicly held corporation while developing strategies to manage the group/team process through conflict resolution methods and appropriate role/interaction methodologies leading to transformational changes that will benefit all stakeholders. Organizations today must continually evolve, change, and enhance current ways of operating in order to maintain market penetration or grow. The most successful organizations are those who employ leaders capable of visualizing the transformational changes necessary to mitigate the threat of competition. These leaders are skilled at sharing their vision and engaging the workforce in a corporate culture where associates feel valued and empowered. Through this type of culture, leaders cultivate their visions for change and inspire associates to strive for that shared vision. This type of dramatic change is...
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...EPG SHRM Foundation’s Effective Practice Guidelines Series Building a High-Performance Culture: A Fresh Look at Performance Management By Elaine D. Pulakos, Rose A. Mueller-Hanson, Ryan S. O’Leary, and Michael M. Meyrowitz Sponsored by Halogen Building a High-Performance Culture: A Fresh Look at Performance Management This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. Neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering legal or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent, licensed professional should be sought. Any federal and state laws discussed in this book are subject to frequent revision and interpretation by amendments or judicial revisions that may significantly affect employer or employee rights and obligations. Readers are encouraged to seek legal counsel regarding specific policies and practices in their organizations. This book is published by the SHRM Foundation, an affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM©). The interpretations, conclusions and recommendations in this book are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the SHRM Foundation. ©2012 SHRM Foundation. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means...
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...inextricably linked in powerful ways that we are just now realizing. If you have a job, or if you are responsible for managing or hiring employees, you need to understand the Tiger Effect. Most companies are operating in the dark ages when it comes to supporting their employees, and they are missing a huge opportunity. There are three kinds of employees: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened. What kind of employees do you want? Your goal should be to discover how to create superstar employees -- the not-so-technical term for those employees who are more productive, creative, loyal, satisfied, entrepreneurial, who call in sick less often, stay with the company longer, provide greater discretionary effort and who are able to leap over ordinary employees in a single bound. But isn'ts this what organizations have been trying to do? Of course. They invest billions of dollars and spend countless hours teaching their employees how to become better leaders and managers, how to be more efficient and productive, while also providing training in work-flow processing and organization. Like Dr. Phil famously asks his intractable guests, "How's that workin' for ya?" Survey says ... not so good. The relationship between employees and employers is at a breaking point. The latest research suggests employees are becoming increasingly dissatisfied and disengaged. The Corporate Leadership Council offers...
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