Sears lack of employee involvement and empowerment

Sears lack of employee involvement and empowerment Sears is a leading retailer providing merchandise and various services, which offers a wide variety of products with more than 2,300 stores in the U.S. and Canada (Sears home page). The company has a strong cultural base with effective operation systems, of which internal and external environment scans can be identified with a SWOT analysis. Internal Strengths Since established in 1886, Sears has developed a strong retail network with extensive customer database of more than 60 million Sears credit card holders (Prentice-Hall, 2003). The company has gained good reputation as a reliable retailer and great trust from consumers thanks to its flexibility in identifying need and adapting strategies to provide best service (Rucci et al., 1998). Even during the crisis period, consumers faith was basically unchanged. It has many nation-wide known brand names with focused range of products and attracts large attention from both male and female customers. Internal surveys also revealed that employees had high expectation from the company and great desire to contribute to the companys success. Internal Weaknesses During the 1980s, the company expanded its business into other fields, for instance insurance, investment and banking, real estate, which resulted in loosing strength and prestige position in its core business as a retailer (Rucci et al., 1998). It was no longer the leading company in retailing but ranked number three after Wal Mart Stores, Inc. and Kmart Corporation. Lack of focus made the company fail to follow new trends in selling and respond quickly to changes in the marketplace. Another problem was the inappropriate attitude towards consumers. The senior managers in the head office were said not to listen to customers need, which resulted in high proportion of dissatisfaction. Other factors, for instance, low inventory turnover, bad service and poor sales companion also contributed to the companys downturn. Opportunities: The company started to realise the importance of female customers and changed the image of a mans store to attract more women by offering new ranges of apparel and cosmetics (Rucci et al., 1998). On the other hand, the application of the employee customer profit chain had positive effect on operation as employee satisfaction on the Sears TPI was high and employees were highly aware of the need for performance improvement. The development of learning maps, town hall meetings, and later maps, including Voices of our customers, The Sears money flow and Ownership, seemed to significantly promote learning environment in the organisation and enhance realistic action. External Threats: The intense competition in retailing was a comparatively significant threat to the company. The industry with a variety of old names like Wal Mart and Kmart as well as new arrivals caused great pressure for Sears to compete and required the company to apply the most suitable strategies without fault to survive and develop. Main issues In a previous study, Sears used an employee-customer-profit chain to collect data from up to 800 stores and found that a five percent increase in employee satisfaction drives a 1.3 percent in customer satisfaction, which results in 0.5 percent increase in revenue growth (Rucci et al. 1998). Thus, the company itself realised the necessity to employees attitude improvement. Although the company was on the fast track of recovery, there were still many issues to be identified and tackled in order to achieve sustainable growth as described in Rucci et al. (1998). First, lack of communication and cooperation between different departments and functions in the company resulted in poor operation efficiency. Customers satisfaction had decreased significantly and it was frontline employees who seemed to know this situation the best. However, they had little opportunity to deliver their messages to the management. The next problem was lack of employee involvement and empowerment. The companys strategies and expectations were poorly transferred through to them, and thus, they were lost in ambiguity about the tasks they were assigned. Moreover, employees are not given enough creative power to have influence on the shaping of companys future. Moreover, employees had to opportunity and support to realise their personal goals. The company aimed to create a compelling and motivated working environment. In reality, however, they still had a long way to go. To some extent, the old control and command culture had prevented the company from advanced development and employees were not highly valued enough as an ultimate resource in the organisation. Misunderstanding was another major issue which the company had to pay much attention to. According to a survey conducted by Sears itself, employees believed that Sears made profit of 45 cents on each dollar while the real figure was 2 cents. This was seen as a barrier to trust. While the company had to implement some changes in operation such as cost cuttings and reduced rewards to cope with crisis, employees might oppose them because they thought the company was doing well. Consequently, there was a lack of sense of urgency and commitment to change through the company. Another point is that the company should have invested more on develop their reward practices although the company was in a crisis and struggling to survive. It becomes even more important to have reward strategies supporting business objectives during hard times as they will strengthen existing resources and help the company overcome difficulties (CIPD, 2009). Approach to reward management With the emergence of the global knowledge and service oriented economy, more attention has been paid to the value of human resource to improve operation capability and create sustainable competitive advantages (Thompson, 2002). However, it is increasingly challenging to attract, motivate and retain employees with the most appropriate reward strategy which can maximise the benefits and perceived value of the rewards at an affordable cost to the company. Although managers at Sears recognised the significance of reward management and executive incentives were based on both financial and non financial performance, they still lack of a systematic approach to the issue. Consequently, a total reward system consisting of financial and non-financial, direct as well as indirect, intrinsic and extrinsic rewards is what Sears needs to improve reward and compensation strategies and reinforce its core values. Total reward, as defined by CIPD (2011), is a concept that encompasses all aspects of work that are valued by employees, including elements such as learning and development opportunities and/or an attractive working environment, in addition to the wider pay and benefits package. Under this concept, employees are empowered and engaged in operation, and can have positive attitudes towards the company. In return, employers get to know more about staffs work life and receive commitment and high performance from employees (Zhou, Qian, Qi Lei, 2009). A useful total reward model was developed by WorldatWork (2006) with five elements as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Elements of Total rewards (adapted from worldatwork.org) Total reward approach helps to allocate resources properly and guarantees that all aspects of reward offering are monitored and utilised (CIPD, 2009). When all elements are delivered, employees are increasingly motivated and satisfied with the package, and thus, more engaged in fulfilling responsibilities, improve customer service and enhance performance. The company may choose different strategies from each element to give employees offers aiming at attracting, motivating and retaining them. Compensation It is widely recognised that pay plays the most important role in staff recruitment, motivation and retention process (CIPD Mercer, 2010). Pay at least needs to be set at a reasonable rate to render employees effort and contribution. Apart from fixed pay, employees can earn bonuses for better than expected performances or results achieved. It is especially suitable for Sears where bonuses can encourage employees to perform better and improve customers experience. It also keeps the companys reward package stay competitive against that of other retailers. Benefits The company needs to design a flexible benefit programme, which is available to all levels of employees, to supplement cash compensation and promote the companys image. The offerings may contain: social insurance (e.g. social security, unemployment benefits, shopping discounts, workers compensation,), group insurance (e.g. life insurance, savings, health vouchers) and paid leave (e.g. sickness, holidays, vacation). Good benefits may assist employees in avoiding financial risks and obtaining a stable life, while at the same time, mirror the companys positive values and deliver promising messages to its stakeholders (WorldatWork, 2006). Moreover, well-designed benefits schemes can even lower the expenses and make some savings (Silverman Reilly, 2003). The company can attract employees attention to the most cost effective benefits, for instance, discounted gym membership, child care facilities or cheap loans. Benefits can also be designed as a percentage of salary, then the company may avoid the fluctuation of benefit cost and transfer part of this risk to employees. For instance, employees may choose to withdraw a cash allowance of four percent of salary each year, or invest it in a health and well-being programme offered by the company. Work-Life It contains the experienced working reality in the company, which includes the physical and emotional environment (Higgs, 2006). Policies are designed with an aim to support employees to get the balance and success both at home and in the workplace. In order to achieve this element, the company needs to have an open management style in which everyone is highly involved as a strong community and empowered. There should be flexibility at workplace and great concern from management about employees health and well being, with occasional financial support, if necessarily. Performance and Recognition Performance: This is a significant component in determining the companys success, in which performance of all employees is assessed to evaluate the efficiency. The management as well as employees must invest properly on planning process to link expectations with individual, team and organisational goals. Then, feedbacks are provided to all levels of staff to examine whether performance is up to expectations and goals or not. Appropriate feedback is important as it can motivate employees and improve their working efficiency. Recognition: After performance has been assessed, recognition is psychologically necessary to appreciate ones efforts and acknowledge his/ her contributions. Public recognition is important as it not only affects ones behaviour but also has impact on the others as well (Wiscombe, 2002). Awards can be cash or non-cash (e.g. certificates, restaurant or movie tickets, verbal or written notes of thanks). It is crucial that recognition be proper and fair as the company can gain greater employees loyalty and commitment with such programmes (Boxall Purcell, 2008). Development and Career Opportunities The company is supposed to provide employees with continuous development to enhance their skills and competence as it is an important part in the psychological contract between both sides (CIPD, 2009). On the other hand, a plan for career advancement not only makes employees be more responsible to their work but also deliver greater value to the company (Higgs, 2006). For development strategies, the company may offer different learning opportunities, for instance, short term training courses, on the job learning, coaching and mentoring, leadership development. As Sears already has a corporate university, more employees should be given the chance to attend it rather than managers only. For advanced opportunities, the company may offer some internships, apprenticeships with experts, attendance on meetings and lunches with senior managers for best performers. Each employee will be consulted with individual career ladder plans so that he/ she can know clearly what to do to be promoted. The company should also consider about succession planning to prevent job gaps and operation disruption. Elements to consider Although Total Reward has been proved to be effective in many companies already, it is necessary for implementers to apply its elements in correspondence with each companys specific situation. Contractual arrangements The company must regulate clearly what benefits are offered to employees in the contract to avoid any ambiguity or misunderstanding in reward strategies. Besides, as employees may change their choices or obtain new benefits regularly, the contract needs amending accordingly. Communication to employees It is important that the company deliver the right messages to its workforce explicitly or implicitly to obtain sustainable high-performance (CIPD, 2011). The company must provide employees with enough information about benefits schemes and update regularly about new policies or offers in different forms, for instance, through intranet, posters, emails and in verbal. As many people tend not to see the true value of benefits realistically, good communication may help them to get an idea of basic mechanics of the plans and their operation (Silverman Reilly, 2003). Managers can discuss with their staffs about salary progression, potential for higher salaries, promotion possibility to give them clear vision and expectations of what they can have and how to get these benefits (Armstrong Murlis, 2004). Valuation of benefits Evaluation of the benefits schemes before and after deployment is crucial to achieve the best efficiency. Reward practitioners need to design a plan which is both cost-effective for the company and advantageous to employees. After execution, the outcomes need to be reviewed and lessons are to be learned for improvements. Cultural dynamics Reward management must be considered in the context of the organisations culture (Armstrong Brown, 2006). Companies have different styles of work culture, which significantly affect the way employees work and behave. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the companys culture thoroughly before deciding the type of reward strategy and ways to deliver them to employees. Conclusion This paper attempts to analyse Sears case study with some key drivers for change and main issues, then propose an applicable model for implementing reward management at the company. Given the urgent need to design and deploy applicable strategies for the company to follow, it is hoped that the proposal bring about expected outcomes for the companys sustainable growth in the future. Word count:

Realities Behind Deceiving Appearances Essay

According to Alfred Kazin, â€Å"In every great novel of society†¦ what counts is the reality behind the appearance† (Kazin, 1981, 297). In other words, he’s saying that the best books are those that include one or more realities behind appearances. The novel first I chose is called Perfect by Ellen Hopkins. This book has four main characters; Cara, Sean, Kendra, and Andre, who are all teens struggling to fit the ideal of perfection, even if it means hurting and lying to themselves and others. The other novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain tells a story of a runaway slave named Jim and a young boy Huck, running from the dangers of his father. Together they are trying to get to the North but run into many roadblocks. This adventure includes deceit, danger, excitement and most of all, friendship. Both of these novels show reality behind experiences through its actions, dialogs, and the characters themselves! In the following paragraphs, I will comp are and explain the reality behind appearances such as friends or family, disguises and secrets in both novels, Perfect and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Jim, a runaway slave from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shows many realities behind deceiving appearances. An example of a deceiving appearance is when Huck and the duke paint Jim all blue and dressed him up in King Lear’s outfit before leaving to town. Huck doesn’t want to risk Jim being taken away and sold back into slavery so they disguise him as a â€Å"sick arab-but harmless when not out of his head† (Twain 157) so that he won’t have to uncomfortably lay tied up in the wigwam all day. The reality behind this disguise is that Jim is a kind and harmless runaway slave. After a tiring adventure, Jim talks to Huck about his family. When telling stories to Huck, he reveals a reality behind a deceiving appearance about his daughter Elizabeth. When Jim’s daughter was young, she got very sick. When she was better, Jim had told her to shut the door but she just stood there smiling at him. He repeated himself and again, she just smiled at him. Thinking that she was being naughty and a rebel, he smacked her across the head as a punishment. When he slams the door shut and she doesn’t budge, wince, or make any notice of it, Jim realizes â€Å"Oh, she was plumb deef en dumb, Huck, plumb deef en dumb† (Twain 156). The biggest and most important reality behind a deceiving appearance is that along this adventure, Jim was  freed from slavery. After all the trouble Tom put him through, Tom finally fesses that Jim was free because â€Å"Old Miss Watson died two months ago, and she was so ashamed she ever was going to sell him down the river, and said so; and she set him free in her will† (Twain 289). The duke and the king from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are very mischievous people. They are full with illusions, lies, and intelligence. The first reality behind appearance Huck saw is their names. On the day they first meet, both men claim they were a king and a duke in order to receive pity and to be spoiled by Jim and Huck. While Huck sees through this appearance, Jim does not. Later on in the story, the king cons the people of a religious camp in order to get some money. He pretends to be a pirate who changed his ways after he was robbed and now is working his way back to the ocean in order to change all pirates. He gives credit to the people of the town to earn their pity and succeeds. â€Å"‘Don’t you thank me, don’t you give me no credit; it all belongs to them dear people in Pokeville camp-meeting, natural brothers and benefactors of the race, and that dear preacher there, the truest friend a pirate ever had’† (Twain 132). The reality behind the king’s appearance is that it was all an act and that he is just a cheater. Even after this silly event, the king and the duke are still greedy for more. When they find out that a man who has a lot of money for a relative has died, they head towards the town. There, they pretended to be the uncle of three girls who are very sweet and innocent. Eventually, the actual heirs to the money show up and start to expose the duke and the king. They have a more authentic english accent and state that the handwritings when compared to an old letter aren’t the same. In my novel, Perfect by Ellen Hopkins, there are four main characters struggling to fit an ideal of perfection. One of the main characters is named Kendra. Kendra is a senior in high school and everything you would want to be. She’s popular, on the cheer team, rich, and most of all, skinny. Kendra’s obsession with perfection comes with dangerous consequences as she is willing to do anything to achieve it. The most deceiving illusion when it comes to Kendra is her appearance itself. Kendra has gone through many plastic surgeries to look as she is now. With a rhinoplasty already  scheduled, she is also hoping to get a boob job which her stepfather refuses to allow. Along with the plastic surgery, in order to lose weight, Kendra eats as little as possible. Kendra believes she is fat, being 5’ 10† and 122 pounds. Though everyone tells her she’s not, she states that the â€Å"stinking mirror doesn’t lie. Everytime I walk by, it shouts out, †˜Hey. Chub. When are you going to lose those fifteen pounds of ugly-ass flab? Do you want to stay size four forever?’† (Hopkins, 23). The reality behind Kendra’s illusion is that she’s already beautiful and dangerously skinny. With every calorie she doesn’t eat, she inches closer and closer to death. One of the reasons why she believes that she’s not beautiful is because her boyfriend Conner left her. She believed he left her because she wasn’t good and pretty enough. The thought of this tortures her because Conner was her first love, the first person whom she gave her heart and soul to. She later finds out that Conner is in the hospital because of an accident. The reality is that Conner didn’t get into an accident, he tried killing himself and he didn’t leave her because he thought she was ugly. He left her because he had fallen in love with someone else. When Kendra leaves her beauty agent for Xavier, she begins to work with a man named Gilles. Xavier tells Kendra that Gilles is one of the â€Å"biggies† and that she needs keep him happy. â€Å"I have to keep Gilles happy. He likes the way I look. Especially naked† (Hopkins 496). Gilles and Xavier claim that they love her but in all honesty, they are taking advantage of her. If they rea lly did love her as she is, they wouldn’t abuse her body with pills, sex and surgeries. The appearance of Gilles loving her for her style and determination masks the reality that in order to do business, she must trade it with her service to him. Another character who has a deceiving appearance in the novel Perfect is a girl named Cara. Cara, like Kendra is also on the cheer team, beautiful, rich, has good grades and a wonderful sexy boyfriend but is she really all the things people make her out to be? Cara has a secret, one that could ruin her reputation; She’s a lesbian. Her boyfriend Sean is just an appearance. An appearance to make her seem straight when in reality, she’s a lesbian. When Sean finds out about her secret after they break up, he exposes her by taking a photo of Cara and her lover making love and sharing it to all of her â€Å"friends†. After this incident, all of Cara’s friends leave her and  began calling her cruel names such as slut and dyke. â€Å"I can’t believe Cara broke up with Sean. Neither can half the senior class†¦ They’re chopping her into little pieces: †¦is a slut anyway, †¦always was full of it, †¦serious commitment issues† (Hopkins 306). The comfort and companionship of her friends was all an appearance in which the reality was just to use Cara for their own benefit. Because of this incident, Cara finally decides to tell her parents. â€Å"‘Dani said I should press charges†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Mom’s eyes grew steadily more severe. ‘I think it’s best to let it drop. If this becomes public knowledge, the media will smear it all over the headlines. Our reputation will be ruined. Bad enough we had to deal with all the flak about Conner.’ She straightened her blouse, as if it had been wrinkled by the very idea of her children disgracing her name† (Hopkins 535). The definition of parents is a mother and a father and that’s exactly what Cara’s parents are. A mother and father, nothing more. Though they do provide Cara with materialistic needs, it is all for her mother’s reputation. Her heartless parents with their high expectations are so extreme that it causes her twin brother Conner to kill himself. The idea of loving and supportive parents is just an appearance that the Sykes family create when the cold truth is that they don’t hold any familial bonds with each other. In the preceding paragraphs, I have compared and explained the realities behind appearances in both novels, Perfect and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. As Alfred Kazin was saying, realities behind deceiving appearances make a book more interesting to read. It also makes the readers realize that there are many illusions in our daily lives. Through the characters, we can perhaps learn a lesson on how to act, spot, and deal with these realities behind appearances.

Macbeth †a Study of the Criminal Mind Essay

Shakespeare delves straight into the theme of murder and the study of the criminal mind. The trio of witches subtly expose themselves to be concocting a devious plan in the first scene itself. â€Å"When the hurly-burly’s done. When the battle’s lost and won. That will be ere the set of sun. Where the place? Upon the heath. There to meet with Macbeth†. (I. i. 3-7) As the play progresses, Shakespeare reveals the underlying causes for the murders but stalls the unsettling outcomes, the effect of being a criminal. Each of the main characters in ‘Macbeth’ contribution to the central theme grows throughout the play. The Three Witches and Lady Macbeth’s manipulation of Macbeth and the growing insanity of the couple is an example of such cause and effect and can be related to real life. The Three Witches or the ‘weird sisters’, skulk like sinister thoughts and unconscious temptations to evil. Their cunning stems from their paranormal powers however, their true ability lies in exploiting the weaknesses of their interlocutors. Despite their absurdity through comical yet malevolent rhyme, are clearly the most dangerous characters in the play, being powerful and wicked. However, the audience is left to question the witches’ allegiance. They could be autonomous, toying with the human emotions, or agents of destiny who prophesize the inevitable. The Weird Sisters seem to have an intentional resemblance to characters in Greek mythology known as the Fates. They too were three sisters who controlled the metaphorical thread of life of every mortal from life to death. The Weird Sisters control the thread of life of all the major characters in the play, and it is in their power to do what they want to them. The prophecies foretold by the witches are seemingly self-fulfilling. Macbeth may not have murdered King Duncan if he was not pushed to do so by the witches, the night he and Banquo met the witches on the moor and had their futures told. â€Å"The thane of Cawdor lives. A prosperous gentleman; and to be king stands not within the prospect of belief. No more than to be Cawdor. Say from whence you owe this strange intelligence? Or why upon this blasted heath you stop our way with such prophetic greeting? Speak, I charge you. † (I. iii. 72-78) Shakespeare offers no easy answers in the play. He keeps these witches outside the limits of human comprehension. They embody an unreasoning, instinctive evil; that of a criminal mind. Lady Macbeth is already plotting the murder of King Duncan as we first catch sight of her in the play. Even from this, it can be seen that she is more cunning, more ruthless and more ambitious than her husband. Lady Macbeth wishes that she were a man, and could carry out the deed herself but she is aware that is not possible. Thus, she must push Macbeth into committing the crime for her. The link between gender and power is a key feature to Lady Macbeth’s character as Macbeth suggests that she is quite masculine and is limited because she had inhabited a female body. This creates a relationship between masculinity and ambition and violence (in some cases murder). Lady Macbeth and the witches are used by Shakespeare to emasculate Macbeth’s idea: â€Å"For thy undaunted mettle should compose nothing but males† (I. vii. 73-74). These shrewd women apply ‘female’ methods to achieve power and control. Manipulation of their husbands will thus further their desires. Shakespeare implies that men do not have to be the only ones who are cruel and power seeking but women also. Due to social limitations however, they are unable to pursue their ambitions. Macbeth feels the need to commit the murder to prove himself to his wife as she is able to manipulate him with noteworthy effectiveness. Lady Macbeth questions his manhood continually as inside, Macbeth is quite frail. He hesitates at first, but gives in as she overrides his protestations. Lady Macbeth stays stable as King Duncan is murder, and it is she who steadies her husband after the crime has been perpetrated. Shortly afterward, she begins to spiral down into insanity – just as aspiration affected her more strongly than Macbeth before the murder, does culpability plague her more strongly afterward. Toward the end of the play, she is sleepwalking through the castle, trying to wash away the guilt that stains her. Her sensitivity to the act becomes her one weakness. Lady Macbeth then kills herself, showing her inability to deal with their crimes. The initial impression of Macbeth is a brave, strong and capable man, as we first heard of him in the wounded captain’s account. This notion is becomes problematic once he encounters the three witches. It can be seen that Macbeth’s physical courage is joined by a tendency to self doubt – the prophecy that foretold him to be king brings him joy but also creates inner turmoil. He is manipulated into committing murders that he doesn’t truly want to do. Macbeth however, hides his feelings as he says â€Å"I am settled, and bend up each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show: False face must hide what the false heart doth know. † (I. vii. 79 – 82) He fluctuates between fits of fevered action, in which he plots a series of murders to secure his throne, and moments of terrible guilt (as when Banquo’s ghost appears) and absolute pessimism (after his wife’s death, when he seems to succumb to despair). Shakespeare uses Macbeth to show the terrible effects that ambition and guilt can have on a human who lacks strength in character. Often, examples in real life start off with an innocent person who is mentally incapable of handling such a thing, and is influenced by something in their lives. With this in mind, Shakespeare’s Macbeth truly is a study of the criminal mind. It can be seen through the inner workings of the Three Witches, the manipulation by Lady Macbeth and the growing insanity of both Macbeth and his wife, as they are not able to cope with the guilt of committing a series of crimes.

Using Teachings of Augustine to Examine Life Essay

We who carry our mortality about with us, carry the evidence of our sin and with it the proof that you thwart the proud. (Augustine 39) This quote from the first book of Saint Augustines The Confessions is a reflection of how Augustine brought Pagan meaning to interpret Christianity as a part of his life. In fact, it has direct correlation to the Holy Bible in the first letter of Peter: God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (Peter 5:5) The parallel that lies between these two quotes is a manifestation of the parallel that lies between Augustine and Pauls theology. It is clear from readings that Augustine found Pauls theology to be a practical tool while examining his own life. Just as Augustine has utilized the†¦show more content†¦I had no regard for the person who would appease my desires; I only cared for myself. This condition of human-selfishness requires change in order for humans to turn out unselfish. Speaking in Augustinian terms: our concerns for ourselves must be redirected toward concerns for our God. As I had entered into my boyhood around the age of five or six, I noticed that my selfish human condition had grown and manifested itself into a more complex process. That urge to attain power and authority over people and things had grown stronger and more sophisticated. The desire I once had to benefit myself by crying as an infant grew into a desire to benefit myself by cheating and stealing as a young boy. One of my earliest memories as a boy is stealing from my families close friends. The part that troubles me most is the fact that I was fully aware of the healthy relationship that existed between my family and the family I stole from. The bag of quarters I stole from them was not out of hatred or vengeance; I stole because the thought of doing something illegal while getting away with it was too enticing to resist. 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