Profile Of A Positive Leader - 1124 Words

Profile of a Positive Leader – Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, addressed as ‘Bapu’ or ‘the father of the nation’ in India, was born on 2nd October 1869 in Porbandar district, in the state of Gujarat. He is known to be one of the most influential leaders in the history. As a child, Gandhi was very curious and intelligent. As a result, he was accepted to study at the University College London where he successfully completed his degree in law and became a barrister. He then returned to India to begin his career, however, due to very little success, he accepted a job in South Africa with an Indian firm. Gandhi spent 21 years in South Africa, which define his life. He became more mature as a person and developed lot of his political†¦show more content†¦Hence, he began campaigning for the rights of Indians, although, not all of his campaigns were successful. However, he gathered a lot of attention from the local Indian community. Resultantly, soon after he helped form an organization, â €˜The Natal Indian Congress’, in 1894. This was his first step towards leadership as, at this point, he had a good number of followers and had formed his own organization; this is how he became a leader. As the years went by, Gandhi went through several incidents and struggles in Africa, however, eventually he achieved his goal as blacks were given equal rights as white. In 1915, Gandhi returned to India and thereafter fought for the Independence of the country. He was invited to join the Indian National Congress party which was the largest political organization in India, and at this point Gandhi had attracted many Indian followers due to his influential work in South Africa for the local Indians. By 1920, Gandhi became the sole leader of the Indian National Congress organization and this was a crucial point in his life as a leader since, at this point, he was the leader of the whole nation. This point onwards, Gandhi’s true journey, as a leader, began as he is known for his fight for the Independence of India Gandhi possessed several qualities, some of which he developed through the course of his life and some which he introduced, such as non-violence, which people still follow. According

The Social Model Of The Elderly - 918 Words

The elderly are a fast growing demographic group, with the population estimated to reach 16.9 million by 2035 in the UK, due to low fertility rates, improved healthcare and thus longer life expectancy (Rutherford 2012), which is problematic due to many experiencing multiple exclusion (Age Concern England 2008). The problem intensifies once over aged 75 (De Markokos 2008). This is due to what geographers label the ‘social model’ whereby as ageing occurs there is a progressive withdrawal from society, especially in Western cultures after retirement age (Gregory et al. 2009 p.12), leading to high dependency rates (Rutherford 2012). However, it is important to recognise that the elderly are not a homogenous group due to individuals experiencing different life courses, a result of post modernity fracturing old age (Pain 2001 p.144). Nevertheless, it is important that geographical attention is paid to the elderly as historically it has been highly fragmented, with the geograph y of children preferable (Gregory et al. 2009 p.13) despite there being a projected 4 million more elderly people than youths by 2035 (Rutherford 2012). The elderly more at risk of isolation include those who reside in urban areas (Dwyer and Hardill 2011), due to the damaging of kinship bonds in such an environment (Simmel 1903), with up to 50% of the elderly over 80 years old reporting they are often isolated (Dykstra 2009). Thus, the elderly prefer to spend more time in their homes (AARP 1996), as itShow MoreRelatedBiopsychosocial Model Essay1531 Words   |  7 PagesThis essay will focus on a patient diagnosed with Deliruim.it will adopt the biopsychosocial model to explore how the diagnosis affects the patient’s quality of life. 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There are several academic works that support these claims because ofRead MoreThe Causes Of Mental Disorders925 Words   |  4 PagesBiological factors 2- The medical model is in crisis because it defends a type of intervention: a) Individual and not interested in prevention. b) Welfare and held by a medical expert. c) Both a and b are true. 3- In recent decades, both in the field of psychology and in sociology and community movement, the focus has been: a) Social support b) The mental health problems c) The social conservatism 4-Que three aspects must be a story in defining social support: a) Levels of analysis, studyRead MoreAmerica s Treatment Of The Elderly925 Words   |  4 Pagesperceived notion that Eastern societies view aging in a positive aspect, while Western societies view aging in a negative light. Although there is much emphasis on respect for elders on the Confucian societies, however, does East Asia’s treatment of the Elderly really differ from North America’s treatment? In the Perceptions of Aging in Two cultures: Korean and American views on Old Age, the authors are able to prove their thesis that through previous studies by Harwood et al that countries such as SouthRead MoreUsing the Eight Ethical Decision Model in a Case Study1645 Words   |  7 Pagesto have been mistreated. The incident at Nightingale Nursing Home came to light after a video of a patient being mistreated was sent to local broadcaster Mediacorp. The footage was shot by a hidden camera on a patients bedside. In the video, an elderly woman patient is seen sitting star k naked beside a bed with the room ceiling fans on. She is then picked up by two hospital staff and thrown onto a bed, before a staff is shown slapping her on her mouth when she wailed in pain. 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He believes that this can be traced to the history of the nursing home, which evolved as a type of quasi-hospital, but the trade-off of freedom for access to care that exists in a hospital is not the same underlying social contract that should exist fin a long term care environment. Instead when people seek out nursing homes theyRead MoreSocial Work Practice Theory Paper1442 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Work Practice Theory Paper Introduction For this paper, I have decided to research two social work theories and how those theories apply to residents in long term care facilities. The primary focus will be those residents who are alert, oriented, and showing minimal symptoms of dementia. Problem population In my practice as a social worker in a long term care setting, I have become aware these are the resident who lack to ability to care for themselves due to physical limitations as opposedRead MoreSocial Worker Perspective On Elder Abuse1535 Words   |  7 Pages Giles (2013) article outlines a model with interactions patterns which leads to dysfunctional communication and subsequently, elder abuse in the home, along with factors that lead to elder abuse. According to Lin Giles (2013); Anthony et al. ( 2009), the model allows people to see the ways in which abuse is provoked, maintained, and hidden, thereby, providing an avenue for community educational programs, social support and resources for caregivers of elderly patients. Strengths: This is aRead MoreFrailty Syndrome As Elderly Individuals Essay1471 Words   |  6 Pagesyears of age; in 2012, this has now increased to 79 for men and 83 for women. This increasing lifespan has created a new frontier in the health and wellbeing of the elderly as it has resulted in a consequent increase in complex health care needs of elderly people with Frailty Syndrome. Fried et al. (2005) identify Frailty Syndrome as elderly individuals â€Å"meeting three out of five phenotypic criteria indicating compromised energetics: low grip strength, low energy, slowed walking speed, low physical activity

Project Development and Optimisation System †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Project Development and Optimisation System. Answer: Introduction In undertaking the Central Library Renovation project, a decision must be made in order to ensure the best value for money as well as improving the functionality and services provided at the library. In determining if the inclusion of a childrens library in the central library, the team has to decide on how to undertake the project, the feasibility of the project, and employ projct management principles, taking into consideration te principles of cost driven optimization of project design, and use accounting principles to determine the value of the project before making a decision. Deciding on a project is usually motivated by a need, and importantly, the evalutaion of available alternatives, before deciding to undertake a project. This entials a feasibility study and comparison with other competing or possible projects: once this is done, a decision is reached and the project executed. In this paper, the proposed renovation of the Central Library is undertaken, employing team decisi on making principles to determine if the proposed project is the right one. The problem will be solved collaboratively, employing team principles, accounting principles, and project management principles. The problem will be approached by evluating other laternative projects, in this case whther to introduce a kids section at the library, upgrade the furniture, or upgrade the computer/ IT system at the library. The evaluation will be done using accounting principles and economic concepts as well as a feasibility stuudy, bfore deciding, based on the analysis, the best project to undertake in renovating the library The possible projects to be undertaken at the library include the introduction of a kidds section, upgrading furniture, or upgrading the library computer system. Upgrading the computers is a good and refreshing idea; it will ensure fast and seamless operations that take advantage of advancements in information technology, as well as give users an improved experience,and providing information in a variety of mediums (Andrews Wright, 2015). Upgrading furniture is also a good improvement project aimed at ensuring comfort and ergonomics for library users and to give the library a nice feel. The Central library has been around a long time and a tchnology and furniture refresh and upgrade would be good improvements. Introducing a childrens section will also be a smart idea, given that it will enhance the reading culture among children and give parents options on keeping children busy, especially during holidays. Most Australian paents with children encourage them to read ('Australian Coun cil for the Arts', 2017). Further, many Australian children still struggle with reading, according to an international survey on year four students done in 2016 at 286 schools, with 6341 students participating in the survey (Buckingham, 2016). However, to decide on the best project among the three, a critical analysis ad evaluation needs to be undertaken. Cost-Driven Project Design Optimization Renovation projects incurr costs; these costs must be taken into consideration, Vis a Vis the envisaged benefits from the renovation project, as such, costing plays a very important role in decision making (Freedman, 2018). Some of the methods to use in cost driven project design optimization include accurate budgeting and capital asset pricing models. One of the biggest problems faced by managers is budgeting; ofetn, either the budget is excedded r underutilized by a significant margin (Lefevre, 2011). Apart from budgeting, othr aspects of fincnace and costs as well as cost benefits must be taken into considration in deciding on what project to undertake; this, therefore, requires an effective and integrated project cost management. Cost management entails the plannig, estimation, budgeting, and cost control processes so projects are completed within approved budgets (Lee, 2006). The increased demands placed on projects can result in catastrophic failure of projects, apart from resu lting in a project that has little or no value in the context of its benefits and resource usage. The main concern of projects is in creating value and the basis for this is through the optimization of the project. Knowing factors that make a project valuable for an organization enables the decision and implemengtation teams to increase gains from the project while at the same time, also reducing risks associated wth the project (Obaidat, O?ren Merkuryev, 2017). Projects must be appraissed in the context of their impact and place in future strategies of organizations. The scope of the project must be aligned with the strategy of the organization as well (Harrison, 2014). The design synthesis for the renovation project must be integrated in the early stages to determine the best project, taking into consideration the costs involved in alternatives (Park Chen, 2014). The evaluation will be undertaken based on asset capital budgeting model, which is a model used in determining an appropriate theoretical required rate of return and in making decisions on investments and project undertakings. Capital budgeting is a process by which the potential expenses and/ or investments for large projects are evaluated and determined and it entails evaluating the cash inflows and outflows for the project. Doing this helps determine is the potential retuns in undertaking the project meet the investment appraisal, in order to justify the project or choose between different competing projects (Levy, 2011). The CAPM model will be used in determining the net Present Value (NPV) of the project in which the difference between the present cash inflow value and the present cash outflow value over a given time period is determined (Gallo, 2014). In determining the NPV for the projets, estimations, through budgeting, will be made on the cost of undertaking the projects based on the work packages involved in the projets, as wel as their expected returns. The NPV will is determined alongside the Internal rate of return (IRR); IRR refers to the rate at which the NPV of all cash flows in a project, be they negative or positive, equate to zero. It is also a useful tool for evaluating investments and projects on its attractiveness. Te general rule is that the IRR of a project must exceed the required rate of return to make it attractive; IRRs that fall below the required rate of return mean the project should be rejected ('Corporate Finance Institute', 2018). The work packages for the project, with teir estimated busgets are shown below; Alternative projects and their projected Costs Computer Upgrading Furniture Improvement Introducing a Children Section Activity Cost in $ Activity Cost in $ Activity Cost in $ System Analysis 15000 Analysis and interior re-design 50000 Analysis and interior re-design 30000 Designing new IT Infrastructure 50000 Purchasing Furniture 240000 Purchasing Furniture 160000 Purchase and installation of equipment 200000 Labor 40000 Purchasing suitable books 150000 Labor 50000 Miscellaneous 5000 Labor 40000 Miscellaneous 5000 Miscellaneous 5000 Total 320000 Total 335000 Total 385000 The estimation technie used is factoresimation in which historical data, and is based on a limited project scope. This method uses the rule of thumb in addition to parametric models (Akintoye, 2000) Project Feasibility Study The project will be undertaken using project management principles, including in the feasibility studynand analysis, from which a feasibility report is generated. The feasibility study analyzes how successfully a project can be undertaken to completion, and in the process accounting for factors can affect the project, including economic, legal, technological, and scheduling factors. The feasibility study helps determine the possible negative and positive outcomes of a project before investing resources and time as well as money into the project (Munsaka, 2013). In undertaking the feasibility assessment, a fous step model is followed. The firts step acording to the four step method is examining the market and the general external environment; this is important in determining whether the project wil have benefits, and if the benefits will be taken up by customers/ the general public. This phase of the feasibility study needs to give a ralistic picture of the possibility of getting suff icient number of customers/ adopters to use the value generated from the renovation, and if they will be satisfied by it. The second step is an evaluation of the project technical requirements in order to determine the resource and related requirements for the project, including personnel, finance,and technical equipment. The next step entails determining the potential benefits of the renovation, including the financial benefits, for instance, will upgraded computers result in faster services and therefore, increase subscriptions? Will upgrading the furniture make the library more attractive to new members? Will adding a childrens center increase the number of members to the library and its paid users? Based on these analyses and the financial projections, a decision is then made on the most feasible project to undertake. The feasibility study starts by describing the service/ product to be offfered and their delivery method. A market feasibility is also undertaken along with a technical feasibility and a financial feasibility. An organizational easibility is also done. The technical feasibility describes how the porduct/ service will be delivered, incuding materials, labor, and technology needs (this is already done in Table I) above. The financial feasibility is done by projecting the required start up capital to execute the project and the expected returns; the required financing is alrady covered in table I; however, the expected returns from the various projects stil need to be undertaken. Project Financial Analysis The financial analysis will be done based on the capital budgeting model, with the net present value of the project determined. The NPV for computer upgrading will be based on the charges for using computers and revenues from that; the furniture upgrade will be based on revenues such as from hiring the venue, while in setting up a childrens section, the NPV will be based on merchandise revenues for the library. Further, a weighted analysis will be undertaken, taking into consideration other factors such as social impact, academic impact, and value added to the library and society, in additio to the financial analysis to help determine the best project to undertake. Based on annual reports for 2016/2017, a library of the size of Central Library earns revenue mainly from merchandise (of books, prints, State Library merchandise, and other sources, such as stationery, cards, fines, and gifts). For the 2016/2017 year, the revenues from these sources was $ 581708. addind a children library will create a new type of demand hat should increase the revenues from merchandise by 20%. This should increase annually on average by 10% (note that thee are some of the assumptions made in this project). The furniture should make the venue more attarctive and raise revenues for event hire and events revenues by 12% and should grow by 7.5% annually; for the 2016/2017 year, these revenues were $ 472278. The computers use will marginally increase revenues by about 5% of the venue hire and events revenues and will grow by 5% every year. Based on these figures, the NPV for each of the projects can be computed based on projected future cash flows; the NPV is computed for the next four years. In using the budgeting model for NPV, the future cash flows are estimated and then computed at present value. The future cash flows for the different projects are determined based on projected growth in revenues from each of the projects, and their projected annual growth. The discount rate is determined by using the central bank interest rate; this is the Reserve bank of Australia rate for lending money to commericla banking institutions; at present, this rate is set at 1.5% (White, 2018), which is wh at is used. The calculations for NPV and IRR were done in a spreadsheet and the results found shown below; Based on the findings above, from a financial perspective, the renovation project involving adding a chldrens section to the Central Library is the most feasible. Other aspects of social and educational impacts are also considered and weighted as shown below; The projects to be considered for the renovation of the Central Library are a computer system upgrade, improving the existing furniture, and adding a childrens corner. Evaluating the social impacts of the three projects, a computer upgrade will result in better services such as speed and efficiency, as well as a rich user experience. Further, it will enhance educatio throug efficiency and benefits of using IT. On the financal perspective, the project has a negative NPV of minus (-) $ 199311.53, with the IRR also being negative at -28.73%. This makes it the least feasible project; while it costs the least to execute, its benefits and economic impact is minus. For the furniture project, this improvemnt will result in greater bookings of the venue, and create a good ambience as well as more comfortable seating and reading infrastructure for library users. On an education perspective, these benefits are minimal, except for ergonomics. From the economic perspective, the furniture project alos has a negative NPV of - $ 129566, while its IRR is also a minus at -15.41%, meaning it has absolutely no economic value. The addition of a childrens corner will have immense educational benefits because it will enhance reading skills and introduce the much needed reading culture among Australian children (Buckingham, 2016). From a social perspective, the addition of the childrens section will encourage more parents to also visit the library and probably adopt a better reading culture as well; this has a highly positive effect in that it will enciurage the children to also adopt reading habits while helping parents improve and engage in enriching acts of reading (Gaiman, 2013). On the economics perspective, adding a childrens section is a good investment because it has a positive NPV of $ 53682, and a positive IRR as well of 6.74%. using these analyses in the weighting, the addition of a childrens section is a good project and should be proceeded with in renovating the Central Library. Conclusion The decison making for this project was team based and were made based on the principles of collaborative decision making. These pirnciples include being purpose driven; the purpose was to determine the best project to execute. It was an inclusive affair with everyone making a contribution; furthr, decisions were made on the basis of flexibility, accounatbility, and voluntarily, based on a time schedule. Based on the feasibility and financial analysis, and the tenets of project design optimization, the chosen project is adding a childrens section at the central Library; it is a beneficial project in the context of education and social perspectives, apart from being economically sound. References Akintoye, A. (2000). Analysis of factors influencing project cost estimating practice. Construction Management And Economics, 18(1), 77-89. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/014461900370979 Andrews, C., Wright, S. (2015). Library Learning Spaces: Investigating Libraries and Investing in Student Feedback (1st ed., pp. 467-475). Chicago: American Library Association. Retrieved from https://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/conferences/.../Andrews_Wright.pdf 'Australian Council for the Arts'. (2017). Revealing Reading: A Survey of Australian Reading Habits | Australia Council. Australiacouncil.gov.au. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/news/media-centre/media-releases/revealing-reading-a- survey-of-australian-reading-habits/ Buckingham, J. (2016). International study shows many Australian children are still struggling with reading. The Conversation. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://theconversation.com/international-study-shows-many-australian-children-are-still- struggling-with-reading-88646 'Corporate Finance Institute'. (2018). Internal Rate of Return (IRR) - A Guide for Financial Analysts. Corporate Finance Institute. Retrieved 10 April 2018, from https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/finance/internal-rate-return-irr/ Freedman, J. (2018). Importance of Costing in Managerial Decision Making. Yourbusiness.azcentral.com. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/importance-costing-managerial-decision-making- 17281.html Gallo, A. (2014). A Refresher on Net Present Value. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://hbr.org/2014/11/a-refresher-on-net-present-value Harrison, R. (2014). Project Management Procedures Needed to Design the Newest Four Phosphoric Acid Evaporators in North America. Procedia Engineering, 83(2), 462-468. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2014.09.079 Lee, B. (2006). Project budgeting using the project management knowledge areas. Pmi.org. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/project-budgeting- management-knowledge-areas-8132 Lefevre, K. (2011). Why do projects tend to exceed rather than come in within their budgets? What can I do about this?. Pm4all.be. Retrieved 9 April 2018, from https://www.pm4all.be/Content/En/Resources/Blogs/Blogs.aspx?Id=1 Levy., H. (2011). The Capital Asset Pricing Model in the 21st Century: Analytical, Empirical, and Behavioral Perspectives (1st ed., pp. 1, 7). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Munsaka, T. (2013). The Importance of Project Feasibility Study: With practical examples (pp. 5-6). Nordestedt, GERMANY: GRIN Verlag. Obaidat, M., O?ren, T., Merkuryev, Y. (2017). Simulation and Modeling Methodologies, Technologies and Applications. Cham: Springer. Park, H., Chen, J. (2014). A Cost Driven Design Optimization Framework (pp. 957-958). Hong Kong: The Association for Computer-Aided Architectural Design Research in Asia. Retrieved from https://papers.cumincad.org/data/works/att/caadria2014_522.content.pdf White, E. (2018). Reserve Bank of Australia holds interest rates at 1.5%. Ft.com. Retrieved 10 April 2018, from https://www.ft.com/content/8f5c390c-0ae9-11e8-8eb7-42f857ea9f09

Zappos HR Practices

Executive Summary This paper examines Zappos.com and how its HR practices impact its ability to be competitive within its current industry. The analysis done in this paper focuses on the company’s business culture and hiring practices as well as makes recommendations regarding what possible practices could be done in order to improve the company’s standing and reduce its problems.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Zappos HR Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More To do this, a SWOT analysis was conducted to examine the various practices of Zappos and determine what areas need to be better and where it is most effective in. Introduction Zappos.com is one of the largest online shoe and clothing stores in the word with over $1 billion in annual revenue each year as of 2010. The company’s current strategy in a competitive online market place is to provide the best customer purchasing experi ence possible. This was done through the use of next day delivery, a return policy that allows customers to return shoes if they do not fit as well as uses its company culture that focuses on making its employees happy to create better relationships with its clients through good customer service. All of these factors have helped the company to become better than its rivals making it one of the most recognizable online brands in the world. Strength Convenience of Online Sales Through the analysis of Kuruzovich (2013), it was shown that online sales from 2001 till the present have become a $500 billion a year industry as a direct result of more people buying their needs online. With sales amounting to $1 billion per year, Zappos.com can be considered one of the largest online retailers in world since it controls 0.25 percent of the online market. Kuruzovich (2013) explains that the â€Å"integration of warehouse and delivery centers has resulted in delivery services that can enable p roducts to reach customers within the U.S. through next day delivery services as well as to international customers within 3 days to a week (depending on the type of shipping method utilized)†. As such, the current state of delivery methods used has brought more consumers to online eMarkets since for them it is far simpler to find what they want to buy through the search bar of a website or the ads of online retailers (Kuruzovich, 2013). It should also be noted that Zappos has a price advantage as compared to traditional retailers since it does not require a physical floor space in order to sell its products to consumers.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Expenses related to utilities (electricity, water, etc.), the salaries of sales representatives, security staff and other supporting services are smaller because of such practice which enables the company to sell i ts products at a lower price as compared to traditional retail stores. Focus on Customer Service Another of the company’s strengths is its focus on providing good customer service. Through the use of excellent customer service where the CSRs (customer service representatives) actively attempt to develop a good relationship with the client, this results in a good purchasing experience for the client which can result in better long term customer loyalty of the products of the site. Employee Culture The Pierre Tremblay (2011) study which examined employee churn rates (the number of employees that leave a company) and their impact on company performance showed that job satisfaction is an important factor in keeping employees. The study focused on measures of â€Å"perceived stress, job satisfaction and citizenship behavior (OCB) to examine the likelihood of an employee staying or leaving†. Pierre Tremblay (2011) explains that employees that were satisfied with their jobs were more likely to stay despite being within a stressful work environment. They point out that factors related to: tight managerial controls (i.e. the use of metrics to measure performance) low salaries, lack of sufficient diversity in tasks the scheduling system (i.e. alternating night and day shifts) a lack of appreciation for the work that they do contributed significantly to employee displeasure with their jobs and a greater likelihood of leaving (Pierre Tremblay, 2011). Taking this into consideration, the employee culture at Zappos which promotes employee happiness and skills development helps to ensure that employees are satisfied with their jobs which enables it to keep talented employees within the company. From a human resources perspective, this gives the company a long term competitive edge as compared to its other rivals within the same industry. Weakness Recruitment Practices From a human resources perspective, the practice of the company wherein it offers employee s that have undergone the 4 week orientation program $2,000 to leave (no questions asked) if they felt that they were not the â€Å"right fit† for the company is very wasteful and creates the very real possibility that the company may lose out on some very talented employees. The practice of offering $2,000 to leave is definitely not normal and can contribute in preventing employees that do not have the necessary drive from joining the company, however, given the fact that a majority of the employees of Zappos are CSRs and that call center work is considered to be a high employee churn environment, this can create a situation where the company could be losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year just to prevent people who they believe â€Å"would not fit in† from joining the company.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Zappos HR Practices specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This also creates probl ems in terms of the company being able to fill the necessary positions of customer service representatives that leave the company. Taking these factors into consideration, while the company may focus on an internal culture of creating long lasting relationships with its customers, the fact remains that with a lack of sufficient personnel it may not be able to do this in the long term. Opportunities Work from home One of the current trends in human resources that focuses on customer service relations has been to create work from home opportunities for employees. Basically, the process works by having employees use their personal home computers and headsets to do their customer service operations from home. Such methods have been utilized by other companies such as Convergys (which is one the largest customer care companies in the world). Work from home opportunities helps the company to lower the costs with facilities maintenance and allows its employees to be even happier since it r educes costs associated with travel and having to eat out. Threats The primary threat that Zappos could possible encounter comes in the form of other retailers in the online shoe/apparel industry. It is likely that they could copy the same focus that Zappos has towards its employees and customers resulting in lower sales for the company due to increased online competition. Conclusion Based on what has been presented in this paper so far, it can be seen that the main problem with Zappos lies in its hiring practices where it creates far too much potential for the removal of good employees as well as creates the potential for other employee candidates to simply excuse themselves from the hiring practice with $2,000 in cash provided by the company. Such actions have the very real potential to create problems for the company in filling in the necessary gaps in its employment structure as a direct result of the natural churn rates that occur within a company. Not only that, taking into co nsideration the high churn rates that are seen in many call centers, the company’s unusual hiring practices can definitely result in a limited pool of employee candidates for positions within the company. Recommendation It is the recommendation of this paper that the company improve its current hiring practices to more properly reflect the needs of its call center division. While it may be true that the company prides itself on having a business culture that makes employees happy and thus the company’s customers happy, the fact remains that it does not need to limit its hiring practices in order to achieve such goals.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This can be achieved by letting the company culture transform the employee rather than hiring specific employees which the company believes would be the best fit within the company’s business culture. Another recommendation would be for the company to take into consideration a shift towards work from home operations which would not only enable it to save in terms of expenses but would help to make the employees happier in the long term since they can work from the comfort of their homes. Reference List Kuruzovich, J. (2013). Sales Technologies, Sales Force Management, and Online Infomediaries. Journal Of Personal Selling Sales Management, 33(2), 211-224. Pierre, X., Tremblay, D. (2011). Levels of Involvement and Retention of Agents in Call Centres: Improving Well-Being of Employees for Better Socioeconomic Performance. Journal Of Management Policy Practice, 12(5), 53-71. This case study on Zappos HR Practices was written and submitted by user LivingMummy to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.