http://blog.case.edu/smw29/ en-us Sat, 03 Dec 2005 20:25:35 EST Sat, 03 Dec 2005 20:25:35 EST shawn.white@case.edu shawn.white@case.edu http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Movable Type v3.121 http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/discipline_in_the_workplace How to discipline employees in the workplace is again a difficult problem that faces managers. Often cases can be very... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/discipline_in_the_workplace MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 03 Dec 2005 20:25:35 EST How to discipline employees in the workplace is again a difficult problem that faces managers. Often cases can be very complex and raise ethical and moral questions. Many cases are challenging because it is hard to draw lines on a slippery slope. It is normal for circumstance to play a large role in an individual case. As a manager it becomes extremely difficult to set standards that apply to every case, in fact, almost impossible.
The most important part is to be consistent and as fair as possible.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/performance_appraisals Performance appraisals are a very useful tool in having an effective and efficient work environment. I thought that the 360... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/performance_appraisals MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 03 Dec 2005 20:16:08 EST Performance appraisals are a very useful tool in having an effective and efficient work environment. I thought that the 360 appraisal was the best method because it accounted for the most variables. I thought it was unique in that it allowed for bi-directional feedback between the manager and employee. The process also allows for input from peer workers. It seems to be the most comprehensive plan for this type of evaluations. It is a much more solid system because it gives an individual feedback from all directions in an organization. This system provides ways to catch employees which have “fallen through the cracks” in other evaluation methods.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/coaching Coaching employees is one of the hardest roles as an HR manager. Employees need guidance at work for direction. It... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/coaching MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 03 Dec 2005 20:04:58 EST Coaching employees is one of the hardest roles as an HR manager. Employees need guidance at work for direction. It is a fine line between helping employees and doing their work for them. It is important to approach employees in a non-invasive way so that they do not feel that they are being babysat. It is also important to have open communication channels between manager and employee so that ideas and thoughts can flow freely between the two.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/smart_goals I think that the SMART goal strategy is a great way to achieve goals in an efficient way. I know... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/smart_goals MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 03 Dec 2005 19:44:22 EST I think that the SMART goal strategy is a great way to achieve goals in an efficient way. I know that most goals that I have never come to fruition, because they are often not useful. SMART goals have direction and guidance on how to achieve a goal. The main goal is broken down into several small steps that are much easier to achieve. For me this was the best way to set a goal for a summer internship. The SMART system forced me to set small deadlines that should be easy to achieve so that I can obtain my final goal.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/hr_simulation_quarter_8 Our group just finished the input for quarter eight in the HR simulation manual. The two years of inputs and... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/12/03/hr_simulation_quarter_8 MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 03 Dec 2005 16:38:38 EST Our group just finished the input for quarter eight in the HR simulation manual. The two years of inputs and outputs have brought about many choices through both hard and good times. We were faced with tough staffing decisions and other HR problems. The simulation was most effective in showing how difficult it is to determine which of the inputs affected which outputs. It finally came together in the end and I feel that our team succeeded over the two years of inputs. The project is almost complete, except for the final annual report, which should be a useful reflection on what did and did not work.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/summer_intern_position I had an interview last week for a summer intern position at Target. The interview was on campus and was... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/summer_intern_position MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Wed, 02 Nov 2005 11:37:45 EST I had an interview last week for a summer intern position at Target. The interview was on campus and was similar to the mock interview that I had in September. The mock interview prepared me well for the tough questions I was asked. Also it is true about what we learned in class, that the interview extends beyond the half-hour "interview." For example the night before they put on a "meet and greet" at Wackadoos and the actual interviewer was there socializing with all the potential hires. The mock interview and the skills I learned in class paid off, and I thought I did well. I just found out this week that they want me to go to a second interview in Minneapolis in two weeks. I hope my interview skills will help me through the second-round of interviews also.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/ethics_in_the_workplace Ethics are important in every part of living, including the workplace. Ethics at work can be a touchy subject that... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/ethics_in_the_workplace MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Wed, 02 Nov 2005 11:27:17 EST Ethics are important in every part of living, including the workplace. Ethics at work can be a touchy subject that is a slipery slope. Each individual and employeer has a diffent view on ethics in the workplace, but they need to be aligned. It is important for a company to give each employee a set of values that the company holds and expects an individual to respect. Many times employees don't even know they are breeching company policy. It is important for a company to respect their employees values as well. A company needs to make sure its policies are clearly stated, so that many of these ethical/unethical situations are stopped before they are started.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/evaluating_training Traing is essential to a company, but evaluations of the training are just as necessary. Without continuous evaluations of the... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/evaluating_training MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Wed, 02 Nov 2005 10:51:41 EST Traing is essential to a company, but evaluations of the training are just as necessary. Without continuous evaluations of the training of employees, the employee training program is almost useless. I work for the admissions office at Case as a tour guide. Until this year, admissions had a good training program, but no continuing evaluations of the training of guides. Admissions was left with guides that were not prepared and gave lack-luster tours. This year a new evaluation program was set up, so guides were evaluated while giving tours seveal times a year. So far the program has been effective, exposing the flaws of the training system and uncovering guides that need re-trained.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/training Training of new and current employees is one of the most important functions of the human resource department. In class... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/training MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Wed, 02 Nov 2005 10:37:16 EST Training of new and current employees is one of the most important functions of the human resource department. In class we discussed some of the different ways to train employees. From my experience, the best training that I received was on the job shadowing. For my job this past summer I only received minimal pre-job training, but obtained much valueable on the job training. My employeer granted me a mentor, which I shadowed for a week. Then she was always available for questions all summer long. I felt this way was best because it was more informative and interesting then just watching lectures or training videos. This type of training is tailed to the individual and means much more.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/harrahs_casino The case study of Harrah's casino was interesting to me because it provided the human resource problems of a real... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/11/02/harrahs_casino MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Wed, 02 Nov 2005 10:24:29 EST The case study of Harrah's casino was interesting to me because it provided the human resource problems of a real company. This study shows how delicate the HR function is to the vitality of a corporation. At Harrah's there were various HR problems across the company, but turnover was their main problem. Harrah's implementation of the gain sharing program was only a small step in the right direction. I felt that the company hired upper level positions mostly from outside, which caused problems for employee retention. The company needed to promote more from within because that will send the message to employees that doing a great job everyday can help them move up in the company.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/hard_rock_hotel_group_project Our group's HR simulation got off to the right start, as we got the first set of quater one results... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/hard_rock_hotel_group_project MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 08 Oct 2005 18:52:57 EST Our group's HR simulation got off to the right start, as we got the first set of quater one results in on time. As the group leader for the Hard Rock Hotel Group, I found that our group got along very well. I was assited by my team in splitting up the work between the "team plan essay" and the decision sheets. There was a lot of work to get finished in the time alotted, but we worked as a team, instead of a group to finish the task. We all are striving towards a common goal, which is to have the best HR development of any hotel in the industry. This week was just the starting block for our company, and I feel that we will continue to preform well each week at the given task.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/mbti I thought that the experience with the career center concerning the MBTI was useful and interesting. I likede hearing an... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/mbti MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 08 Oct 2005 18:42:29 EST I thought that the experience with the career center concerning the MBTI was useful and interesting. I likede hearing an unbiased opinion about my personality type. It was interestinng that my type was very close to what I actually percieved. I thought that my type, ENTJ was very descriptive of my personality. I an very outgoing and extroverted as well as inventive and always thinking. The values that the MBTI gave me also corresponded to the type that I self-selected before receiving the results. I also enjoyed the speakers from the career center that day. I felt that they added much to the material already presented in class, and made it seem more practical.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/networking Networking is a very important aspect of business life, but sometimes it is hard to network with unknown people. Networking... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/networking MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 08 Oct 2005 14:08:36 EST Networking is a very important aspect of business life, but sometimes it is hard to network with unknown people. Networking is essentially making friends in the business world. Making "friends" can be hard for many people wether in a professional setting or in the personal arena. The only way to overcome these fears is to force yourself to network. The networking session that we had in class was great for practice as well as the career fair. For me networking is fairly easy because I have had practice at it and like to talk too much. The best advice is just to practice by doing it.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/career_fair The career fair was a great first hand look into the world of recruiting. It was essentially a larger version... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/career_fair MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 08 Oct 2005 13:54:16 EST The career fair was a great first hand look into the world of recruiting. It was essentially a larger version of the networking event that we had in class. It was overwhelming at first because the fair was so large, taking up the entire Veal connvocation center. After I decifered the map, navigation was much easier. Then the resume passing began. It was hard with so many other students to fight your way to see a company representative. I found it easy talking with the representatives and found several oportunities for summer positions that I will follow up on. The only didapointment was that some employers said that they were hiring only for full time psitions, but many said come to the spring career fair, where more openings will be present.

]]> http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/mock_interview I felt that the mock interview day was an extremly useful tool in future career planning. For me it was... http://blog.case.edu/smw29/2005/10/08/mock_interview MGMT250 case cwru Case Western Case Western Reserve University Sat, 08 Oct 2005 13:19:11 EST I felt that the mock interview day was an extremly useful tool in future career planning. For me it was my first real interview. I have had interviews for summer jobs and campus jobs, but not anything so formal or structured. The interviewer that I had, gave me a difficult set of questions that lasted for about 30 minutes. It was really hard to answer some questions, but I managed. The most helpful part, was the conclusion and summary, which would not be present in the real interview. I found it extremly helpful to hear from someone what my specific flaws wre and how to improve them.

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