With crude oil prices hovering at $100/barrel, the surge in development in oil-rich Alberta means the demand for workers is also increasing (predicted to peak by the end of 2012). A labour shortage means that energy companies are looking south to Mexico and overseas for available workers. These companies are acting now because immigration paperwork and training take time.
QUESTIONS:
Which major responsibility of human resource management is addressed in the article?
What are the demands of global human resource management associated with the oil sands labour crunch?
What are the challenges (of foreign workers) in terms of training and development? What is the best approach for dealing with this?
As Volkswagen opens its new plant in Tennessee, talks renew about how labor, particularly unionized labor, influence the cost of new vehicles and the viability of automakers. While foreign manufacturers are locating in the South and paying about half the amount a union worker makes, the Big Three in Detroit have been unable to see significant gains from wage concessions by the unions post-bailout.
QUESTIONS:
[Chapter 11] Compare the wages paid by Detroit automakers and foreign automakers in the South. Discuss the net effect of labor contracts for employers and employees.
Do differences in labor costs (American vs. foreign manufacturers) alter the productivity equation? Why or why not?
Is labor cost a source of competitive advantage? Discuss.
How do labor costs influence breakeven points? Where do they fit in the breakeven point equation?
Labelux, a German luxury goods company, will purchase Jimmy Choo, Ltd. from TowerBrook Capital for a reported £400-550 million. Under Labelux, the high-end women’s shoe and bag maker will be expanding its line and focus on developing the Asian market, particularly in China. Co-founder Tamara Mellon, of British Vogue fame, will retain her minority share of the company and continue serving as Chief Creative Officer.
QUESTIONS:
Based on your reading of the article, what dynamic forces make this a good acquisition for Labelux?
What competitive advantage(s) does Jimmy Choo gain from being acquired by Labelux, which also owns Bally Shoe?
Describe the level of environmental uncertainty for Jimmy Choo moving forward.
Description: Labour must turn to Facebook and Twitter to tell its story without the “filter” of mainstream media, Canadian Labour Congress president Ken Georgetti told the CLC convention in Vancouver.
The primary referenced article makes mention of summer of 2010 as the “the Summer of Divorce.” While that was disputed even within the article, recent months have seen one very contentious divorce – that of former Los Angeles Dodgers owners Charles and Bonnie Bronfman – as well as an announcement of the separation and impending divorce of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Schriver after 25 years of marriage. Although technically a marriage is not a team – it is a dyad – this supposed trend does offer an interesting opportunity to investigate teams, team dynamics, communication, and conflict handling.
QUESTIONS:
Before considering the articles in relation to teams, conflict, and communication, let’s analyze the commentary on divorce in the primary reading. Does the author’s discussion of his divorce reflect cognitive dissonance? Why or why not?
Give examples of ways that a successful marriage – you determine what constitutes successful – might achieve synergy.
Perhaps your own group/team experiences have only been moderately successful. Review the three things an effective team does well. Evaluate the three relationships described in the featured articles. Do they fully satisfy the criteria of an effective team? What about your own experiences? In what ways have your teams achieved and failed to achieve effectiveness? What would you do in the future to ensure greater team effectiveness?
It might be easy to conclude that all divorces are in the adjourning stage of team development, but this might not be the case. The Bronfmans definitely have a different approach to the model. Apply the stages of team development to the relationships described in the articles.
Use your imagination and describe the roles of effective and efficient communication in successful (lasting) marriages and those that end in divorce. How might communication barriers set the stage for divorce?
If a marriage (or any relationship) is in trouble, discuss how active listening might be used to help improve the situation and potentially stave off divorce.
Is conflict necessarily a bad thing in a marriage? Why or why not?
Invariably, marriage partners will disagree. Describe situations where each of the conflict management styles would come into play in a marriage. Does negotiation have a place in marriage? If so, how?
Description: For the first time in the province’s history, Saskatchewan teachers held a one-day walkout. They have been without a contract since August.
Description: The chief executive officer of Air Canada is pleading with the airline’s pilots to accept a collective agreement the airline says is required to create a low-cost carrier.
The golf world mourns the passing of legend Severiano “Seve” Ballesteros. The Spaniard was known primarily as the showman that led the Europeans to victory over the United States in the 1985 Ryder Cup. However, golf insiders know that Ballesteros also accumulated a record 50 European titles and 90 tournament wins, which include two British Open and two Masters victories. In addition to leading (with his play) the European team in 1985, Ballesteros was also captain of the victorious 1997 European squad.
QUESTIONS:
After reviewing the article, discuss how Seve Ballesteros fulfills the definition for leadership.
Identify and describe at least two forms of power that Ballesteros possessed as a golfer.
Describe the leadership traits of Ballesteros.
Review the sentiments of other golfers expressed in the article. Was Ballesteros a charismatic and/or transformational leader? Why or why not?
In the ultimate tribute to a partner, Pedro Martin Ureta honored his deceased wife’s wishes and cultivated an immense tree garden into an aerial delight – a guitar. Shortly after marrying Mr. Ureta, Graciela Yraizoz saw a shape while flying over the pampa. That’s when she came up with the idea of creating a guitar. Mr. Ureta put her off. After she died suddenly in 1977, he began seriously thinking about the request. It took a lot of painstaking work, but the two-thirds mile-long creation is now a marvel for all to see as they fly over the area.
QUESTIONS:
In what ways does the work represent the basic elements in the textbook definition of motivation?
From the standpoint of needs, what level of motivation does this accomplishment represent?
Using Acquired Needs Theory, how would you classify Pedro Martin Ureta’s motivation?
