Following an incident that involved a manager making unauthorized accommodations for a disabled employee ( for details, see Should be an activity heading. Case Application 1‐A: Grower’s Choice), Alonzo Nguyen, HR Director at Grower’s Choice, a growing regional food store chain, realized that his views of the role of HR were stuck firmly in the 1980s.

Alonzo considered taking legal action against the manager and disabled employee, but the lawyer advised Alonzo and Harold Parker, the CEO, that not only should they drop their legal threats but they were probably in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act for not accommodating the employee’s disability in the first place. The lawyer explained that Grower’s Choice had outgrown their HR policies and procedures and needed to get their act together quickly. He also said that failure to modernize would cause continued problems complying with legal requirements and a host of other difficulties. He advised them to get help in aligning HR policies and practices with organizational strategy immediately. This was a problem because Grower’s Choice had no formal strategy, depending instead on the practices and values of the family that started the company 40 years earlier.

Working with consultants, Alonzo, Harold, and a committee of company officers and employees hammered out a statement of values and mission statement designed to guide their organizational strategy and update of the HR department.

GROWER’S CHOICE MISSION: 

We are committed to the sustainable growth of our organization, employees, and communities by providing our customers with fresh, healthy food and becoming everyone’s market of choice.

GROWER’S CHOICE VALUES:

Grower’s Choice strives to be a valued part of the community by: 

• Selling only fresh, high‐quality produce, meat, and groceries from sustainable sources.

• Valuing and developing our friendly and dedicated employees.

• Providing customers with fair prices, clean stores, efficient service, and the highest ethical standards. 

• Giving back to the community with our time and resources. 

• Using all resources wisely and providing a fair return to our investors.

The consultants congratulated Alonzo and Harold on completing the mission and values, but explained that the real work was just beginning.

Questions: 

1. If Grower’s Choice strategic mission includes rapidly increasing the number of stores, explain the implications this has for the HR department.

2. How should Grower’s Choice mission and values statements influence Alonzo as he restructures the HR department?

3. Explain ways each of the four HRM functions can contribute to supporting the mission and values.

4. Describe the ways that a talent management strategy can benefit Grower’s Choice.

5. Evaluate the possibility of outsourcing the HR function for Grower’s Choice. 

6. Research: Compare the mission and values of Grower’s Choice with another food store chain such as Wegman’s, Publix, Meijer, Albertsons, or your favorite local supermarket. What evidence do you see on the website that HR practices reflect their organizational strategy?