BUS103IN Grading Criteria Written Assignment #3 (This was compiled based upon the instructions for the assignment as well as from the tips for written assignments) (points available are in parentheses) Behavior Modification (2) (2) Is behavior modification defined Which type of behavior modification is seen in the case Is this supported & explained by referencing at least two different pieces of information from the case Theory X (2) (3) (2) Is Theory X defined Is your answer supported by specific references from the case Is there a clear understanding of the implications of working for a Theory X manager Herzberg's Theory of Motivation (2) Are Hygiene and Motivators explained relative to this theory? (6) Are these rewards applied to the case & justified by specific examples Flextime (1) Is flextime explained? (1) Answer relates to specifics highlighted in the case Writing (1) Proficiency in Writing Skills Demonstrated THE CONTAINER STORE'S MOTIVATING EXPERIENCE Read the case and answer the questions that follow. Studying this case will help you better understand how motivation concepts can be applied in a company such as The Container Store. Being cited on Fortune magazine's annual list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" is quite an honor-but only a special firm can place among the top three for five consecutive years. That company is The Container Store, a 30-store Dallas-based chain selling storage products to help customers organize homes and offices in an industry where the employee turnover rate can exceed 100 percent per year. The Container Store stands out for the stability and commitment of its workforce. Its annual turnover in full-time employees is just 8 percent; for part-timers, the annual turnover is 20 percent, far below that of a typical retail firm. Yet even as The Container Store approaches its thirtieth year in business, it continues to emphasize recruit- ing, training, and retaining exceptional employees as it opens new stores in an aggressive growth strategy. Retailers usually say that the key to a store's success is "location, location, location Location is certainly impor tant, but The Container Store's main claim to fame is per- sonalized customer service with a smile its store personnel are always ready, willing, and able to help customers select just the right components to solve any storage problem Money may be part of the reason: On average salaries at the Container Store are 50 to 100 percent higher than salaries at most other retail establishments, and the bene. fits are more generous, as well. People wonder how we can afford to do that explains CEO and co-founder kip Tindell, but we respond that in a service-oriented busi. ness, how can you afford not to?" Chairman and co-founder Garrett Boone believes that his store employees work for more than money: "You have to work for a common cause he says. Tindell goes even further, saying, "We think the employer has a hugo moral obligation to make employees want to get out of bed and come to work in the morning." How does The Container Store do this? Tinrall noints to his company's focus on the basic peo Container Store do this? Tindell points to his company's focus on "the basic peo- ple side of our business, educating and empowering lemployees), giving them the tools they need to service our customers to the fullest." Each new full-time salesperson receives 235 hours of training during the first year, each new part-timer receives more than 100 hours of training in the first year. Kevin Fuller, director of training and recruiting, remembers feeling proud, respected and confident after undergoing this intensive training. "It makes you do a better job and give back 110 percent to the company," he notes. Communication is another key factor. "The way to retain employees, to make them care, is to communicate everything to them," CEO Tindell says. By "everything, he means not just product information but also chain-wide goals, daily sales results, and many facts and figures usu- ally available only to the most senior managers. There are risks, he acknowledges, "but we decided a long time ago that the advantages of communicating information that empowers our employees and strengthens their develop- ment and loyalty far outweighs the disadvantages of that information falling into the hands of competitors. Finally, The Container Store believes in saying "thank you" for a job well done. After closing time, store employ- ees gather and recognize those who made a special effort that day. Some of these stories make their way to the "cel- ebration mailbox," a voicemail system where employees and managers can record compliments to be heard by anyone in the company. Employees who have been with The Container Store for five years receive a tiny woode box, a smaller version of the cash box that Tinde ang Boone used when they launched their first store. For the 10-year anniversary, employees (and their spouses receive a trip to Dallas and are feted by the co-founders at dinner in their honor. Working at The Container Stores not just about making a living, Boone says: "The people here give an effort that goes far beyond the economic rewards, because they love it here." it BUS103IN Grading Criteria Written Assignment #3 (This was compiled based upon the instructions for the assignment as well as from the tips for written assignments) (points available are in parentheses) Behavior Modification (2) (2) Is behavior modification defined Which type of behavior modification is seen in the case Is this supported & explained by referencing at least two different pieces of information from the case Theory X (2) (3) (2) Is Theory X defined Is your answer supported by specific references from the case Is there a clear understanding of the implications of working for a Theory X manager Herzberg's Theory of Motivation (2) Are Hygiene and Motivators explained relative to this theory? (6) Are these rewards applied to the case & justified by specific examples Flextime (1) Is flextime explained? (1) Answer relates to specifics highlighted in the case Writing (1) Proficiency in Writing Skills Demonstrated THE CONTAINER STORE'S MOTIVATING EXPERIENCE Read the case and answer the questions that follow. Studying this case will help you better understand how motivation concepts can be applied in a company such as The Container Store. Being cited on Fortune magazine's annual list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" is quite an honor-but only a special firm can place among the top three for five consecutive years. That company is The Container Store, a 30-store Dallas-based chain selling storage products to help customers organize homes and offices in an industry where the employee turnover rate can exceed 100 percent per year. The Container Store stands out for the stability and commitment of its workforce. Its annual turnover in full-time employees is just 8 percent; for part-timers, the annual turnover is 20 percent, far below that of a typical retail firm. Yet even as The Container Store approaches its thirtieth year in business, it continues to emphasize recruit- ing, training, and retaining exceptional employees as it opens new stores in an aggressive growth strategy. Retailers usually say that the key to a store's success is "location, location, location Location is certainly impor tant, but The Container Store's main claim to fame is per- sonalized customer service with a smile its store personnel are always ready, willing, and able to help customers select just the right components to solve any storage problem Money may be part of the reason: On average salaries at the Container Store are 50 to 100 percent higher than salaries at most other retail establishments, and the bene. fits are more generous, as well. People wonder how we can afford to do that explains CEO and co-founder kip Tindell, but we respond that in a service-oriented busi. ness, how can you afford not to?" Chairman and co-founder Garrett Boone believes that his store employees work for more than money: "You have to work for a common cause he says. Tindell goes even further, saying, "We think the employer has a hugo moral obligation to make employees want to get out of bed and come to work in the morning." How does The Container Store do this? Tinrall noints to his company's focus on the basic peo Container Store do this? Tindell points to his company's focus on "the basic peo- ple side of our business, educating and empowering lemployees), giving them the tools they need to service our customers to the fullest." Each new full-time salesperson receives 235 hours of training during the first year, each new part-timer receives more than 100 hours of training in the first year. Kevin Fuller, director of training and recruiting, remembers feeling proud, respected and confident after undergoing this intensive training. "It makes you do a better job and give back 110 percent to the company," he notes. Communication is another key factor. "The way to retain employees, to make them care, is to communicate everything to them," CEO Tindell says. By "everything, he means not just product information but also chain-wide goals, daily sales results, and many facts and figures usu- ally available only to the most senior managers. There are risks, he acknowledges, "but we decided a long time ago that the advantages of communicating information that empowers our employees and strengthens their develop- ment and loyalty far outweighs the disadvantages of that information falling into the hands of competitors. Finally, The Container Store believes in saying "thank you" for a job well done. After closing time, store employ- ees gather and recognize those who made a special effort that day. Some of these stories make their way to the "cel- ebration mailbox," a voicemail system where employees and managers can record compliments to be heard by anyone in the company. Employees who have been with The Container Store for five years receive a tiny woode box, a smaller version of the cash box that Tinde ang Boone used when they launched their first store. For the 10-year anniversary, employees (and their spouses receive a trip to Dallas and are feted by the co-founders at dinner in their honor. Working at The Container Stores not just about making a living, Boone says: "The people here give an effort that goes far beyond the economic rewards, because they love it here." it