Please read the case Employees Make A Difference at Amys Ice Creams HR IN SMALL BUSINESS at the end of Chapter 16, Strategically Managing the HRM Functions available in your textbook Human Resource Management: Gaining A Competitive Advantage-Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, Wright,11e., and answer the following questions:

Assignment Question(s):

1. Which elements of a customer-oriented HRM perspective does Amys Ice Creams seem to have? (See Figure 16.2.)

2. Suppose Amys hired you as a consultant to evaluate whether the company has an effective HRM function. Which outcomes would you look for? How would you measure them?

3. Generally, a small ice cream shop such as Amys cannot afford to pay store workers very high wages. How well do you think the company can achieve high employee satisfaction without high pay? What can it do to foster satisfaction besides the efforts described here? How could e-HRM support these efforts?

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In this respect, one recent trend within the field of HRM, consistent with the total quality management philosophy, is for the HR executive to take a customer-oriented approach to implementing the function. In other words, the strategic planning process that takes place at the level of the business can also be performed with the HRM function HR executives in more progressive U.S. companies have begun to view the HRM function as a strategic business unit and have tried to define that business in terms of their customer base, their customers' needs, and the technologies required to satisfy (customers' needs (Figure 16.2 For example, Joe Ruocco, the former chief HR officer at Goodyear, encouraged his HR function to take a customer-centric approach Figure 16.2 Customer-Oriented Perspective of the HRM Function Customers Line managers Strategic planners Employees HRM function Technology Staffing Performance management Rewards Training and development Customers' needs Committed employees Competent employees Employees Make a Difference at Amy's Ice Creams One of the bright spots for hungry people in Austin, Texas, is Amy's Ice Creams-its factory on Burnet Road or one of several Amy's stores. Founder Amy Miller, who dropped out of medical school to start the busines, figures it is just another way to make a difference in people's lives," offering customers a fun place to celebrate or cheer up. Miller had been paying for med school with a job at Steve's Ice Cream, but when the company was sold, she thought the new owners were too sodgy, so she opened her own ice cream shop. Given the motivation to strike out on her own, it's not surprising that her goal is to manage her employees in a different way, one that combines informal fun with care for others The spirit of fun is defined by the employee selection process Miller invented. When interviewing candidates. Miller hands them a white paper bag with the instruction to make something creative and show her later. One applicant used it to make a hot-air balloon Another put food in a bag, gave it to a homeless person, took a photo of the gift, and put the photo in the bag to return as the creative offering Job design also plays up the fun. Amy's prized employees don't just scop up ice cream but also come up with ways to create a playful atmosphere. The company encourages workers to juggle shakers or give away a scoop of ice cream to a customer who is willing to sing and dance, While the two painted concrete cows that sit in front of the Amy's factory are an emblem of the company's commitment to fun. its commitment to caring has a more uplifting sign: Amy's Ice Cream funded the construction of a room in a local children's cancer care center. The room resembles an ice cream shop and includes freezers stucked with ice cream-a treat that patients can share with visiting family members Service to the community is also connected to employee engagement. At Any's. the employees chome the charities the company will support, At a prom hosted by Anty's every year, the company selects a King and Queen to honor based on which employees did the most company-sponsored charitable work. In this way, employee rewards are tied to the company's value Fun and community service aren't just a way to be nice they also have made Amy's Ice Creams a company ice cream lovers care to buy from. The company reaps millions of dollars in sales and has expanded the number of locations to meet growing demand in Austin as well as in Houston and San Antonio, Still, it's not just about the revenues. Co-wner and Amy's hushand) Steve Simmons told a reporter. "We never want to be a mega-company. When we don't know employees" names, there's a