EOC wk4: Mini-Case Study, Bob Borich

1.     What advice would you give Bob Borich?

a.     I would start by telling Bob that he needs to be observant and know what is going on with his establishment. He needs to take charge of his employees instead of his employees taking charge over who gets hired.  Quote, “Six months after opening, Bob experienced a turnover of about 50 percent. As a result, he found himself hiring new employees weekly. He turned orientation over to a group of employees who had been with him form the start.”  Bob needs to find out what his employees are doing when they interview new perspective employees.  (Managing Hospitality Human Resources Fourth Edition by Robert H. Woods)

2.     How unique do you believe Bob Borich’s current situation is?

a.     It is quite common when an owner is opening a new business and he gets side tract from what is going on around him. Quote, “Within three months after starting the orientation program, Bob was experiencing turnover in excess of 100 percent annually.” Bob needs to evaluate all his employees and bring in a H.R. Manager to take control over the orientation program. (Managing Hospitality Human Resources Fourth Edition by Robert H. Woods)

3.     What parts of orientation should be turned over to employees to conduct?

a.     The only thing Bob should turn over to employees is socializing. Quote, “Socializing newcomers can also be done by marginal employees. Often, the performance of marginal employees improves at the same time new employees are socialization.”  Also, they can contribute to specific job orientation and what is needed and expected of that position. Bob truly needs to come up with an orientation kit that tells them what is expected from them at work. Such as, policies, procedures, and what behaviors are expected. (Managing Hospitality Human Resources Fourth Edition by Robert H. Woods)

EOC wk 2: Old-Timer Makes Waves

Discussion questions:


1. What recent changes at the Edgeway Hotel precipitated the problem with Sally?


Quote, ”We’re in a newly competitive environment.” She was told along with everyone else, that there is a new market segment and that the guests are demanding a higher level of service. She has not complied with the changes and her attitude has suffered towards the customers and the level of service she produces.


2. Is it an issue that Sally didn’t follow the chain of command?


Yes, Quote, “it angers me that she’d send a letter like this. If I could get away with it, I’d fire her for that.” Sally should have gone to her supervisor to discuss what she can do to change, or what problems she is having towards the changes made. Only, time you go over your supervisor is when he/she is out, or when you have been asked by upper management on your concerns of the changes.


3. What are the roles and responsibilities of the management team in dealing with this situation?


Quote, ”Sydney and I have put in a lot of time and effort with this lady. We’ve coached her, worked with her, given her extra trainning and support.” There is not much anyone can do if someone is unwilling to make any necessary sacrifice to change. That soly relies on the individual them selves. The only alternative solution is to find someone who is able and willing to make those changes.



4. Does Sally’s length of service and past perfromance warrant special treatment by management in handling her current situation?


Yes, but eventhough she has been with the company for twenty years, it does not give her the right to disreagrd changeses mande during those twenty years. Sally has been informed as well as trained on the new marketing segment and how the customers expect them to be implimented. Quote,”you are the one always telling us that we can’t carry employees indefiniely and she’s becoming a high-maintenance employee.” If an employee has been informed and trained, yet still unwilling to make changes, that person is a liability to the company. There for the company has no other choice than resigning that employee.

EOC wk 2:Zippy Airline Catering

Discussion Questions:

1.     Are the changes made by the hospitality company significant redesign of the work done? Why or why not?

a.     Considering the volume increase of customers, it’s a very good reason to re-design. Quote, “At the time, this operation had only eight full-time employees and a single manager, and produced a single product: prepared meals for the airlines.” (Managing Hospitality Human Resources Fourth Edition P. # 83 Mini Case Study)

2.     What do you think will happen as a result of this?

a.     The redesign implementation will increase productivity and lessen the stress on employees. The production to produce mass volumes of meals will increase and meals will be quicker and easier to produce for the airlines. Encouraging teamwork and having a reward for the employees it a great incentive to motivate each other to meet or exceed their daily quota.  Having happy employees boosts the moral for the company and therefore, the employees will want to work harder to take advantage of the bonus plan. Quote, “The engineers estimated that each employee would be able to put his or her item on a tray before it passed beyond reach.” (Managing Hospitality Human Resources Fourth Edition P. # 83 Mini Case Study)

3.     What steps would you have taken before initiating substantial changes in the way work is done at Zippy Airline Catering?

a.     First, I would set up productivity standards and determine the sales and guest count. Then determine how many employees are needed. I would also, inform everyone on the changes and what changes are implemented to help productivity. Quote, “The Company instituted a group bonus plan that rewards the employees for the total number of meals produced. The more trays produced, the more bonus earned.” (Managing Hospitality Human Resources Fourth Edition P. # 83 Mini Case Study)  

EOC Wk 3: Networking & External Sources

           

             Networking and external resources are a great way to boost your chances of getting good worker is by looking at;  Quote, “ colleges, job fairs, contact with  teachers and coaches, participaton in work-study programs, contact with campus social and professional clubs, hospitality management programs, and dormitory counselors.”  (Managing Hospitality Human Resource by Robert H. Woods Page 102.) Networking your resources is a great way to find hirerees, because most of the time they are refered by someone you know and trust their recommendations. A good alternative way to recruit is word of mouth and when a company is laying off due to closure or seasonal  layoffs. Always go with your instint when choosing a potential employee. If you don’t feel right about hireing someone then trust your feelings.

Feelings has a great role when hireing someone you have never met before. Knowing how to read and understand those feelings will help with any decision you make.  A great way is the knowledge of reading people and knowing what someones personality is like the first few minutes of an interview. If you don’t have a good feeling when intervewing someone, then maby that person is not the right hire for you or your establishment. If someone has the motivation and is willing to do what it takes to get that job then your decsision is easier in the sence of they will learn faster than someone how is just looking for a job to pay their bills.

In my experiences, I have come across a phrase many people always say, “I just need a job to pay my bills or get me by, or until a better one comes along.  To me, this is a waste, it tells you that the person is only interested in getting payed and not a hard worker or team player. This person will most likely be more of a liability and unreliable than someone who is reliable and a great asset to any company. Anyone who is an asset to a company is a person who goes above and beond their duty to be a team palyer.

EOC wk 3: Culinary Survivors

A good example of good management is the Bootleggers Bistro. It is a family run business. The company gets involved with what is going on around them. They are aware of their customers concerns on nutrition and bring in nutrition specialists to help. They also make sure their recipes are consistent.

Quote, “We have nutritionists working with us, and we have new ideas, and new recipes, so our menu is kind of an eclectic blend of classic and contemporary Italian cuisine. The bootlegger’s longevity to  “the family’s commitment to recipes, when people comeinto your restaurant, you should think of that as them coming into your home.” .  (www.lvrj.com/taste/ longtime-resturants-keep-traditions—yet-adapt-to-times-105329183.html)

Another prime example of knowing your customes and getting involved with the community and what people want is, Metro Pizza. This is a nother family run business by two cousins. Here is a good way to get your business out to your customers, they use the “Food-Truck” conecpt. Quote, “It’s an opportunity to go out to customers who mabye can’t always come to you. We wanted to plant the seeds of interest in our bakery by previewing it with the food truck and learning something about what works and what doesn’t. “ (.  (www.lvrj.com/taste/ longtime-resturants-keep-traditions—yet-adapt-to-times-105329183.html)

On the downside of things, and what happens when no one is intrested in running a family business due to the lack of motivation and lazeyness that is happening with our society. El Sombrero was opened in 1950 and took over by Jose Argaon in 1970. Quote, “I have been here ever since, I do most of the work myself,  assisted by a parade of family members over the years. Nobody in the family wants to do what I do because it takes me 24/7 to do it. The kids are smart these days and they don’t want to work like I do.” As a result, El Sombrero has cut hours Monday through Saturday due to the economic crisis. More and more people are without work and homes are being foreclosed. People just don’t have the money to go out to eat every other day.  (www.lvrj.com/taste/ longtime-resturants-keep-traditions—yet-adapt-to-times-105329183.html)

Are family traditions a good way chang with the times and what your coustomers would like to see. Bob Taylor’s Ranch House was opened in 1955. Quote,  We’er different than a lot of strip restaurants that try to gear toward tourists. You still get a choice of soup or salad with your dinner and a choice of potato.  The atmosphere is offbeat, too, with a prominent indoor mesquite grill and Western memorabilia. The only thing changed, is the bar has a lot of (Pittsburg) Steelers stuff.” Now days, people don’t want or understand the old traditions most families pass down from generation to generation. To keep up with what is going on around is to change what is not working and improving on what you can physically change. (www.lvrj.com/taste/ longtime-resturants-keep-traditions—yet-adapt-to-times-105329183.html)

EOC WK 2: This Charming Man

The short film “This Charming Man” is focused on immigration and prejudice acts. Well, where do you start? The topic of immigration or in other words illegal immigration is one of our nation’s biggest concerns. If the US government is unable to fix this problem then why are we as citizens blamed for prejudices towards immigrants.

Quote, “Worldwide, there is an estimated 191 million immigrants. The last 50 years has seen almost doubling of immigration. 115 million immigrants live in developed countries and 20% live in the US alone and make up 13% of its population. 33% of all immigrants live in Europe and 75% live in just 28 countries. Women constitute approximately half of all migrants at around 95 million. Between 1990 and 2005 there were 36 million migrations (an average of approximately 2.4 million per year. (A passage to hope; women and international migration; UNFPA A State of the World Population 2006, September 2006.)

On this topic one has to think critically. Usually emigrants move from one country to another due to conflict, or to escape persecution, or voluntarily immigrate to other countries. From what I have experienced from immigrants is that most move to search for work to better their lives. Quote,” As Inter Press Service (ISP) reported, the European Union has recently acknowledged a concern about immigration that has not received much media attention. That is, a large number of people are attempting to leave the devastation of their own country caused by the current form of globalization and other political and economic policies. (Pros and Cons of International Migration, by Thalif Deen, Inter Press Service (IPS), September 15, 2006.)

Most Immigrants will often do jobs that most people won't do or refuse to do. Not all the time but often employers have immigrant workers work longer hours with little pay or way less than a regular employee gets paid for the same task. Immigrants are considered cheap labor and lack of knowledge of the labor laws. This truly turns out to be a new kind of slavery that many institutions are getting away with.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

My interest in cooking started when I was five years old. I was considered a latch key kid. My parents left me home by myself when they went to work.  My brother and sister were old enough to go to school. Therefore, I had to cook for myself at times. I started by going through the spice rack and tasting all the spices that my mother had in the house. Later on as I would spend time with my great grandparents, I would go in the kitchen with my great grandmother and help her bake and cook. Later on as I was growing up my parents separated, my brother, sister and I ended up with my mother. We eventually moved to Northern California where my mother’s parents lived. That was when I started to get more interested in cooking. My grandmother and I had a contest between ourselves. When we would gather as a family, my grandmother and I would guess how everyone’s dishes were made and what ingredients and spices used in each dish. During my time in Jr. High School, one of the classes I got was home economics, I was in the class long enough to have my name called when I got a note sent from the office. I was to go to the wood shop class instead. As I was leaving the class room my comment to the teacher was, quote: “that’s ok, I already know how to cook and I can out cook everyone in class including the teachers”. Since then, I always went back on how my grandmother’s taught me.

As I grew up, I ended up welding in high school and upon graduating high school I worked as a fabricator. Through the years I always wanted to get into cooking again. I ended up hurting my back at work and so I had to find and new profession. I decided to go to school and learn about computers. I graduated with an AA degree in Information Technology. As I was looking for work I was unsuccessful obtaining a job in the computer field where I live. I started to do work on the side out of my home and learned that people just don’t want to spend a lot of money on computers. I just cannot compete with Dell!

After all these years, I now have support from my family to go into the culinary arts. My most enjoyable thing is to see people enjoy what they eat. My great grandfather helped create the orange fields in Southern California which is now called Orange County. My dad’s father was a butcher and owned his own butcher shop in Southern California. My great grandfather was a professional baseball player and was the warm up catcher for Babe Ruth. My great grandmother was a homemaker from Germany. My sister is into baking and cake decorating. My brother is in to eating everything, he also enjoys B.B.Qing. My brother’s youngest son is showing interest in cooking. As you can see food is a big part of my family. In the culinary arts is the only way to hone in my skill and talents and to learn new skills. Eventually, be able to open my own restaurant where I can start new traditions.