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Article
Publication date: 1 June 2002

Eileen Tracy

219

Abstract

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Education + Training, vol. 44 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

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Case study
Publication date: 10 September 2015

Susan D. Sampson, Bonita Lynn Betters-Reed and Tessa Misiaszek

During the downturn in the economy, EILEEN FISHER Inc., which had been experiencing significant growth in the years leading up to 2008, had to take some widespread organizational…

Abstract

Synopsis

During the downturn in the economy, EILEEN FISHER Inc., which had been experiencing significant growth in the years leading up to 2008, had to take some widespread organizational strategic action or potentially lose $11 million. Eileen Fisher and the Facilitating Leadership Team (FLT) met to reflect on the actions that were taken in the last 18 months in order to reshape their organization. From the beginning, the FLT had been transparent with the 800 employees in the organization, informing them that they were facing serious losses. They shared not only identified issues, but their deep faith in the EILEEN FISHER collaborative culture a faith that was reflected in their first step to planning. Turning to the employees, they had asked, What should we do? Teams throughout the company figured out new ways of working and recaptured EILEEN FISHER's profit. Reflecting on the reshaping of EILEEN FISHER and the many actions taken, the FLT team wondered if the creation of the new normal was sound and sustainable for the future. Students must evaluate the effectiveness of EILEEN FISHER's leadership system and determine whether the company can survive the economic downturn while remaining true to the company's core values.

Research methodology

The case is a field-research case and was funded as part of a sabbatical to study leadership at EILEEN FISHER Inc. The primary goal of the long-term project was to research and write cases on socially minded women leaders through an inclusive conceptual lens. Extensive planning with the Chief Culture Officer at EILEEN FISHER resulted in an 18-month deep dive with over 40 in-depth interviews, extensive observation of many different teams and meetings particularly the monthly Leadership Forums, thorough review of internal communications as well as review of other secondary research.

Relevant courses and levels

This case was written for advanced undergraduate or graduate organizational management, retail management and strategic change students. The case is best taught later in the course where students are asked to connect various leadership or strategic change theories with organizations and outcomes. The theoretical readings are more suited for advanced leadership students and are a springboard for in-depth analysis and further assignments. The case demonstrates the power of a values-based organization and how this values-based leadership style can be used to reshape an organization. This case can also be used for a retail management course to look at a values-based organization in the retailing industry. Most retailers in the industry have traditional hierarchical organizations; this case shows that there are alternative business models and newer leadership frameworks that explain EILEEN FISHER's management. Retailers are also impacted by every downturn in the economy and challenge to consumer confidence. This case shows how a retail organization can reshape itself with a new value proposition as a result of a downturn in the economy. It also demonstrates how employees can take action and redefine an organization.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 January 2005

J.B. Hill

To report on the 6th Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) 2004 Conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 2004.

1056

Abstract

Purpose

To report on the 6th Virtual Reference Desk (VRD) 2004 Conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 2004.

Design/methodology/approach

The VRD Conference is a two day meeting, organized annually by the Information Institute of Syracuse University, that focuses on the latest reference trends. The report is prepared by a library professional.

Findings

The conference was divided into the following tracks: Management, General, Evaluation/Standards, Technology, Resources, Research/Policy and Vendor Demonstrations. Generally there were six simultaneous sessions. The report includes sessions primarily from the Management and Evaluation/Standards tracks.

Originality/value

A brief conference report of interest to library and information management professionals.

Details

Library Hi Tech News, vol. 22 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0741-9058

Keywords

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Abstract

Details

Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5648

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Book part
Publication date: 2 May 2023

Natalie Glynn

Abstract

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Youth Transitions Out of State Care: Being Recognized as Worthy of Care, Respect, and Support
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-487-8

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Book part
Publication date: 20 July 2005

Barbara Simpson Darden and Betty K. Turock

For over two decades, we have known from melding fertility and immigration data, that the population of the United States would become steadily more diverse. Throughout the 1990s…

Abstract

For over two decades, we have known from melding fertility and immigration data, that the population of the United States would become steadily more diverse. Throughout the 1990s it was reported that one in four persons in the nation was a minority. By the time we entered the new millennium, that figure increased to one in three. Now it is predicted that in the year 2030, the emerging majority of Americans will be people of color. No matter the type of library or information agency, in this century all will face the challenge of providing service to population within the context of an entirely new order of pluralism.

Details

Advances in Library Administration and Organization
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-338-9

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Book part
Publication date: 30 November 2011

Tamara K. Nopper

This chapter explores how discourse about Barack Obama's community organizing background underscores his new Black politics. Whereas new Black politics is associated with a…

Abstract

This chapter explores how discourse about Barack Obama's community organizing background underscores his new Black politics. Whereas new Black politics is associated with a minimization of race, centrist and neoliberal policies, and an unwillingness to “speak truth to power,” Obama has been characterized as “different” due to his community organizing experience. As I show, Obama's community organizing background is invoked by him and others in ways that amplify an opposition to Black racial solidarity associated with the tradition of old Black politics. The first section examines how Obama's community organizing is depicted as a quest for racial acceptance from old guard Black activists but translates into a story of his political maturation. The second section considers how Obama's relationship with his (now) former pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright is symbolized as a struggle between old and new Black politics and thus serves as a commentary on the presumed ineffectiveness of racial solidarity for addressing the plight of working-class Blacks.

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Book part
Publication date: 17 May 2012

Adele E. Clarke

My early life was punctuated by turning points and transformations that gradually led to a surprising and late-blooming academic career – my first “real” sociology position began…

Abstract

My early life was punctuated by turning points and transformations that gradually led to a surprising and late-blooming academic career – my first “real” sociology position began when I was 44. Here I trace six different trajectories of scholarly work which have compelled me: feminist women's health and technoscience studies; social worlds/arenas and the disciplinary emergence of reproductive sciences; the sociology of work and scientific practices; biomedicalization studies; grounded theory and situational analysis as qualitative research methods; and symbolic interaction-ists and -isms. I have circled back across them multiple times. Instead of seeing a beautifully folded origami of a life, it feels more like a crumpled wad of newspapers from various times. Upon opening and holding them up to the light in different ways, stories may be slowly discerned. I try to capture here some of the sweetness and fragility of these moments toward the end of an initially stuttering but later wondrously gratifying career.

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Blue-Ribbon Papers: Behind the Professional Mask: The Autobiographies of Leading Symbolic Interactionists
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-747-5

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Article
Publication date: 16 March 2012

Kendra Fowler and Eileen Bridges

The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of the relationships between the service environment, service provider mood, and provider‐customer interaction. Specifically…

5089

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of the relationships between the service environment, service provider mood, and provider‐customer interaction. Specifically, mood is evaluated as a potential moderator of the relationship between the service environment and provider‐customer interaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi‐method data collection approach was utilized, including observation and provider and customer surveys. Hypotheses are tested using regression, ANOVA, and MANOVA.

Findings

Findings indicate that service provider evaluations of the physical environment improve in the presence of an appropriate ambient scent. Behavioral responses are also enhanced: providers are viewed as more courteous and customers more friendly. Perhaps the most interesting observation is that provider mood moderates the relationship between the service environment and customer perceptions of service provider behavior.

Research limitations/implications

The only environmental characteristic that was manipulated was scent, and access was granted to only one store over the course of three consecutive Saturdays. Consequently, validity is threatened by the potential for impact of factors other than the manipulated characteristic.

Practical implications

Implications for managers include careful consideration of potential changes to the ambient environment; if introduction of an appropriate scent can be undesirable, other changes may also lead to unexpected results. Changes under consideration should be tested before implementation.

Originality/value

This research extends service theory by examining the relationship between providers and customers in an actual retail setting. Important theoretical contributions include: demonstrating that service provider mood moderates the relationship between service environmental characteristics and customer perceptions of provider behavior; and finding that positive changes to the environment can amplify negative outcomes.

Details

Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-4529

Keywords

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Case study
Publication date: 1 May 2010

Andra Gumbus, Christopher C. York and Carolyn A. Shea

Judy was a high-performing professional manager who was with her company for 15 years and was a manager for six. She was a confident, positive, and happy person but recently lost…

Abstract

Judy was a high-performing professional manager who was with her company for 15 years and was a manager for six. She was a confident, positive, and happy person but recently lost her confidence in herself and her abilities. She dreaded going to work because she never knew what she would face from her boss, Dennis. Dennis was a brilliant man who was recently promoted to Senior V.P. He was condescending, and he humiliated people in public. Complaints to the CEO and a harassment claim produced no results. Dennis did the CEO's dirty work and served a role needed in a fast-paced and profit-driven corporate culture. Judy enrolled in an MBA program to build her resume and her self-confidence. She faced a critical juncture in her career. Should she quit, transfer, complain to HR, or confront Dennis?

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

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