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Ben & Jerry's caring capitalism
Around the Quad by Nancy E. Barr This feature presents abstracts of aricles from journals representing disciplines other than library and information science. Articles are selected for their perceived interest to academic librarians from journals on business, management, personnel and training, higher education, and management of technology.
“Accounting forUser Dtvwsity in Conttguring Online Systems,” by Peter Woolliams
and D. Gee. On/he Review 16 (No. 5, 1992),p* 303-311.
N Online system developers are increasingly concerned with the issue of system usability as it relates to enhancing and differentiating their online services. This article presents two models that may be useful in developing online interfaces that take into account the influence of organizational and cultural diversityon human-computer interactivity(HCI). The first model identifies four competing organizational cultures derived from two dimensions. The resulting matrix suggests that the degree of organizational hierarchy and taskorientation affects how those in any organization relate to each other, their superiors, and their work, and, ultimately, how they choose their information systems. The second model (Trompenaar’s Model of Culture) proposes seven continuums, each conjoining two “value” extremes such as individualism and collectivism, achievement and ascription, past and future. This model suggests that values (or culture) influence how “users deal with other people, time, and nature.” For example, while U.S. online system users may prefersynchronisticoptions(runningtwoprograms at once), other cultures may prefer sequential applications. Librarians or technicians who select or configure online systems may want to look at this piece.
“Ben lk Jerry’s Caring Captalkm,” by JenLaabs. Personnel Journal 71 (November 1992), p. 50-57. nifer J.
w This article explores how the company philosophy of Ben & Jer ‘s Homemade, Inc. n translated into (the ice cream firm) has r, liberat employee benefits, socially conscious spending patterns, and efforts to improve the quality of life for employees as well as those in the local, national, and international communities in which the firm operates. Laabs cites many examples of the caring attitude demonstrated by this highly profitable company: a “Joy Gang” instigates activities dedicated to “the relentless pursuit of joy in the workplace”; domestic-partner insurance is available to employees’ significant others; employee opinions are proactively sought on most aspects of running the company and spending the profits-in staff meetings, on
42
the Journal
of AcademicLibrarianship,
yearly “rate-the-boss” surveys, and through focus groups; community volunteerism is not only encouraged, but can be remunerated at normal company pa ; a company-run child carecenter isavailab retoemployees 11 hours a day and for a sliding-scale fee. In two sidebars Laabs presents Ben &Jerry’s tripartite mission, and a list of exceptional employee benefits. What are some of the effects of this quality-of-life focus? Laabs presentsevidence that Ben & Jerry’s employees are a loyal, happy, hard-working lot who value the jobs they perform, the products they make and distribute, and the community activism supported by their company. In short, these employees actively support the company mission. Service organizations in particular have a high stake in their employees’ satisfaction with and dedication to their jobs. This article looks at how social responsibility, practiced inside and outside the organization, can be a profoundfactorinbuildingaproductive, happy work force and a successful company.
“Competltlon versus Colleglality: Academe’s Dilemma tar the 1990%” by Joyce A. Scott and N.A. Bereman. Joufno/ of Higher Educutlon 63 (November/
December 1992), p. 684-698.
HSincethemid-198Os, pressure has increased for faculty pay differentials favoring highdemand disciplines. This article examines annual salary data, collected from 1979-l 989, for public university faculty in “a sample of disciplines most typically represented and significantly enrolled” in an attempt to answer four questions related to salary structures: How has academic rank affected salary scales over the period studied? How have salary levels varied among disciplines? How have labor market conditions affected the academic salary structure overall? What has been the effect within specific disciplines? One figure and six tables summarize the authors’ findings. In brief, the study reveals that academic wage scales are becoming more vulnerable to labor market pressures, especially for entry-level positions. New assistant professor salaries have increased dramatically in high-demand disciplines such as business and engineering, whereas those in low-demand disciplines, such as library science and education, have grown modestly or notat all. What are the implications for higher education of this trend away from internal
March
1993
equih/ and toward competition? The author? believe that faculty receiving lower salaries will tend to feel devalued and disenfranchised, leading to the “erosion of an institution’s human capital, whether bywidespread defection or by reduced commitment, and thereforetodiminished institutional vitality.”
‘The Economics of Managing a Unlversity,” by Graham Bird. studies In Higher Education 17 (No. 3,1992), p. 265280. n The author of this article presents a “representative” list of problems besetting universities, then examines each in an economic light, applyingconceptssuch as demandelasticity, economies of scale, and cost-benefit analysis. A final section lists some examples (from a hypothetical university) of decisions and activities that “contravene the basic economic principles discussed here.” The problems, or questions, examined in the text include:Whatfactorsdeterminestudentdemand for a particular university7 What is meant by “efficiency” in a university context, and how can it be encouraged? What is the minimum efficient size for a university? At what point should a department be discontinued? What factors influence staff recruitment and retention? The author includes figures, equations, and definitions to facilitate his explanations, providing a convincing demonstration that “elementary economics can make a useful contribution to understanding and analyzing the operation of universities.” Library administrators in particular may appreciate this examination of management problems from an economic perspective.
“How to Improve Quality If You’re Not in Manutacturing,” by Gary K. Johnson and R.A. Dumas. Truinlng29 (November 1992),
p. 35-38.
n The recent focus of the business sector on quality-improvement methods has yielded documented success stories in manufacturing firmsandassemblyplants. Nonmanufacturing concerns, however, have had much less success in executing quality programs. This article explores some of the reasons for this failure--most emanating from what the authors view as the erroneous assumption that the manufacturing model of quality improvement is transferable to the service sector. Two figures illustrate the differences between the “Traditional Quality Approach” and the “Nonmanufacturing Approach.” Because service “products” are most often created and consumed at the same moment, pre-delivery inspection and rework are not possible. Essentially, the manufacturing model addresses the end user only indirectly-by focusrng on thepredeliveryachievementofproductspecrfications-while theother model begins with service goals based on customer needs and expectations. The authors claim that their “rapid-deployment” model allows companies and departments to “move ahead with
“Accounting forUser Dtvwsity in Conttguring Online Systems,” by Peter Woolliams
and D. Gee. On/he Review 16 (No. 5, 1992),p* 303-311.
N Online system developers are increasingly concerned with the issue of system usability as it relates to enhancing and differentiating their online services. This article presents two models that may be useful in developing online interfaces that take into account the influence of organizational and cultural diversityon human-computer interactivity(HCI). The first model identifies four competing organizational cultures derived from two dimensions. The resulting matrix suggests that the degree of organizational hierarchy and taskorientation affects how those in any organization relate to each other, their superiors, and their work, and, ultimately, how they choose their information systems. The second model (Trompenaar’s Model of Culture) proposes seven continuums, each conjoining two “value” extremes such as individualism and collectivism, achievement and ascription, past and future. This model suggests that values (or culture) influence how “users deal with other people, time, and nature.” For example, while U.S. online system users may prefersynchronisticoptions(runningtwoprograms at once), other cultures may prefer sequential applications. Librarians or technicians who select or configure online systems may want to look at this piece.
“Ben lk Jerry’s Caring Captalkm,” by JenLaabs. Personnel Journal 71 (November 1992), p. 50-57. nifer J.
w This article explores how the company philosophy of Ben & Jer ‘s Homemade, Inc. n translated into (the ice cream firm) has r, liberat employee benefits, socially conscious spending patterns, and efforts to improve the quality of life for employees as well as those in the local, national, and international communities in which the firm operates. Laabs cites many examples of the caring attitude demonstrated by this highly profitable company: a “Joy Gang” instigates activities dedicated to “the relentless pursuit of joy in the workplace”; domestic-partner insurance is available to employees’ significant others; employee opinions are proactively sought on most aspects of running the company and spending the profits-in staff meetings, on
42
the Journal
of AcademicLibrarianship,
yearly “rate-the-boss” surveys, and through focus groups; community volunteerism is not only encouraged, but can be remunerated at normal company pa ; a company-run child carecenter isavailab retoemployees 11 hours a day and for a sliding-scale fee. In two sidebars Laabs presents Ben &Jerry’s tripartite mission, and a list of exceptional employee benefits. What are some of the effects of this quality-of-life focus? Laabs presentsevidence that Ben & Jerry’s employees are a loyal, happy, hard-working lot who value the jobs they perform, the products they make and distribute, and the community activism supported by their company. In short, these employees actively support the company mission. Service organizations in particular have a high stake in their employees’ satisfaction with and dedication to their jobs. This article looks at how social responsibility, practiced inside and outside the organization, can be a profoundfactorinbuildingaproductive, happy work force and a successful company.
“Competltlon versus Colleglality: Academe’s Dilemma tar the 1990%” by Joyce A. Scott and N.A. Bereman. Joufno/ of Higher Educutlon 63 (November/
December 1992), p. 684-698.
HSincethemid-198Os, pressure has increased for faculty pay differentials favoring highdemand disciplines. This article examines annual salary data, collected from 1979-l 989, for public university faculty in “a sample of disciplines most typically represented and significantly enrolled” in an attempt to answer four questions related to salary structures: How has academic rank affected salary scales over the period studied? How have salary levels varied among disciplines? How have labor market conditions affected the academic salary structure overall? What has been the effect within specific disciplines? One figure and six tables summarize the authors’ findings. In brief, the study reveals that academic wage scales are becoming more vulnerable to labor market pressures, especially for entry-level positions. New assistant professor salaries have increased dramatically in high-demand disciplines such as business and engineering, whereas those in low-demand disciplines, such as library science and education, have grown modestly or notat all. What are the implications for higher education of this trend away from internal
March
1993
equih/ and toward competition? The author? believe that faculty receiving lower salaries will tend to feel devalued and disenfranchised, leading to the “erosion of an institution’s human capital, whether bywidespread defection or by reduced commitment, and thereforetodiminished institutional vitality.”
‘The Economics of Managing a Unlversity,” by Graham Bird. studies In Higher Education 17 (No. 3,1992), p. 265280. n The author of this article presents a “representative” list of problems besetting universities, then examines each in an economic light, applyingconceptssuch as demandelasticity, economies of scale, and cost-benefit analysis. A final section lists some examples (from a hypothetical university) of decisions and activities that “contravene the basic economic principles discussed here.” The problems, or questions, examined in the text include:Whatfactorsdeterminestudentdemand for a particular university7 What is meant by “efficiency” in a university context, and how can it be encouraged? What is the minimum efficient size for a university? At what point should a department be discontinued? What factors influence staff recruitment and retention? The author includes figures, equations, and definitions to facilitate his explanations, providing a convincing demonstration that “elementary economics can make a useful contribution to understanding and analyzing the operation of universities.” Library administrators in particular may appreciate this examination of management problems from an economic perspective.
“How to Improve Quality If You’re Not in Manutacturing,” by Gary K. Johnson and R.A. Dumas. Truinlng29 (November 1992),
p. 35-38.
n The recent focus of the business sector on quality-improvement methods has yielded documented success stories in manufacturing firmsandassemblyplants. Nonmanufacturing concerns, however, have had much less success in executing quality programs. This article explores some of the reasons for this failure--most emanating from what the authors view as the erroneous assumption that the manufacturing model of quality improvement is transferable to the service sector. Two figures illustrate the differences between the “Traditional Quality Approach” and the “Nonmanufacturing Approach.” Because service “products” are most often created and consumed at the same moment, pre-delivery inspection and rework are not possible. Essentially, the manufacturing model addresses the end user only indirectly-by focusrng on thepredeliveryachievementofproductspecrfications-while theother model begins with service goals based on customer needs and expectations. The authors claim that their “rapid-deployment” model allows companies and departments to “move ahead with