Parker Blackman's Blog

Just as much as employees must adapt to new workforces, companies must adapt to new customer segments. The 17 year old company, ASOS, has exponentially grown and experienced success over their lifetime, however, it is no coincidence that this start up flourished and grew into the company it is today. A Forbes article by Hal Gregerson and Jeff Dyer, “At The Altar Of Innovation: How ASOS Changed Our Commitment To Millennial Buyers” (2016), praised the company and recognized the prosperity of their adaptational techniques. By adopting an external change agent, ASOS was…read more

Teamwork skills, whether they are utilized in education, the workplace, sports, or daily life, are essential for success when working with a group. Throughout the blog post “Blog#2 What Everyone Should Know About Teamwork”, author Kexuan Cui discusses the stages of development groups experience as they are working together and the role teamwork plays in this process. I want to expand on his ideas about the essential components of group and teamwork by discussing my past experiences and an activity completed during class.      For many years I struggled with working in…read more

There is no single best answer to what motivates employees in a workplace because each individual’s values and expectations vary greatly. Rather than generalizing a motivator to all employees, it is more beneficial to try to determine what would best motivate employees individually. Money is an example of something often used as a motivator in the workplace and is expected to be effective, but this is not always the case. Money is important and essential to well-being, but studies have shown that after a person receives enough money to live comfortably, it…read more

     In the eyes of an outsider, Lululemon is typically viewed as an athletic, health-oriented company who employs individuals who are wholesome and passionate about fitness and leading a balanced lifestyle. However, former employee Elizabeth Licorish offers an alternative opinion on the culture of working at Lululemon in her article “Lululemon’s Cult Culture: Get Fit or Die Trying” (2013). An important factor that contributes to job satisfaction and performance is the work environment itself. Before reading this article I had never heard something negative about the work culture at Lululemon, but…read more