For this discussion, please read The NY Times article on Amazon’s culture and workforce practices located though the link below, and answer any three of the questions that follow for your main post:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/technology/inside-amazon-wrestling-big-ideas-in-a-bruising-workplace.html?_r=0   (Links to an external site.)

1. How do new hires learn about Amazon’s leadership principles? Do you think this is a meaningful practice to instill core guiding principles in new employees? Why or why not?
2. What are the standards and expectations of Amazon employees in terms of work pace, dedication, and communication with each other?
3. According to Amazon’s HR and recruiting professionals, what is the importance of having such a culture? Do you agree with their perspective? Why or why not?
4. What personality type would seem to be a good/bad fit in this culture? Could you fit into this type of work environment? Why or why not?
5. What has been the impact – both positively and negatively – of the Amazon culture and practices on current and former employees?
6. What is your interpretation of and perspective on the quote “It’s the greatest place I hate to work”, from a former executive who published the book ‘The Amazon Way’? Do you think other organizations should also adopt this “Way”?
7. What internal practices are in place regarding when, where, and how employees do their jobs that translate into Amazon’s goal of striving to please customers, or “customer obsession”? Do you think the practices help to successfully drive customer satisfaction? Why or why not?
8. How does Amazon use metrics and “Big Data” to analyze the business externally and employees/operations internally? What is your opinion of the ‘Anytime Feedback Tool’?
9. Do you think Amazon’s strategy for retaining talent and eliminating “deadwood” is worth it in the long run? “The Amazon Way” = Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down – and why?

Participation credit in the weekly discussions will be based on the following structure:

Quantity:

Each student must make a minimum of three posts for each discussion – one main post that answers the question(s) presented by the professor, and two replies to posts made by your peers.  The main post must be a minimum of 300 words in length and made by Friday evening at 11:59pm ET.  The reply posts must be approximately 75-100 words in length and may be made any time before Sunday evening when the week closes at 11:59pm ET.

Quality:

All posts must be substantive, relevant, and respectful, and contribute value to the discussion.  “I agree” types of posts are fine to make, but they do not count towards the minimum posting requirement.