Amazon is the largest supplier of many products in the world. Every day this company receives thousands of orders and delivers them to customers (Skaggs, 2017). Popularity has forced company leaders to pay attention to the quality of work. In particular, this affected the speed and convenience of delivery. Customers are now becoming more demanding, so they don’t want to wait for goods for several days (Jung, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to talk about the Amazon delivery processes and discuss their positive and negative sides.
Amazon now delivers most of the goods for free, which allows the business to grow. Free shipping is an undeniable competitive advantage. People do not want to overpay even for the convenience of delivering goods. Therefore, by spending money only on the product itself, they win. However, this benefits not only consumers but also Amazon (Moore, 2018). Thus, it attracts thousands of new customers and becomes in demand. As a result, the level of sales rises and the company’s profits rise as well. In particular, it can be spent on the company’s further development: for example, the robotization of processes, which makes delivery even more comfortable.
Despite free shipping, Amazon does not lose costs. Undoubtedly, the company does not receive additional profit for the shipment of goods, although this could contribute to even more earnings (Kingston, 2020). However, the demand for the company’s services is so high that it does not harm its well-being in any way. The demand level is so considerable that some products have to be moved to the premium category (Berg, 2019). They are not available to people without a subscription because there are not enough of them. This allows managers to regulate the level of consumption and meet the needs of priority customers. Hence, even without shipping charges, Amazon is making a significant profit margin.
Fast delivery is another way to improve Amazon customer satisfaction. In early 2020, the company accelerated this process by building several warehouses in different US cities (Huang, Savkin & Huang, 2020). Before that, delivery could take more than a day, in some areas – several days. Now, this process takes only a few hours, so customers ordering something in the morning can enjoy their purchases at lunchtime. This allows people to order more products instead of going to the store. They know they can get them quickly, so they prefer comfort.
Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce and public cloud platform company in revenue and market cap. It was founded as an online bookstore but later diversified and started selling video, MP3, audiobooks, software, video games, electronics, clothing, furniture, food, toys, and jewelry (Rodrigue, 2020). Company executives regularly take various measures to increase profits and maintain customer satisfaction. They rely on world events and monitor changes in marketing trends. This allows the company to remain the first in the world and become an example for competitors.
References
Berg, F. (2019). Amazon. Best example of a serial business model innovator. GRIN Verlag.
Huang, H., Savkin, A. V., & Huang, C. (2020). A new parcel delivery system with drones and a public train. Journal of Intelligent & Robotic Systems, 100, 1341-1354.
Jung, S. (2017). Analysis of Amazon Prime Air UAV delivery service. Journal of Knowledge Information Technology and Systems. Web.
Kingston, W. (2020). On the banks of the Amazon. Library of Alexandria.
Moore, S. B. (2018). Amazon. ABDO.
Rodrigue, J. (2020). The distribution network of amazon and the footprint of freight digitalization. Journal on Transport Geography. Web.
Skaggs, N. (2017). The Amazon planet: The dream seers. BookRix.
PedalSpark is a small maker of high-end electric bicycles, and the firm considers an opportunity of whether it is suitable to start selling its products on Amazon. It is not an easy question, and specific research is required to get insight into the topic. That is why the given paper will present two questions that should be answered before moving ahead. The first issue is whether Amazon offers significant benefits for such companies, and the second one refers to whether e-bikes are popular on Amazon.
Thus, one should begin by identifying the advantages that Amazon can have. Firstly, Breslin (2020) mentions that it refers to a global base of buyers. There is no doubt that when a company enters Amazon, its customer base increases significantly. Secondly, Amazon provides companies with a developed infrastructure, which makes distributing products more convenient for both buyers and sellers (Breslin, 2020). In addition to that, it is reasonable to consider how requested e-bikes are on Amazon. According to Taylor (2019), these products are relatively popular there, which can be proved by numerous discounts offered on e-bikes in 2019.
The information above has presented essential information on whether it is rational for PedalSpark to start selling on Amazon. Furthermore, additional research should precede the process of making the final decision. In this case, it is necessary to identify whether Amazon offers significant drawbacks to direct-to-consumer companies and what margins will be implied. Answers to these questions will help the company solve the issue under consideration. As far as my personal opinion is requested, I would recommend selling bikes on Amazon and controlling the process. If everything is good, the company under consideration will face essential benefits. If the attempt results in problems or losses for PedalSpark, it will be necessary for the company to move back to its e-commerce platform.
Amazon is the most widely used online marketing store worldwide, famous for its quick, efficient deliveries and a variety of goods to choose from. However, there is a suspicion the company prioritizes speed over worker’s safety. The former and current employees of Amazon have been complaining about the poor conditions in the company. Online marketing firms with large personnel often neglect their workers’ safety to reach mass production. However, a company’s social responsibility towards its stakeholders is crucial in preparing its strategic plan. It secures the best interest of everyone in the organization considered. The occupational obligations make sure the business can be successful in a long-term perspective.
The story of one of the Amazon workers presents the company as a firm that does not value ethics in its strategic scheme. Allen used to proceed with an average of 600 items an hour until she injured her back during work. She claims that Amazon tried to minimize the size of harm by not sending their employee to the doctor straight away. The employers made her wait for weeks for the proper treatment (NBC Nightly News, 2018). The company has violated part 1910.151(a) of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) legislation (1998, para. 1), which says, “the employer shall ensure the ready availability of medical personnel for advice and consultation on matters of plant health.” Moreover, Amazon refused to pay for her sickness absence over a worker’s compensation claim. The unlikely chain of events left Allen in the worst-case scenario: now she is homeless and disabled because of her back injury (NBC Nightly News, 2018). The story of one worker illustrates the irresponsible behavior of the firm towards its personnel.
Furthermore, Amazon denies its fault in the incident and claims it offered medical treatment and monetary compensation. Dave Clark, Amazon senior vice president of worldwide operations, admits that the station Allen was working on the day of the incident was missing a component. He claims: “When she found it and reported it, we immediately fixed it” (NBC Nightly News, 2018, 2:11). He insists that employees are safe while at work, considering the number of people working at Amazon. Unfortunately, the company’s explanation of the situation is questionable since it offered Allen 3,500 $ in case of her agreement not to disclose the information on her experience and to free the organization from any responsibility. Amazon had previously received the OSHA warning regarding the providence of untested medical supplies for its employees at the working centers. OSHA’s representative, David Michaels, says, “They made some terrible mistakes, and people were terribly hurt or treated very poorly” (NBC Nightly News, 2018, 2:57). Thus, the company must take care of the worker if harm is caused by the organization and establish adequate compensation for the worker’s disablement.
Allen’s story illustrates the importance of employer responsibility towards his workers’ safety and health. Occupational safety is vital in achieving a company’s goal as it directly affects employees’ behavior and performance at work (Beck-Krala & Klimkiewicz, 2016). That is why companies should make the health of their workers a top priority. Careless treatment of employees may result in severe setbacks for workers and the loss of the image of the reputable organizations such as Amazon. It is a matter of ethics to prioritize the employee’s well-being and consider it in strategic planning. Therefore, an effective plan in Allen’s case would be to ensure authorized medical care on time and the obligation to pay proper compensation in case of injury occurred because of work at the company.
To conclude, an employer must set ethics and social responsibility as a top priority when constructing a strategic plan. The safety at work and the readiness to provide the worker with timely medical treatment are part of the company’s social responsibility. The effective strategy for a secure workplace environment includes immediate reaction to staff’s injuries during work and providing medical care in hospitals. Additionally, it is crucial to carry out periodical check-ups of equipment.
The position is the following on Amazon Job portal. Assessing the job posting, one can say that the description provides specific skills, knowledge, and qualifications for applicants to evaluate their experience and understand whether it will match the job to be a successful candidate. At the same time, the job posting does not include any information they want to know about the organization. Culture, leadership principles, benefits, and blog stories are located on other pages that can be found on the job portal.
It can be noted that Amazon provides a very user-friendly interface for the online application process that generally requires an applicant to have only updated CV to apple for a position. Amazon job search portal also includes an opportunity to look for specific positions, filter results, and remember information that a person has already filled previously. Therefore, the application process is easy and convenient, requiring candidates to spend a short amount of time and see updates in the account.
Employer: Schneider Job portal
Description of the position (Sales Account Rep) includes:
A combination of the position and opportunities’ description;
Overview of tasks and activities (bullet points);
Salary, benefits, opportunities, vacation plans;
Employees’ qualifications and skills;
Company overview, links to videos about office culture;
Core values and vision statement;
Statement on equality and inclusivity of the workplace;
General questions (eligibility criteria, work permits);
Specific questions on education, salary, sales experience;
Attachments (certificates, diploma);
Work experience, education;
eSignature, review & submission of the application.
The position is the following on Schneider Job portal. Evaluation of the position gives an overview of the activities, tasks, and qualifications required from applicants. In comparison to Amazon’s posting, the description of skills and requirements for the job is a bit vague and needs further explanations. Unlike in the Amazon description, this job posting includes clear information about Schneider, its values, work culture, links to external videos, which might be appealing for candidates and helpful in the decision-making process.
Schneider uses the Taleo platform for online applications that has a user-friendly interface. Still, the application process is less appealing and time-consuming because the platform requires to fill forms correctly. If an applicant fills in the wrong type of data, the platform asks to fill the information again. Schneider’s job search portal also includes an opportunity to look for specific positions and filter results. Thus, the application process is less convenient, which might be explained by the fact that it aims to automate the collection of applications.
Quality of the job portal: Indeed
Applicant’s view:
User-friendly platform;
Opportunity to send CV directly to employer;
Broad coverage of job positions;
Different filters to narrow search;
Disclosure of data about salary, specifics of job;
Employer’s view:
Easy to connect to the platform;
Opportunity to collect CV via portal;
Broad coverage of applicants;
Space to present company’s information, manage reviews, etc.
Statistics and dynamics of applications available.
Comparing the quality of the job information for employers mentioned previously and Indeed website from an applicant’s and employer’s point of view, one can say that this job portal might bring a company broader reach among applicants than the comprehensive job portal of the company, which increases the chances to hire a better candidate. At the same time, it gives candidates a broader option to search for specific positions and choose the most appealing ones.
Quality of the job portal: Simplyhired
Applicant’s view:
User-friendly platform;
Opportunity to send CV directly to employer;
Broad coverage of job positions;
Different filters to narrow search;
Disclosure of data about salary, specifics of job;
CV-builder and other related services;
Employer’s view:
Easy to connect to the platform;
Opportunities for free posting;
Opportunity to collect CV via portal;
Broad coverage of applicants;
Statistics and dynamics of applications available.
Comparing the quality of the job information for employers mentioned previously and Simplyhired website, it can be noted that the site acts as Indeed website but has fewer opportunities for companies to manage their reviews, salary estimations, and overview. At the same time, Simplyhired provides better career services for applicants, including tips, CV-builder, etc.
Summary of findings for CapraTek
For using job portals:
User-friendly platforms;
Opportunity to get more applicants;
Management of companies’ brand image as employer;
Easy to collect and manage applications;
Against using job portals:
Greater competition of job positions;
Job posting appearance depends on search algorithms;
High number of unqualified candidates;
Redundancies in applications and spam.
Summarizing all findings, it can be concluded that CapraTek might need to advertise its jobs via job portals, in case the company needs to build the brand image as an employer and reach a broader target audience. Job search portals might be helpful if the company does not have its online application website and resources (LinkedIn) to post job opportunities. However, the number of irrelevant applications might be high and lead to redundancies for HRs. At the same time, the competition among job positions of different companies might also increase indirectly due to job portals.
Necessary qualifications for CapraTek sales representative
Technical experience: knowledge of MS Office, CRM systems (SAP, Salesforce).
Skills: 3-5 yrs of experience in computer or consumer electronics sales; consultative sales approach; track record of achieving revenue KPIs; communication and presentation skills.
Abilities: to travel to clients (50-100% of time); to build relationships with C-level clients; to negotiate and close deals.
CapraTek is looking for a regional sales representative with at least a bachelor’s degree with 3-5 years of experience in sales or other related fields (Robert, 2018). A person should be able to communicate with different clients and convey the value of CapraTek products. It is essential to travel to clients and have a passion for consultative sales methods (Olensky, 2015).
The physical environment and working conditions at CapraTek
Physical environment:
an open workplace, with rooms for calls and meetings;
work at places in client’s company may differ;
dynamic environment with facilities full of light and air;
Working conditions:
full-time work at client’s sites and the office;
an equal opportunity employer;
opportunities forflexible work schedule;
benefits (medical and tuition reimbursement, 401K retirement plan).
It is essential to balance the information about the physical environment at the office of CapraTek and the facilities of clients because they may differ substantially and influence the motivation of the sales representative to work. Nevertheless, the benefits of working at the company should be highlighted as CapraTek is an equal opportunity employer and has excellent benefits for employees that help them develop their skills (McQuerrey, n.d.)
The essential duties of a sales representative
Essential:
Visiting clients to assess needs or give presentations (40% of the time);
Generating leads (20%);
Negotiating contracts with prospective clients (20% of time);
Preparing and closing sales contracts (10% of time);
Helping to create pricing quotes, promotions (5% of time);
Preparing reports (5% of time);
Non-essential:
Support relationships with clients daily;
Maintaining client data;
Answering client questions about promotions, products, credit terms, prices and availability;
Coordinating sales efforts with marketing department.
A regional sales representative should focus mainly on generating leads, visiting clients to estimate their needs, asking questions, giving presentations of products and services, negotiating contracts, and preparing sales deals. Among non-essential but still crucial tasks is a communication of efforts and development of promotions with a marketing department, keeping client’s data and records, updating clients on their questions.
Amazon is a multinational company, the largest trading platform in the world. The organization uses third parties to deliver goods offered on the website. The corporation’s status in the market as one of the Big Five companies in the United States (US) allows it to innovate and take bold actions to increase the quality of its services. It is Amazon’s priority to provide products that are available at a press of a button to satisfy the consumers’ wants and needs. In pursuing that goal, recently, the company has been purchasing planes to reduce the impact of other transportation firms, imposing costs for transfers.
In the article “Amazon Adds 11 More Cargo Jets to its Growing Air Fleet,” the acquisition of eleven Boeing jets by Amazon from two airline companies is discussed. Previously, leasing airplanes directly from owners involved expenses for their exploitation. However, the organization decided to reduce costs of transportation by bypassing them to hold ownership over vehicles. Amid the health crisis, the air travel industry has “frozen,” leaving jets on the ground full of undelivered cargo (“Amazon Adds 11 More Cargo Jets to its Growing Air Fleet” para. 3). Thus, Delta Air Lines and WestJet Airlines chose to sell eleven of their passenger planes to Amazon to maintain their performance. Therefore, the corporation’s tactic to acquire several aircraft for shipping purposes is a well-thought move to eliminate the intermediaries.
The airline industry is highly competitive and full of giants akin to United Parcel Service and FedEx Corporation. Amazon is a new entrant in the market where barriers such as costs of equipment and brand image prevent others from joining in. Nevertheless, the company is growing rapidly and already owns around “80 planes before this latest deal” (“Amazon Adds 11 More Cargo Jets to its Growing Air Fleet” para. 5). It has an advantage of reputation among consumers and their loyalty to the label. What is more, Amazon has already established various air hubs in Germany, Florida, California, and Kentucky (“Amazon Adds 11 More Cargo Jets to its Growing Air Fleet” para. 5). The company attempts to improve customer service quality and fulfill the demand for its products. Indeed, the pandemic movement restrictions force people to order goods online. Thus, Amazon’s response to the growing need for fast delivery is a rational business decision. The company will still utilize other firms to maintain planes. Furthermore, the corporate representative, Sarah Rhoads, asserts that the combination of ownership and leasehold will assist in superior management of existing operations. Thereupon, despite its recent participation in the air market, Amazon promises better client care.
Vertical integration (VI) is when a company controls more than one stage in a supply chain. It is a process, that enterprises use to turn raw materials into products and bring them to consumers. There are four stages in the supply chain: goods, production, distribution, and retail. The company vertically integrates when it supervises two or more of these stages. Thus, Amazon’s purchase of planes is a VI intended to regulate the distribution procedure. It is a forward VI since the company goes further and ships goods without a third party. It can be noted that such integration allows the corporation to gain a cost advantage. Additionally, it is less likely to experience irregularities or delays during the customs inspection. The company can enjoy VI as its suppliers have considerable market power, dictating conditions and cutting profits. There is an opportunity to reduce prices as the absence of the intermediary diminishes shipping costs. Thereby, Amazon’s decision can be deemed as a favorable choice considering cost and price benefits.
Amazon must examine some of the detrimental consequences of owning multiple airplanes. First, the cost of maintaining the equipment and building air hubs is a huge risk to the company. However, Amazon can tackle the business risk by maximizing activities in the most profitable area and investing in the new project. In case of failure of one branch, revenues from the others will help to cover expenses. At the same time, the corporation assumes essential responsibilities for all tasks shipping firms routinely perform. The recruitment process, customs duties, and legal control of the company should be explored and analyzed. The concentration on delivery might affect the quality of other services such as e-commerce and artificial intelligence. Nonetheless, years of experience in adopting new stages of supply chains demonstrate that Amazon will integrate successfully. The company built an exclusive chain, buying most of the competitors and creating a closed ecosystem in its market segment. Thus, the decision to integrate into a forward direction involves costs, which can be reduced by the application of knowledge and skillful strategies.
In a nutshell, Amazon’s recent acquisition of eleven jets is a significant step towards the provision of a better quality customer experience. While the health crisis makes businesses shut down, airline firms manage to survive by trading their passenger planes. Amazon used a possibility and bought them from two companies. Despite some difficulties, I expect Amazon to integrate effectively into the air industry, taking into account its previous productive cases and cost opportunities. A well-developed set of tactics, thorough research, and profound investigation will provide a solid base for future expansion and growth.
For many years, Amazon has been the leading e-commerce giant for the right reasons. In 2020, although there was business uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon’s financial books reveal an increase in the corporation’s revenue, cash flow, net sales, and income (Amazon, 2021). This thriving in the middle of difficult financial times was partly because of Amazon’s experience in the field coupled with its excellent corporate culture. Operating and free cash flows both increased by 72% and 20%, respectively, for the period ending December 31, 2020, and in the fourth quarter of the same year, the corporation witnessed an increase in its net sales, operating income, and net income (Amazon, 2021). The main reason for this increase in revenues is that, during the pandemic, its sales tripled due to movement restrictions; hence, people were forced to order goods online, and Amazon is the industry leader.
Over the next five years, Amazon’s financial health is likely to improve owing to the strategies the company has laid down. One of the critical steps the e-commerce giant has taken is to invest in its employees, which will increase their morale and productivity. Amazon is partnering with global medical experts to ensure vaccines are available for its front-line employees; for example, in 2020, it invested $2.5 billion in additional pay (Amazon, 2021). Additionally, the company’s permanent employees enjoy full health benefits, and its average wage is $15 per hour, which is double the federal minimum, implying that Amazon values its employees. The customers are also catered for since Amazon has increased its ability to deliver orders during the pandemic when movement is restricted, for instance, through Prime’s insanely-fast shipping (Amazon, 2021). Thus, the company’s financial health is expected to improve since motivated and valued employees will be more productive, and its customers are satisfied with the services, thereby propelling the organization to greater heights.
Reference
Amazon. (2021). Amazon.com announces financial results and CEO transition.
Amazon is one of the leading eCommerce companies in the world with large fulfillment centers across the United States and worldwide. The company declares its commitment to maintaining the highest workplace safety measures at its facilities, with a focus on its employees’ wellbeing and progress (Amazon, 2021b). This paper sheds light on the fulfillment center is located in East Dallas with the focus on the occupational setting.
The facility in question is over 400,000 square feet and employs approximately 800 full-time employees. The demographics of the fulfillment center in question are similar to the organization’s average data across the country in terms of gender, which is approximately 50% of female and 50% of male warehouse workers (Amazon, 2020b). The ethnic composition of the workforce at the facility is almost consistent with the national average, with about 30% of LatinX, slightly over 30% of Blacks, and slightly less than 30% of Whites. The representation of other groups, such as Asian, Native American, and multiracial, is approximately 10%. It is necessary to note that Amazon facilities are highly automated, which makes the need for manpower less critical as compared to other warehouses. However, the company tends to hire part-time employees during the high season, which is December (due to Christmas-time present spree). These are low-paid low-skilled workers who, nonetheless, can become full-time workers due to the peculiarities of human resources policies related to staff training and development.
As mentioned above, technological advances have shaped the way the logistics field has evolved. Levy, Wegman, Baron, and Sokas (2011) note that technology is instrumental in making occupational settings safer and more efficient for workers, although injuries are still rather common. Richardson, Gordey, and Hall (2020) provide an example of typical injuries stating that the high demands of the employer result in injuries that are preventable. Technological advances contribute to the decrease of such cases, but they can hardly be eliminated, at least, at this point. Recent data shows that the number of occupational injuries has increased with the most apparent types of accidents related to repetitive motion and lifting (Delp, Cole, Lozano, & Riley, 2021). Although the companies involved in the warehousing industry, including Amazon, comply with high standards provided by the U. S. government, such cases need attention. According to the standards of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2019), employers are responsible for the development of diverse prevention programs aimed at ensuring employees’ safety and wellness. Amazon makes considerable effort to achieve the established objectives and improve working conditions.
As for the major processes taking place at the fulfillment center under discussion, it encompasses several stages, which affect the layout of the facility. The center is divided into zones, and employees work in teams. The first stage of the process is receiving items from producers and partners. Inventory storage is the next step that often requires specific attention to avoid overloads and ineffective use of spaces. Packaging and shipping follow the storage phase. Returns management is another step of the process. All these operations are fulfilled by employees who rely on technology but still have to do a considerable amount of manual work as well. Repetitive motion can be seen as one of the most typical types of activity almost all workers at the center have to complete. This activity often leads to injuries and burnout that are often associated with errors.
As for the health and safety team, Amazon has quite a well-established system aimed at improving employees’ health and wellbeing. It is noteworthy that all workers have health insurance, and the company even launched a project that implies collaboration with a health organization to create a health center near the warehouse (Amazon, 2020a). Amazon tries to make employees’ access to high-quality healthcare services wider. At present, the health and safety team includes a nurse and occupational safety manager.
The nurse assesses employees’ health and provides care or informs them about the steps to be undertaken (such as addressing a particular healthcare professional). The nurse provides care when acute cases take place. At that, the largest amount of the work performed by this professional is associated with health assessment and the provision of educational services. The nurse focuses on health aspects, while the workplace manager pays more attention to workers’ safety. The occupational manager develops and reviews the facility’s guidelines related to employee safety. This professional ensures that these standards are compliant with the principles and regulations introduced by federal and state authorities. The occupational manager also creates initiatives aimed at informing workers and building the necessary skills. This practitioner also discusses employees’ concerns related to workplace safety or any threats they might encounter. Reporting injuries and accidents is also one of the responsibilities of this manager.
The nurse and the occupational manager often collaborate and develop materials aimed at informing workers about injury prevention, healthy habits, and so on. The development of memos and notifications, as well as posters and leaflets or other materials, is included in a range of the team’s responsibilities. The team meets on a regular basis, which helps the team members remain updated on the most recent aspects to be addressed and voice the most urgent issues. The team may also include the representatives of workers, which takes place when the programs aimed at solving specific problems are under discussion.
The facility participates in a project launched by the company to boost employees’ wellness. WorkingWell is the incentive that involves the focus on physical health, mental health, and wellness (Amazon, 2021a). Health and occupational safety team develop and implement training sessions for workers concentrating on injury prevention, safety standards compliance, COVID-related information, healthy lifestyle, healthy diets, mental health strategies, and physical activity. This incentive is associated with various discussions that encompass a large population, including warehouse workers.
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the fulfillment center under discussion can be seen as an illustration of an appropriate working environment that can be improved. The company tries to enhance the level of diversity with a focus on gender and ethnicity. The prevalent workforce at the warehouse under study is non-Whites with minimal payment, which shows the limitations to the diversity policies chosen by Amazon. Safety is still an urgent issue to be addressed, and the organization should develop innovative strategies and tools to ensure people’s safety and wellness. The workplace safety manager and other members of the health and safety team come up with different incentives that are instrumental in improving working conditions at the facility. Clearly, further steps in this direction are necessary to make sure that the fulfillment center will remain operational.
Amazon. (2021b). Safety, health, and well-being. Web.
Delp, L., Cole, B., Lozano, G., & Riley, K. (2021). Worker injuries in Southern California’s warehousing industry: How to better protect workers in this burgeoning industry? New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy, 31(2), 178-192.
Levy, B. S., Wegman, D. H., Baron, S. L., & Sokas, R. K. (Eds.) (2011). Occupational and environmental health: Recognizing and preventing disease and injury (6th ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2019). Occupational safety and health. Healthy People 2020. Web.
Richardson, R. E., Gordey, L., & Hall, R. (2020). Amazon’s fast delivery. Journal of Business Ethics Education, 17, 251-254.
I do not agree that corporate entrepreneurship is an oxymoron. On the contrary, the most successful companies of the present day heavily rely on innovation in all parts of their business to gain necessary competitive advantage and stay on top of the market. Hence, the discussion provides examples of companies such as Amazon and Tesco to prove the point that corporations are able of innovations.
Corporate entrepreneurship relates to the concept of competitive advantage and different ways of accomplishing it. One of the key elements that contribute to the success of the business is the ability to offer a product or a service that is superior to the existing alternatives. Amazon provides a clear example of that principle as it is constantly posed with challenges. Constant innovations provided Amazon with a competitive advantage over competitors in the areas where the company pioneered, hence, did not experience the pressure to react to the trends set by others. A fine example of it is the development of Alexa. Although there were voice-recognition technologies, such as Siri, the idea of a computer that was managed solely by voice was fresh and innovative, hence, it was a market success. The development of such innovative product resembles a bottom-up approach, which is an example of the autonomous strategic behavior.
The example of the induced strategic behavior can be seen in innovative supply-chain of Tesco. Multi-channel retailing has emerged as a new trend in the retail industry bearing a number of great advantages to those who adopt the trend. Tesco has not been left behind and is doing the most to reap the benefits that come with exploiting multichannel retailing. Tesco has adopted multi-channel retailing by exploiting the online stores, physical stores, small supermarkets, and convenience stores; these channels are expected to experience more rapid growth then hypermarkets over the next couple of years (Sparks, 2019). By exploiting these channels, Tesco has been able to meet the industry’s needs, which reflect the ever expanding demand for flexible stores that offer a narrower and constantly updated product portfolio.
References
Sparks, L. (2019). Tesco: How supply chain strategy supports retail success. The Business & Management Collection. Web.
It is considered that, among similar major companies, Amazon’s logistic solutions and innovations are the best and the most effective. For example, what allowed the company to gain a competitive advantage and execute unique value-added workflows was its attitude toward time and customer experiences. As stated by researchers, unlike other shipping companies that only deliver during working hours, “Amazon Logistics fulfills orders during hours that were once considered “off-business” – late at night and even on New Year’s Day” (PowerDigital, 2021, para. 14). What is more, persons who deliver goods are not Amazon’s workers, which enables the company to reduce costs on transportation and avoid paying for benefits or insurance.
Benchmarking and Copying Amazon
While some shipping companies can currently copy Amazon’s logistics decisions, it has been challenging to bring these capabilities to the market earlier. First of all, only today’s technologies allow the company to monitor its third-party delivery drivers’ schedules, locations, and other relevant information. Further, the majority of similar businesses are more concerned with the experiences of every individually taken customer. At the same time, Amazon is concerned with overall satisfaction, meaning that it trusts unemployed people to deliver orders, not worrying about the quality of each delivery. Consequently, not all companies are ready to accept such a risk. Finally, it is also challenging for many businesses to allocate their resources correctly to afford everyday deliveries to satisfy their clients.
Moving Takeaways to Action for Others
Amazon Logistics may teach numerous valuable lessons for other firms to improve their workflow and value-creation capabilities. For example, organizations need to offer their clients exclusive options not provided by other companies. Second, in some cases, individual experiences matter less than the general satisfaction rates, so some decisions that focus on the latter can be made. Finally, it is never too late to enter the market and offer new possibilities and alternatives to become competitive, even when it seems that other businesses are already offering everything valuable.
A work environment is an important consideration in any occupation, regardless of a person’s profession or qualification. Workers of all kinds exist in a collective space, each fulfilling their own tasks and ensuring that a company can continue its operation smoothly. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial to consider occupational safety in the workplace, both in structure and operation. Workers face danger on a daily basis, ranging from possible physical injury to biological and chemical contamination (Montano, 2014). To ensure that every employee can fulfill their job without bodily harm, injury, or lasting side effects, the organization needs to utilize specialists in the field of safety.
This theoretical scenario focuses on assuming and fulfilling the role of such a specialist, namely a safety manager. The workplace under examination for this exercise is an amazon facility with the continued operation of many people. Such facilities exist to transport, organize, sort, and ship goods to clients and fulfill many other important duties. However, the warehouse facilities of Amazon have come under scrutiny in recent years as unsuitable for their workers and lacking in many standards. The purpose of this work lies in examining the potential safety hazards present at such a job and presenting a comprehensive plan of removing them. First, the paper will identify some of the potential safety hazards, and then it will establish a plan to counteract the problems and secure a safer workplace. For the purposes of examination, hazards leading to back injuries and biological hazards, in particular, will be the focus of this paper.
Potential Ergonomic Hazards
Amazon is the largest online marketplace and delivery service in the world, expanding its reach well over the place of its foundation, the United States of America. With the spread and growth of the company, it adjusted and changed the methods of operation, spanning many warehouses and transportation facilities to support its operation. Taking into account the sheer scope of Amazon, it is easier to understand why the company employs so many workers responsible for all kinds of tasks. The present conversation, however, will mostly center on warehouse workers and the occupational safety concerns surrounding them. Starting with a basic work summary, Amazon facility employees are responsible for scanning, arranging, and sorting the products for automatic robots to pick up. This work includes lifting and placing items on special racks for transportation and the following scanning. Due to the nature of this work, as well as the tight surveillance put on all employees, physical strain and overworking have become an inevitable part of the Amazon process.
Anonymous employees noted that their day-to-day work is micro-managed to an obscene degree, requiring them to forego rest or any possible safety considerations in the name of meeting the quotas (Evans, 2020). The need to do many hours of heavy lifting without rest or support is what has lead to many cases of back injuries, including chronic, incurable conditions in many cases (Evans, 2020). Additionally, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the dangers workers experience due to the essential nature of their job. As reported by personal accounts, the worker facilities have a limited number of entrances (Matsakis, 2020). Every employee constantly interacts with turnstiles near the entrance without the corresponding protective measures (Matsakis, 2020). This lack of protective or preventative measures means that contamination from bodily fluids is highly probable. Both the daily working conditions and the lack of safety protections in regards to the recent pandemic put the health, safety, and wellbeing of workers at risk. In order to eliminate the issues, the facility needs comprehensive and organization-wide change.
Plan to Prevent Future Injuries and Limit Exposure
First, employees who have to deal with heavy packages daily need better support and more security. The establishment of frequent rest can be beneficial, as it would reduce the strain on one’s back from continued heavyweight lifting. Additionally, some organizational changes are in order as well, in an effort to reduce the number of products that need to be lifted. The inclusion of specific tech for lifting heavier items and other forms of machine assistance are a viable solution to the problem, one that would reduce the exposure of workers to heavy lifting (Occupational and environmental health 2017). Alternatively, the company could change the ways in which its items are packed onto racks so that they no longer require lifting to place. The use of conveyor belts or other floor-based movements could also prove viable.
In regards to exposure to bodily fluids, better and up to date protection policies need to be established to protect the workplace. The amount of entrance points needs expansion, as not to aggregate all the possible exposure in few locations. Furthermore, the amount of turnstiles has to increase as well, for similar purposes. In regards to prevention, the facility requires regular sterilization and cleaning efforts with a system to monitor the state of entrance points and the time until the next cleaning. Additional measures to prevent the spread of disease are also necessary, such as requiring staff to wear protective equipment and restricting the amount of possible physical contact.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the considerations of safety and occupational health are extremely important in the current day and age. With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it becomes increasingly apparent just how crucial it can be to have protections in place, especially if a large number of people are working together. Many businesses have closed down or had to operate at a limited capacity because the ability to securely manage people in larger numbers while also guaranteeing their wellbeing is nigh impossible. Therefore, it is a moral and legal responsibility of big corporations to do everything in their power to minimize risks and establish all the relevant protections. The state of emergency caused by COVID-19 has practically alerted every person on the planet to the important safety holds and the extent to which one can secure it. The consideration can be extended to every kind of possible harm, physical strain, mental problems, stress, injury, even death. In today’s world, any workplace should have an obligation before itself, its workers, and the government to be held accountable for the treatment of its workers.
