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Conference proceeding
The Growth and Development of Logistics Personnel: Retail Warehousing
Council of Logistics Management Annual Conference Proceedings 1999, pp.189-202
Council of Logistics Management Annual Conference (Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1999)
1999
Abstract
This project explored the organizational and individual growth and development needs in 43 logistics organizations. These organizations included manufacturers, asset-based third parties, non-asset-based third parties, retailers, and financial institutions. Results are based on the analysis of data from 632 responses to The Common Metric Questionnaire, a 413-item job-classification survey, and 354 responses to scales that measure personality, customer orientation, market orientation, and need for cognition. Formal, phenomenological interviews were conducted with 35 top logistics managers, and dozens of unstructured interviews were completed with logisticians at all levels of the organization. The research indicates that there are six job families in the warehouse: operating employees, lead operators, supervisors, administrative support, planning support, and managers. The three key needs of employees are competence, employability, and betterment of self. While the investment in the necessary training programs to meet these needs may at first seem prohibitive, it is a key source of competitive advantage in the future. In light of these findings, a two-pronged approach to training should be considered. First, training should develop a common view of the logistics system and its role in the firm, share or expand job knowledge, and refresh or enhance job skills. Second, training for logistics jobs usually takes the form of informal on-the-job experience--another way of saying trial and error. Logistics organizations cannot afford to wait for their employees to become competent and should commit to formal training systems and programs as key elements in creating organizational advantages. A list of the training needs for each of the six job groups is provided.
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Details
- Title
- The Growth and Development of Logistics Personnel
- Publication Details
- Council of Logistics Management Annual Conference Proceedings 1999, pp.189-202
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding
- Conference
- Council of Logistics Management Annual Conference (Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 1999)
- Publisher
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- Identifiers
- 99380602817006600
- Academic Unit
- Commerce; Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business
- Language
- English