Base on the case study of L.L.Bean, answer the following question. What is L.L.Bean’s strategic aims?

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Base on the case study of L.L.Bean, answer the following question.

What is L.L.Bean’s strategic aims?

Building L.L.Bean
Strategic human resource management means formulating and executing human resource policies
and practices that produce the employee competencies and behaviors the company needs to achieve
its strategic aims.
L.L.Bean illustrates how companies do this. The heart of L.L.Bean's strategy has always been offer-
ing great outdoor equipment with outstanding service and expert advice. As its company history said,
"L.L.Bean, Inc., quickly established itself as a trusted source for reliable outdoor equipment and expert
advice. The small company grew. Customers spread the word of L.L.Bean's quality and service."81
To provide such service, L.L.Bean needs special people as employees, ones whose love of the out-
doors helps them deal knowledgably and supportively with the company's customers. To paraphrase
its Web site, L.L.Bean is looking for special employees, "innovative professionals with a love for the
outdoors, a commitment to service and a shared excitement for the future."82
L.L.Bean's HR policies and practices attract and develop just such employees. For one thing, the
company knows just who to recruit. It wants passionate, sociable, friendly, outdoors-oriented applicants
and employees.83 To attract and cultivate these sorts of employee competencies and behaviors, the
company uses multiple interviews to screen out applicants who might not fit in.84 And L.L.Bean offers
an outdoors-oriented work environment and competitive pay, and benefits that include outdoor clubs,
sporting equipment to borrow, and outdoor courses and tours.85
To help encourage great employee service, L.L.Bean also provides a supportive environment. For
example, when its Web sales for the first time exceeded phone sales several years ago, L.L.Bean closed
four local call centers, but arranged for the 220 employees to work from their homes. And instead
of sending jobs abroad, the company keeps its jobs close to the town where Leon Leonwood Bean
started his company almost 100 years ago.6 L.L.Bean's managers built the firm's strategy and success
around courteous, expert service. They know that having the right employees is the key to its success,
and that it takes the right blend of human resource practices to attract and support such employees.
Transcribed Image Text:Building L.L.Bean Strategic human resource management means formulating and executing human resource policies and practices that produce the employee competencies and behaviors the company needs to achieve its strategic aims. L.L.Bean illustrates how companies do this. The heart of L.L.Bean's strategy has always been offer- ing great outdoor equipment with outstanding service and expert advice. As its company history said, "L.L.Bean, Inc., quickly established itself as a trusted source for reliable outdoor equipment and expert advice. The small company grew. Customers spread the word of L.L.Bean's quality and service."81 To provide such service, L.L.Bean needs special people as employees, ones whose love of the out- doors helps them deal knowledgably and supportively with the company's customers. To paraphrase its Web site, L.L.Bean is looking for special employees, "innovative professionals with a love for the outdoors, a commitment to service and a shared excitement for the future."82 L.L.Bean's HR policies and practices attract and develop just such employees. For one thing, the company knows just who to recruit. It wants passionate, sociable, friendly, outdoors-oriented applicants and employees.83 To attract and cultivate these sorts of employee competencies and behaviors, the company uses multiple interviews to screen out applicants who might not fit in.84 And L.L.Bean offers an outdoors-oriented work environment and competitive pay, and benefits that include outdoor clubs, sporting equipment to borrow, and outdoor courses and tours.85 To help encourage great employee service, L.L.Bean also provides a supportive environment. For example, when its Web sales for the first time exceeded phone sales several years ago, L.L.Bean closed four local call centers, but arranged for the 220 employees to work from their homes. And instead of sending jobs abroad, the company keeps its jobs close to the town where Leon Leonwood Bean started his company almost 100 years ago.6 L.L.Bean's managers built the firm's strategy and success around courteous, expert service. They know that having the right employees is the key to its success, and that it takes the right blend of human resource practices to attract and support such employees.
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