Outdoor Co-op REI Is Thriving, but Does It Have Members, or Shoppers?
Seattle — REI’s business acumen has taken it to lofty heights rarely seen by a retail cooperative. But as a record-low turnout in the latest annual election shows, REI’s original democratic fervor seems to have stayed at base camp. Members these days engage more via Twitter, Facebook or email. They behave more like customers than co-owners, underscoring how rapid growth has radically altered the relationship between members and a...
Hartford, Woodstock Chambers Issue Awards
The chambers of commerce in Hartford and Woodstock last week issued their annual awards to recognize the individuals and businesses that work to support their towns. At its annual meeting on Wednesday, held at the Tip Top Cafe in White River Junction, the Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce named Northern Stage the Community Business of the Year. With the construction of its new theater, “Northern Stage has played a leading role in the...
Wikipedia Has Lots of Money
If you’ve been on Wikipedia at any point in the past week, you probably noticed a dramatic, black-and-yellow banner plastered atop your screen: “DEAR WIKIPEDIA READERS,” it begins in all caps — before launching into a desperate, paragraph-long pitch for money. The banner heralds the start of the Wikimedia Foundation’s December fundraising drive, an annual Internet tradition as reliable as year-end lists and April Fool’s fakes. This...
Social Security Benefits Won’t Be Increased
Washington — Older Americans got a double dose of bad news Thursday: There will be no cost-of-living increase in Social Security benefits next year, and Medicare bills are set to soar for many. It’s just the third time in 40 years that Social Security payments will remain flat. All three times have come since 2010. The annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, by law is based on a government measure of inflation that was released...
The HR Pro: It’s Performance Development, Not Management
Ah, the dreaded annual performance appraisal. Employees cringe at just the mention of this yearly exercise in management prowess, and managers are equally weary of having to go through the task of “evaluating” their employees’ performance. There are many reasons why the performance review is so poorly regarded, but there are just as many positive reasons for continuing the practice. The biggest issue with performance evaluations— and...
