Autonomy is the ability to make decisions on your own with­out having to go through endless red tape. Remember Chris at Best Buy? One of the reasons she loves working at Best Buy is her freedom to make appropriate decisions in her job. Research by Hackman and Oldham (1976) shows that when people have autonomy in their work, the job's motivating potential improves, which in turn impacts productivity and customer service. One of the great benefits of self-directed work teams is that individ­uals and teams take on decisions that supervisors would have made. This in turn frees up supervisors to actually lead.

Read More At The Souce:1to1 Media

GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan undefined A plan to sell off Flint's Michigan School for the Deaf campus from the state to a private developer includes axing 13 unionized maintenance and janitorial workers, a state employees union said.

The Michigan State Employees Association is calling legislation that would approve the sale a "murky deal," comparing it to the arrangement for a new State Police headquarters that was dogged by controversy.

The state House is expected to vote on the bill tonight. A spokeswoman for Gov. Jennifer Granholm's said the administration supports the legislation.

MSEA president Ken Moore said his members working at the Miller Road campus were told this fall of the sale and that, along with that arrangement, the maintenance union at the campus would no longer exist.

Source: Michigan Live

A motion to dismiss a suit brought by a Belleville West High School janitor seeking $800,000 for injuries he claimed to have suffered due to student horseplay will be heard Dec. 20 before St. Clair County Circuit Judge Lloyd Cueto.

Plaintiffs Keith Muskopf and his wife Paula Muskopf originally filed suit on 24 counts of personal injury and loss of society claims.

Muskopf claims that his right shoulder was injured on May 7, 2008 when a door was slammed on it by defendants Ehhsan Hamden and Philsamrae Escaesenas. He also claims neck injuries, mental anguish and the loss of a normal life.

Paula Muskopf claims to have lost her husband's consortium and affection.

The suit also names Rodolpho and Marites Escaesenas, the parents of Philsamrae Escaesenas as defendants.

The Muskopfs are seeking damages in excess of $800,000 and other relief.

Defendants are moving to dismiss the suit.

The motion to dismiss filed by the Hamdens contends that Ehhsan Hamden was improperly sued because as a minor, he could not act as an adult in the 2008 incident.

The parties agreed earlier this year that the parents of the two boys would be sued as their guardians.

All of the defendants deny the claims and argue that Keith Muskopf was responsible for his own injuries.

Read more at the source: Madison Record

Prison-issue toilet paper may not be Charmin-soft, but Iowa corrections officials believe that processing it behind bars can provide jobs for convicts and save taxpayers money.

Inmates at state prisons in Anamosa and Mitchellville are testing tissue processed at the Cross Roads Correctional Center at Cameron, Mo., part of Missouri's prison system.

Iowa's wardens haven't conducted any squeeze tests, but so far there have been no complaints about the single-ply Missouri product, said Iowa Prison Industries Director Roger Baysden.

He said Iowa inmates could begin processing their own toilet paper next year at the Fort Dodge prison, assuming the Legislature supports the idea when it is presented in January

Read more at the source Desmoines Register

NEW YORK, Dec 01, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- ABM Industries Incorporated /quotes/comstock/13*!abm/quotes/nls/abm (ABM 23.32, +0.29, +1.26%) announced today that it has acquired The Linc Group, LLC ("TLG") for $300 million in cash. The transaction closed earlier today.

ABM, which operates through its subsidiaries, is a leading United States provider of facility services. Irvine, California-based TLG is a premier provider of end-to-end integrated facilities services that improve operating efficiencies, reduce energy consumption and lower overall operational costs of critical facilities, installations and buildings in the government, commercial and residential markets. TLG's 2009 revenues totaled $579.2 million.

"This is a game changer for ABM's business," said Henrik Slipsager, president and chief executive officer, ABM Industries Incorporated. "Acquiring a firm of TLG's quality transforms our engineering and energy business overnight and completely differentiates us from our competitors. This strengthens ABM's position in a higher growth segment and cements our leadership role in the facilities services industry. By combining ABM's existing Engineering Division with TLG, we are bringing two entities together with proven track records of double-digit growth both in sales and earnings. The combined engineering operations will be close to $1 billion in revenues."

Source and Read More At Market Watch

Dyson is a relatively new brand in the U.S. market. With a very effective advertising campaign featuring its namesake owner and designer, Dyson entered the U.S. with a bang, quickly garnering a competitive share of sales. Ranging in price from $300 to $600, Dyson vacuums single-handedly increased the average price paid for uprights and created a new top-pricing tier in the mass market. Dyson focuses on innovation, technology, and design, and has connected with status-seeking consumers, making it the “It” brand of vacuums. Originally producing only uprights, Dyson has recently introduced a canister and a hand vacuum. The brand is available nationwide through major mass merchants such as Target, Best Buy, and Sears.

See Reviews At Consumer Reports

A hotel’s image goes a long way with guests. In fact, in today’s age of user-generated reviews and pictures, image can mean the difference between a placed and lost reservation. For example, TripAdvisor, one of the largest travel websites with user-generated content, attracts nearly 30 million monthly visitors. It is estimated that as many as 88 percent of these visitors are influenced by content they read. Oftentimes, these reviews will include pictures guests have taken of rooms, common areas and the surrounding grounds. And according to the latest Market Metrix Hospitality Index results, one in five hotel customers read a review about a property before booking that hotel.

Source Hotelinteractive.com

Maintenance and cleaning services firm Spotless Group Ltd has bought a United Kingdom based catering company.

Spotless said it had acquired privately-owed Event Management Catering Ltd (EMC) as part of its international services strategy.

The total price of EMC is expected to not exceed STG3.0 million ($A4.85 million).

"With the addition of EMC, Spotless is now well positioned to provide a unique integrated facility services offering to UK clients," Spotless said.

EMC's revenues in fiscal 2010 were about $15 million

Source Tradingroom.com

Hangover Helpers to the rescue!

Newsfeed remembers those days when we peeled our eyes open the morning after a raucous party and grimaced at the sheer disorder and calamity that remained. Half drunk beer bottles and red plastic cups cover every available surface. The make-shift iPod deejay still spinning some Britney. Several of our closest friends undefined and strangers undefined passed out in various corners and hallways.

In other words: Everything you don't want to deal with while nursing the hangover from hell.

Luckily, for residents of Boulder, Colorado, they no longer have to. They can pay the Hangover Helpers, a pair of entrepreneurial University of Colorado graduates who really know their audience