In 1920, Arthur W. Perdue founded the Perdue Farms organization in Salisbury, Maryland. The company was established on the simple principles of honesty, integrity, trust, and hard work. Perdue has maintained a reputation that was built on quality and has continued to grow in the industry through its innovative products. Today, Perdue Farms is a leading quality food and agricultural products company with annual sales exceeding $2.7 billion. The organization is privately held and is one of the 100 largest family-owned businesses in operation.

The Perdue organization claims the most important ingredient to its success is the "associate" of the business. With almost 20,000 employees at operations located in several states, Perdue maintains that while its annual goals do center on people, products, and profitability, the people involved are always the most vital aspect.

Examine the information available on this Website. Prepare a short paper (for full credit, two pages in Times New Roman 12 font, double-spaced, one inch margins all around) indicating your responses to the following questions.

1. How does Perdue facilitate its relationship with its employees?

2. Identify three ways this organization empowers its associates.

3. Identify how this company utilizes human resource management as a key strategic partner within the organization.

4. How do competitive challenges influence this organization's human resource management practices?

5. How has Perdue's human resource practices contributed to its global success?