Last day in Firenze

    So today is our last day in Italy. Once we get all of our packing out the way and clean up the apartment we are headed off to a final dinner at Gatto e Volpe, our favorite restaurant down our street. Although I am excited to be so close to American soil I have to say it is a little bittersweet. I am deffinatly going to miss Florence and Italy in general but the thought of having my bed back, AC, and a little peace and quiet at night will ease the pain. 

     My stay in Italy has opened my mind to a whole different world that I had always heard about but never really understood. The business practices in Italy are much more laid back than that of America. Here the shops close whenever they feel the need whereas in America you work 9-5 no questions asked in most cases. The coffee shops and smaller establishments are run by the owner, typically older in age, so you begin to form relationships with your neighborhood shops. Although the service from waitstaff is not always the best when you compare it to the American way of doing things, the Italians for the MOST part are very outgoing and try to understand what it is you would like. 

     This experience has really shown me a difference in how some cultures operate in a business setting. Before coming to Italy I was accustomed to the American way of doing things and trying to maximize profits in business. The Italian way of doing things is much different in that respect. The Italian culture from what I have learned believes that money is not everything you just need enough to get by. They also typically shut down their shops in late July-Early August for a month for vacation and rest. 

     I won't leave Italy sad because I know someday I'll be back. Time to pack and clean the apartment and get ready for dinner then its off to the airport at 4:45AM tomorrow morning. 

Ciao Firenze 

My Expectancy Theory Post

     This week in mgmt we spoke about motivation theories in business. We were asked to incorporate it into our blog post for the week concerning a situation we have had dealing with one of these theories. Expectancy theory summed up in short states that we are motivated by things that are desirable, that we know how to get, and that we believe we are capable of getting.
     I have worked in a couple restaurants over the years doing everything from washing dishes to now managing. One of the restaurants in particular stands out in my mind when I learned about the expectancy theory.
     This particular restaurant had a low-medium turnover rate when it came to employees. This being the restaurant industry was considered on the better side of things. I was working in several different areas of the establishment at the time but the kitchen was where most of this theory was recognized.
     While I was working in the kitchen I was forced to pick up several Executive Chef positions as well as Sous Chef when they decided to leave the restaurant unannounced. While this was a great opportunity for me to step up and shine, it also required approx 70-80hrs a week in some cases. This being said the money was great in theory but after working this much in one week all I wanted was a bed and a day off not more money.
     After the third instance of this similar nature I was noticing a trend that I was being compensated nicely when it was absolutely necessary because I was the go-to guy but after the position was filled I was "demoted" back to my normal wage. A person would think that if they came to the rescue several times for an organization that this would be noted and the normal wage might benefit a small bit for being a team player, this was not the case.
     Once I sat back and noticed that my skills were being abused and that I was not appreciated like I thought I should have been. the work I was willing to put out was not my best. I felt like the organization was not taking into consideration the individuals that came to the rescue when it really mattered.

Wine tour and Vineyards

     Wednesday our mgmt classes all packed up and headed out for the wine tour. We ended up touring 2 different vineyards. The first vineyard was at the Machiavelli estate. The Machiavelli vineyard was where this famous man was exiled to when he was banished from Florence. While we were there we also got a chance to tour his home, which included the desk where it is thought that his famous work The Prince was written. The Machiavelli estate was more of a commercial large production vineyard that pumped out several million bottles a year. While on the property we had the opportunity to eat a 3-course lunch paired with their wines. The food was amazing. We were served antipasti, risotto, wild boar ragyu, and a bowl of gelato for dessert each of these courses being pared with a red or white wine.

     

     The second vineyard we got a chance to tour was much smaller. This particular vineyard was organic and prided themselves on being sustainable and thought towards the future. The vineyard told us that while still holding true to the organic nature and sustainability they were still able to bottle roughly 250,000 bottles a year which is nothing to laugh at. While on the tour we were shown their high tech factory and processes as well as the construction they were taking part in to expand their facility.

     

     Wednesday was my first ever trip to a vineyard. I was at a loss for words when I heard that some of these fields could produce over 2 million bottles and still hold true to a family business, not a corporation.