Office Depot is a retailer of office supplies, operating in 53 countries around the world, but with a primary focus on the American market. The company is relatively young, having been founded in 1986 in Fort Lauderdale (OfficeDepot.com, 2011). The company competes as a "category killer" in office supplies, with a focus on a cost leadership business model (QuickMBA, 2010) that relies on high volumes and low margins for success. The company's success in general relates to its ability to execute this business model and to the broader macroeconomic conditions. It has approximately 40,000 worldwide employees. Most of these are low-level retail workers. At the managerial level, it is critical for Office Depot to have a high level of competency, because the managers are responsible for the effective implementation of the company's broad strategy.

This paper will focus on the role that human resources plays in the success (or lack...
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