I have observed competency & morale of associates are tightly correlated w/ the individual store's management. Some stores' associates avoid eye contact, shy away from customers & do not interact well w/ other associates. While at other locations associates actively engage customers & co-workers, and even have fun doing their jobs. The early signs of management competency is if cart corrals are full/empty, how/if you are received on entering building and if inventory is littered in aisles on pallets/carts or if it is properly shelved. The bummer for management is, if they put together a working team & environment their reward often is to be transferred to a miserable store to "turn it around". Having worked on 500+/stores over the last decade, the stark differences are apparent as soon as I pull into the parking lot before they open for business.