Page 140 - DMGT553_RETAIL_STORE_MANAGEMENT

Unit 8: HR in Operations

Notes
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Caution Retailers must also be careful not to violate employees’ privacy rights. Only
necessary data about workers should be gathered and stored, and such information should
not be freely disseminated.

Self Assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:
4. Retailers face a human resource environment characterized by a large number of
inexperienced workers, long hours, highly visible employees, a diverse workforce, many
part-time workers, and variable customer demand.

5. The need for a large retail labour force often means hiring persons with little or no prior
experience.
6. Retailers must also be careful to violate employees’ privacy rights.

Caselet Training and Development for Cultural Diversity:
A Marks and Spencer

rganisations that wish to be successful in the increasingly competitive markets of
the 90s must consider how to provide rewarding roles which allow their
Oemployees to develop. In the UK, a career with Marks & Spencer is widely regarded
as one of the most interesting opportunities for newly qualified university graduates.
There are always two sides to an employment relationship. Marks & Spencer wants the
training and development of knowledge, skills and attitudes of its employees to fit
corporate goals, while individuals will want their career to develop to meet their own
personal expectations and aspirations. Throughout their working lives, an evaluation
process takes place in which individuals constantly ask themselves:
Where am I now?

Where do I want to be?
How will I get there?
The Marks & Spencer brand name evokes a strong, positive public image. Image is a
combination of an individual’s personal experience of a company or product, plus what
they have read or heard from other sources such as family or friends. Many applications
for graduate positions at Marks & Spencer are based upon what the applicants have heard
from other people as well as their own experiences.
Image has helped Marks & Spencer attract high calibre people who reflect the organisation’s
core values of quality products and service. This is particularly important as creating the
right opportunity for employees is about empowerment and trust.
The situation is quite different as Marks & Spencer expands into other countries. Many
individuals have not heard of ‘Marks & Spencer’ and do not associate it with the positive
image which has been consolidated by over 100 years of trading in the UK. This case study
Contd....

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