QUESTIONS Read and analyze the above case study and then answer the questions that follow. 1. The second paragraph states that Timoci disagrees with Peter Drucker's, a respected management scholar's view that work in HRM is nothing more than the work of a file clerk. Discuss a few changing trends in human resource management and in the world of work that make Peter Drucker's assertion incorrect. Furthermore, explain why it is necessary even for smaller firms to be concerned with HRM. Provide examples to illustrate your discussions. 2. Despite suggestions of downsizing, both Timoci and Kamala wish to retain the majority of its senior and experienced employees who otherwise may prefer to retire during the restructuring process. Discuss a few incentives and other retention techniques that management at Your Choice Stores Ltd. could implement to retrain these valued employees. Explain your answer with relevant examples. 3. Timoci, in his new business organization, is seriously contemplating adopting Your Choice Stores Ltd.'s strategy of outsourcing its essential HR function (including payroll) to a few renowned external vendors. However, Timoci is also well aware of the many challenges outsourcing poses to his organization. Describe the pros and cons of outsourcing the majority of Your Choice Stores Ltd.'s HR functions to some independent vendor for 10 years. 4. Your Choice Stores Ltd. anticipates creating numerous in-house vacancies after the restructuring process. Timoci has decided to adopt an online recruitment and selection strategy to fill all future positions at the organization. Discuss why companies such as Your Choice Stores Ltd would prefer to adopt online recruitment and selection process at its premises. Furthermore, from the company's perspective, discuss disadvantages associated with the use of online recruitment/ selection processes. 5. Being a first-year university HRM student, Timoci invites you to help him draft an ideal occupational health and safety management program at Your Choice Stores Ltd. Write a short management training program outlining the contents of a good health safety management program for institutions like the Your Choice Stores Ltd.

1 HRs ROLE IN SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS STRATEGY Timoci is the human resource (HR) manager at The Cheapest Supermarket (TCS), with 20 supermarkets operating in Fiji's urban, rural, and island zones. The company has recently acquired Your Choice Stores (YCS) Ltd, with ten stores nationwide. Your Choice Stores struggled in its operations and had been trading at a loss for three years. The Cheapest Supermarket acquired the TCS at a competitive price. Strategically, the acquisition by TCS was seen as an opportunity to enhance its market and industry presence at the local and international level. During his university days, Timoci read Peter Druckers book which stated that the job of human resource personnel was partly a social workers job, and partly firefighting and heading off unions. Ten years down the line, Timoci disagrees with Druckers assertions because these days HR departments are playing a more significant role in strategic planning processes than it did two decades ago. Today he realizes that he and his small team of 10 HR personnel are often inundated with daily HR issues of payroll administration, recruitment plans, recording and tracking of employee entitlements. Despite being overworked, Timoci sees the acquisition of Your Choice Stores Ltd as an opportunity to demonstrate HR's capacity to contribute to its commitments at a strategic level. Today is an important day of his meeting with the company's chief executive officer (CEO). His phone rings, and Timoci jumps from his seat, a bit nervously, though. It's Kamala, the CEO. 'Ready when you are, Timoci!' she chirps. 'On my way!' Replies Timoci in his most enthusiastic voice. He gets his papers together, takes a deep breath gathers his thoughts and marches purposefully towards Kamala's office. For the past few weeks, Timoci has been familiarizing himself with the company's focus and strategies and more recently on its three-year plan details. The Cheapest Supermarket's business plan includes rebranding of all Your Choice stores as The Cheapest stores, establishing an online purchase store and website based at the Headquarters in Suva. These change strategies are envisaged to strengthen its services toward its current customers and potential consumer base at large. Currently, The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd has a workforce of more than 300 people in its supermarkets, of which 200 are full-time, and remaining employees work on a part-time and casual basis. Your Choice stores currently have 80 full time employees. Recent HR audit of Your Choice Ltd.'s operations and costs has revealed that most of the stores are overstaffed, and full-time, and contingent workers' balance is incorrect. Furthermore, financial audits reveal the companys poor financial performance over the last three years 2 Your Choice Ltd does not have a separate HR function. Instead, in-house store managers handle day- to-day employment matters while the payroll function has been outsourced. This got Timoci thinking about the way his HR department operates. Taking on board Your Choice Stores Ltd.'s payroll and recruitment functions would add to its already heavy workload. Maybe it would be better to adopt Your Choice Store's model of the devolving day-to-day operations like recruiting to store managers and outsourcing payroll so that he could focus on HR's efforts more strategically. Your Choice Ltd also has no human resource information management (HRIS) system. There is almost no workforce data available on the movement of employees in the organization. Fortunately, The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd has an excellent HRIS system capable of generating a wide range of reports about workforce characteristics and trends. Incorporating data from the Your Choice Ltd workforce should be possible into this new HRIS system. It is clear to Timoci that a certain amount of downsizing in the Your Choice Stores will be necessary. It will also be necessary to reduce the dependency on full-time employees. Staffing levels in The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd are based on revenue and input from store managers about local conditions and seasonal fluctuations. Based on the revenue figures, Timoci has calculated that 20 full-time positions at Your Choice Stores Ltd will either need to be abolished or converted to be part- time or casual mode. Timoci also thought about the company's planned new venture like the online supermarket. However, this will have staffing implications such as new roles to define, new people to recruit and so on. Kamala is expected to appoint someone from abroad to oversee this new business operation soon. Despite hes efforts to raise the profile of the HR functions in the past years, Timoci also suspected that, unless he took the initiative, HR probably would never be part of the decision-making processes, especially issues related to the acquisition and the development of the new venture. So, he writes a discussion paper for Kamala, outlining the various HR issues he envisages, and highlighting the decisions that needed to be made. He submitted the paper to Kamala a week ago, and their meeting today is to discuss it. The discussion paper included the following issues: The downsizing strategies for the Your Choice Stores Ltd The need to incorporate the Your Choice Stores Ltd workforce into the existing HRIMS The need to plan staffing needs of the new entity as well as for the enlarged network of stores 3 Addressing the differences in the way that The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd and Your Stores Ltd manage their HR issues and processes. As Timoci enters Kamala's office, she rises from behind her desk and ushers him to the upholstered chairs and coffee table that lie to the left of the office. She is smiling. 'Well Timoci', she begins, Youve certainly given me a lot to think about! Must admit Ive been focused more on the financial side of the acquisition and the new venture and hadn't even thought about the workforce issues, Thanks for reminding me! She goes on to say that she agrees that the issues Timoci has raised are important and integral to the business plan; She then assigns him some tasks. About the downsizing of the Your Choice stores, she asks Timoci to determine exactly how many full-time positions should be abolished or converted into part-time or casual positions and to recommend a process for identifying which employees would be made redundant. Both agree on targeting employees who are closer to retirement age for various economic and social reasons. She also instructs Timoci to ensure that employee and workforce data for the existing Your Choice employees are uploaded to the existing HRIMS as soon as possible and to configure the system to provide data that will help the company to develop a staffing plan, something which has never been done before. Kamala also wants to internally track workforce trends and identify potential problems well before they become too large. She charges Timoci with responsibility for coordinating the HR planning process and promotion of occupational safety and health requirements at the workplace. Finally, Timoci expresses interest in the possibility of restructuring HR, though he isn't entirely sure which model would be better. Kamala concedes, however, that given the company's acquisition and growth plans, it seems somewhat wasteful to have HR focused on administration aspects when there were higher level roles to be performed. She asks Timoci to explore the options in more detail and to provide her with a further paper outlining the implications of devolving day- to-day HR functions such as recruiting to store managers and outsourcing the payroll function entirely. At the end of their conversation, Kamala shakes Timocis hand and thanks him for his foresight and initiative. Timoci can barely keep the smile from his face as he leaves Kamala's office and

Your Choice Ltd also has no human resource information management (HRIS) system. There is almost no workforce data available on the movement of employees in the organization. Fortunately, The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd has an excellent HRIS system capable of generating a wide range of reports about workforce characteristics and trends. Incorporating data from the Your Choice Ltd workforce should be possible into this new HRIS system. It is clear to Timoci that a certain amount of downsizing in the Your Choice Stores will be necessary. It will also be necessary to reduce the dependency on full-time employees. Staffing levels in The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd are based on revenue and input from store managers about local conditions and seasonal fluctuations. Based on the revenue figures, Timoci has calculated that 20 full-time positions at Your Choice Stores Ltd will either need to be abolished or converted to be part-time or casual mode. Timoci also thought about the company's planned new venture like the online supermarket. However, this will have staffing implications such as new roles to define, new people to recruit and so on. Kamala is expected to appoint someone from abroad to oversee this new business operation soon. Despite he's efforts to raise the profile of the HR functions in the past years, Timoci also suspected that, unless he took the initiative, HR probably would never be part of the decision-making processes, especially issues related to the acquisition and the development of the new venture. So, he writes a discussion paper for Kamala, outlining the various HR issues he envisages, and highlighting the decisions that needed to be made. He submitted the paper to Kamala a week ago, and their meeting today is to discuss it. The discussion paper included the following issues: The downsizing strategies for the Your Choice Stores Ltd The need to incorporate the Your Choice Stores Ltd workforce into the existing HRIMS The need to plan staffing needs of the new entity as well as for the enlarged network of stores. 2 Addressing the differences in the way that The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd and Your Stores Ltd manage their HR issues and processes. As Timoci enters Kamala's office, she rises from behind her desk and ushers him to the upholstered chairs and coffee table that lie to the left of the office. She is smiling. 'Well Timoci', she begins, 'You've certainly given me a lot to think about! Must admit I've been focused more on the financial side of the acquisition and the new venture and hadn't even thought about the workforce issues. Thanks for reminding me! She goes on to say that she agrees that the issues Timoci has raised are important and integral to the business plan; She then assigns him some tasks. About the downsizing of the Your Choice stores, she asks Timoci to determine exactly how many full-time positions should be abolished or converted into part-time or casual positions and to recommend a process for identifying which employees would be made redundant. Both agree on targeting employees who are closer to retirement age for various economic and social reasons. 3/4 She also instructs Timoci to ensure that employee and workforce data for the existing Your employees are uploaded to the existing HRIMS as soon as possible and to configure the sy. provide data that will help the company to develop a staffing plan, something which has never been done before. Kamala also wants to internally track workforce trends and identify potential problems well before they become too large. She charges Timoci with responsibility for coordinating the HR planning process and promotion of occupational safety and health requirements at the workplace. Finally, Timoci expresses interest in the possibility of restructuring HR, though he isn't entirely sure which model would be better. Kamala concedes, however, that given the company's acquisition and growth plans, it seems somewhat wasteful to have HR focused on administration aspects when there were higher level roles to be performed. She asks Timoci to explore the options in more detail and to provide her with a further paper outlining the implications of devolving day- to-day HR functions such as recruiting to store managers and outsourcing the payroll function entirely. At the end of their conversation, Kamala shakes Timoci's hand and thanks him for his foresight and initiative. Timoci can barely keep the smile from his face as he leaves Kamala's office and 3 returns to his desk. Surely, this is what being a 'strategic partner' is all about, he thinks. Now the work starts! QUESTIONS Your Choice Ltd also has no human resource information management (HRIS) system. There is almost no workforce data available on the movement of employees in the organization. Fortunately, The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd has an excellent HRIS system capable of generating a wide range of reports about workforce characteristics and trends. Incorporating data from the Your Choice Ltd workforce should be possible into this new HRIS system. It is clear to Timoci that a certain amount of downsizing in the Your Choice Stores will be necessary. It will also be necessary to reduce the dependency on full-time employees. Staffing levels in The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd are based on revenue and input from store managers about local conditions and seasonal fluctuations. Based on the revenue figures, Timoci has calculated that 20 full-time positions at Your Choice Stores Ltd will either need to be abolished or converted to be part-time or casual mode. Timoci also thought about the company's planned new venture like the online supermarket. However, this will have staffing implications such as new roles to define, new people to recruit and so on. Kamala is expected to appoint someone from abroad to oversee this new business operation soon. Despite he's efforts to raise the profile of the HR functions in the past years, Timoci also suspected that, unless he took the initiative, HR probably would never be part of the decision-making processes, especially issues related to the acquisition and the development of the new venture. So, he writes a discussion paper for Kamala, outlining the various HR issues he envisages, and highlighting the decisions that needed to be made. He submitted the paper to Kamala a week ago, and their meeting today is to discuss it. The discussion paper included the following issues: The downsizing strategies for the Your Choice Stores Ltd The need to incorporate the Your Choice Stores Ltd workforce into the existing HRIMS The need to plan staffing needs of the new entity as well as for the enlarged network of stores. 2 Addressing the differences in the way that The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd and Your Stores Ltd manage their HR issues and processes. As Timoci enters Kamala's office, she rises from behind her desk and ushers him to the upholstered chairs and coffee table that lie to the left of the office. She is smiling. 'Well Timoci', she begins, 'You've certainly given me a lot to think about! Must admit I've been focused more on the financial side of the acquisition and the new venture and hadn't even thought about the workforce issues. Thanks for reminding me! She goes on to say that she agrees that the issues Timoci has raised are important and integral to the business plan; She then assigns him some tasks. About the downsizing of the Your Choice stores, she asks Timoci to determine exactly how many full-time positions should be abolished or converted into part-time or casual positions and to recommend a process for identifying which employees would be made redundant. Both agree on targeting employees who are closer to retirement age for various economic and social reasons. 3/4 She also instructs Timoci to ensure that employee and workforce data for the existing Your employees are uploaded to the existing HRIMS as soon as possible and to configure the sy. provide data that will help the company to develop a staffing plan, something which has never been done before. Kamala also wants to internally track workforce trends and identify potential problems well before they become too large. She charges Timoci with responsibility for coordinating the HR planning process and promotion of occupational safety and health requirements at the workplace. Finally, Timoci expresses interest in the possibility of restructuring HR, though he isn't entirely sure which model would be better. Kamala concedes, however, that given the company's acquisition and growth plans, it seems somewhat wasteful to have HR focused on administration aspects when there were higher level roles to be performed. She asks Timoci to explore the options in more detail and to provide her with a further paper outlining the implications of devolving day- to-day HR functions such as recruiting to store managers and outsourcing the payroll function entirely. At the end of their conversation, Kamala shakes Timoci's hand and thanks him for his foresight and initiative. Timoci can barely keep the smile from his face as he leaves Kamala's office and 3 returns to his desk. Surely, this is what being a 'strategic partner' is all about, he thinks. Now the work starts! QUESTIONS Your Choice Ltd also has no human resource information management (HRIS) system. There is almost no workforce data available on the movement of employees in the organization. Fortunately, The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd has an excellent HRIS system capable of generating a wide range of reports about workforce characteristics and trends. Incorporating data from the Your Choice Ltd workforce should be possible into this new HRIS system. It is clear to Timoci that a certain amount of downsizing in the Your Choice Stores will be necessary. It will also be necessary to reduce the dependency on full-time employees. Staffing levels in The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd are based on revenue and input from store managers about local conditions and seasonal fluctuations. Based on the revenue figures, Timoci has calculated that 20 full-time positions at Your Choice Stores Ltd will either need to be abolished or converted to be part-time or casual mode. Timoci also thought about the company's planned new venture like the online supermarket. However, this will have staffing implications such as new roles to define, new people to recruit and so on. Kamala is expected to appoint someone from abroad to oversee this new business operation soon. Despite he's efforts to raise the profile of the HR functions in the past years, Timoci also suspected that, unless he took the initiative, HR probably would never be part of the decision-making processes, especially issues related to the acquisition and the development of the new venture. So, he writes a discussion paper for Kamala, outlining the various HR issues he envisages, and highlighting the decisions that needed to be made. He submitted the paper to Kamala a week ago, and their meeting today is to discuss it. The discussion paper included the following issues: The downsizing strategies for the Your Choice Stores Ltd The need to incorporate the Your Choice Stores Ltd workforce into the existing HRIMS The need to plan staffing needs of the new entity as well as for the enlarged network of stores. 2 Addressing the differences in the way that The Cheapest Supermarket Ltd and Your Stores Ltd manage their HR issues and processes. As Timoci enters Kamala's office, she rises from behind her desk and ushers him to the upholstered chairs and coffee table that lie to the left of the office. She is smiling. 'Well Timoci', she begins, 'You've certainly given me a lot to think about! Must admit I've been focused more on the financial side of the acquisition and the new venture and hadn't even thought about the workforce issues. Thanks for reminding me! She goes on to say that she agrees that the issues Timoci has raised are important and integral to the business plan; She then assigns him some tasks. About the downsizing of the Your Choice stores, she asks Timoci to determine exactly how many full-time positions should be abolished or converted into part-time or casual positions and to recommend a process for identifying which employees would be made redundant. Both agree on targeting employees who are closer to retirement age for various economic and social reasons. 3/4 She also instructs Timoci to ensure that employee and workforce data for the existing Your employees are uploaded to the existing HRIMS as soon as possible and to configure the sy. provide data that will help the company to develop a staffing plan, something which has never been done before. Kamala also wants to internally track workforce trends and identify potential problems well before they become too large. She charges Timoci with responsibility for coordinating the HR planning process and promotion of occupational safety and health requirements at the workplace. Finally, Timoci expresses interest in the possibility of restructuring HR, though he isn't entirely sure which model would be better. Kamala concedes, however, that given the company's acquisition and growth plans, it seems somewhat wasteful to have HR focused on administration aspects when there were higher level roles to be performed. She asks Timoci to explore the options in more detail and to provide her with a further paper outlining the implications of devolving day- to-day HR functions such as recruiting to store managers and outsourcing the payroll function entirely. At the end of their conversation, Kamala shakes Timoci's hand and thanks him for his foresight and initiative. Timoci can barely keep the smile from his face as he leaves Kamala's office and 3 returns to his desk. Surely, this is what being a 'strategic partner' is all about, he thinks. Now the work starts! QUESTIONS