Assignment
THE DIVA BRAND Diva is a specialty retail store focused on fast-fashion jewelry and accessories. The brand's origins are in Australia, but recent years have seen rapid international expansion and the brand now has stores in America, Russia, and Europe. Diva is predominantly located in shopping centers, with some stores in high-street locations, and is always positioned in/around apparel fashion clusters. The stores are clean, simplistic, and brightly lit, reflecting their fast-moving, funky, and vibrant product range targeted at the youth market (predominantly 15- to 25-year-old females). Diva's positioning sees it as the only fashion jewelry/hair accessory specialist retailer in Australia. Due to Diva's recent expansion, staff numbers have grown significantly. However, Diva is confronted with the problem of attracting and retaining experienced and talented people, particularly from Generation Y. In an attempt to counteract this problem, Diva has implemented several internal talent policies to provide a point of difference and be an employer of choice, including:
• Training plans/workshops to fill skill gaps.
• Career development program for top store managers.
• Leadership development program for top regional managers.
• Increased salary package offers for certain roles to attract talent/skill.
• Global expansion, with new offers of career progression. GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE WORKFORCE As a result of key demographic and lifestyle issues such as aging populations, declining fertility, delayed retirements, rising labor participation rates, and higher life expectancies, there is a demographic trough in the Asia Pacific workforce, in which there is soon to be smaller proportions of younger-aged members and larger cohorts of mature-aged workers. This is further compounded by a shrinking talent pool and the fact that retail is not perceived as a career of choice by the adult population, who have limited sight of career path opportunities "beyond the shop floor." Although research acknowledges the pertinence of this issue in retailing today, it remains unclear how to effectively manage generational diversity in the workplace. This is not a new issue; however, wider age groups are culminating in less segregated work arrangements. In the past, older staff undertook senior managerial positions, while younger workers assumed front-desk or field positions. However, today it is common to see staff members from all age groups working together on projects, with senior employees managing across several generations or younger employees managing older generations. It is important to note that, if managed poorly, intergenerational impacts can cause conflict for employers and among employees, hampering workplace productivity and morale. Retailers, as well as organizations from many other industries, therefore need to identify and adopt the best approaches in attracting and retaining staff across all retail functions, optimizing the experiences of mature-aged workers while capitalizing on the potential of young employees. This involves understanding each generation and its unique perspectives, communication styles, and working styles in order to provide tailored support. Each generation holds different perspectives of work, including the definition of an attractive working environment, leadership qualities, and preferred team playing approaches, and has an individual information processing style. For example, Generation Y believes in having fluid work patterns and influencing job terms and conditions. Conversely, the baby-boomer generation regards work as a primary security in life, while Generation X values a balance between work and life. GENERATION Y Born between 1981 and 2000, members of Generation Y were one of the key segments of focus in Shopfloor to Boardroom given their sheer numbers and prospective employment in retail as recent or upcoming workforce entrants. While organizations have had time to understand baby boomers and Generation X-ers, determining the needs of Generation Y-ers has been challenging, especially given their vastly different values. This is particularly important given the significant career opportunities that exist for Generation Y in retailing. In better understanding the unique career motivations, perceptions, and aspirations of Generation Y, a number of focus groups were conducted with university students who were studying a business major and currently working in retail and high school students who were studying retail-related subjects and currently working in retail or interested in doing so. In terms of perceptions of working in retail, our research found that retail is simply not viewed as a career of choice by Generation Y. This is primarily due to the feeling that retail involves "just being a checkout chick," has limited or no career paths "beyond the shop floor" and is therefore a short-term employment solution, and has difficult conditions at times (e.g., long hours, repetitive tasks, low salaries). A related concern was that the retail industry is not generally perceived as prestigious in the eyes of the general public. Despite such issues, there were a number of motivators (other than financial) for working in retail for Generation Y, such as improving one's social life and extending friendship circles, gaining work experience while studying, and following a particular passion (i.e., fashion). Generation Y-ers also reported a variety of career aspirations that were generally consistent with the courses or subjects they were studying. Despite the fact that few listed retail as their number-one career option, a strong desire was found for a career that could be facilitated by the retail industry, such as marketing, HR, or buying. Focused on self-improvement, Generation Y-ers also expressed enjoyment in working for organizations that provide constant learning environments; they want to be involved in the organization's vision and mission, desire mobility and flexibility in the workplace, and seek instant gratification. Members of Generation Y also thrive on systematic feedback and value positive reinforcement at accelerated rates, as compared to previous generations. This is the primary reason that Generation Y questions starting at the bottom of the organizational ladder, having developed a strong desire for rapid career progression from years of high-level education.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How can Diva demystify what happens behind the scenes and make potential Generation Y employees aware of the opportunities available to them beyond the shop floor?
2. Diva has implemented a learning organizational culture in an attempt to attract and retain staff. Discuss the possible pros and cons of this strategy for Generation Y.
3. Give examples of how other organizations (perhaps even nonretailers) attract a Generation Y workforce. What could Diva learn from other organizations?
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.