Tanglewood’s internal staffing policy as recently articulated from central management is to retain as close a correspondence between their current representation and the available workforce. The primary goal for this year is to focus attention on achieving better numbers for gender representation, but they would like to examine other demographic groups in the future.
The source for the external data in all cases is from the Census data described earlier. The source for internal data is the current workforce of the flagship store. To determine the availability for each job category, the raw statistics for percentage of female and minority employees are multiplied by the value weight, and then these weighted statistics are added together within each job category.
Table 1.2 Determining Availability
Raw Statistics Value
weight Weighted Statistics
Female Minority Female Minority
Store associates External 53.1% 7.9% 100% 53.1% 7.9%
Shift Internal 44.3% 6.7% 92.4% 41.0% 6.2%
Leaders External 53.1% 7.9% 7.6% 4.0% 0.6%
Total 45.0% 6.8%
Department Internal 31.0% 4.8% 65.7% 20.4% 3.2%
Manager External 39.4% 6.7% 34.3% 13.5% 2.3%
Total 33.9% 5.5%
The availability data are taken from Table 1.2 and then used for determining if some demographic groups are underrepresented in the workforce of the flagship store, and also for developing placement goals. A shortage exists if there is a discrepancy between the current workforce and the available workforce as calculated by the ratio of the current workforce divided by the current workforce. As shown in Exhibit 3.18 in your textbook, if the incumbency percent is below 80%, the organization will want to establish a goal of moving their demographic representation in line with the available workforce. To estimate this proportion, the incumbency for females is divided by the availability for females, and the incumbency for minorities is divided by the availability for minorities.
Table 1.3 Comparing Incumbency to Availability and Annual Placement Goals
Female
Incumbency Female Availability Incumbency percent? Establish goal? If Yes, Goal for Females Minority
Incumbency Minority Availability Incumbency percent? Establish goal? If Yes, Goal for Minorities
Store associates 41.6% 53.1% 78.3%
Set goal 53.1 5.2% 7.9% 65.8%
No goal 6.7%
Shift leaders 37.0% 45.0% 82.0%
No goal 4.8% 6.8% 70.6%
Set goal 6.8%
Department manager 24.3% 33.9% 71.7%
Set goal 33.9% 5.0% 5.5% 90.9%
No goal
Specific Assignment Details
For the store manager group, you will analyze the information and prepare a report showing the results of the Markov analysis and the EEO investigation. The Director asked you to address these questions in your written report:
1. Currently the organization expects that their forecast for labor requirements is essentially constant from the previous year. Based on this assumption complete the five stages of the planning process:
a. Currently the organization expects that their forecast for labor requirements is essentially constant from the previous year. This means the forecast for next year will be taken as given.
b. Fill in the empty cells in the forecast of labor availabilities in Table 1.1.
c. Conduct an environmental scan. Based on the environmental data, what factors in the environment suggest Tanglewood might have difficulty filling their vacancies in the future?
d. Compute year end totals for each job in Table 1.1 and do a gap analysis to determine where shortages will occur in the next year.
e. Develop a preliminary statement of the action plan for hiring for Washington next year. This should be an overview of the number of individuals needed to meet projected staffing levels for various positions that can be given to store managers. Make sure that your recommendations take the strategic staffing levels issues from the introductory case into account.
2. Examine the percentages of employee representation across demographic categories for Tanglewood and the available labor market for Table 1.3. Are there any particular classes or jobs where the representation within Tanglewood appears to be out of line with the available workforce? What does the pattern suggest to you?
3. Based on your analysis and the affirmative action plan, do you think the company should engage in a specific strategy to change their recruiting and promotion practices? Do you think it is realistic for the company to try to meet their affirmative action goals in this process in a single year? What are the pros and cons of using internal promotions vs. external hiring to rectify the problems with gender and ethnicity representation in supervisory positions?
4. In addition to the specific targets for employee representation for the Spokane flagship location, Tanglewood wants to use this opportunity to establish estimates for the entire chain’s staffing policy regarding demographic representation of the workforce. How do you think individual stores can respond to overarching organizational objectives? Prepare a memo to be disseminated to the individual stores that gives a sense of your targets for the organization as a whole, and also gives the stores advice on how they can assist in narrowing any representation gaps you find through their recruiting, hiring, and promotion practices.
