2.1. Human resource management (HRM)
A subsection of Business Studies, 9609, through 2. Human resource management (AS Level)
Listing 10 of 47 questions
Pot Plants (PP) PP is a private limited company that grows and sells plants in pots. PP has 12 large shops in country Q and uses a variety of promotion methods. The shops are located in the countryside and PP owns large fields near each shop where the plants are grown. The business is split into two divisions: growing and retail. Table 1.1 shows some human resource data about the divisions. Table 1.1: Human resource data about PP’s divisions Growing Retail Average workforce for the year Number of employees who left in 2023 Trade union membership 100% 25% Payment methods Salary and piece rate Salary and commission PP’s plants are all sold in plastic or clay pots. The manufacture of these pots is outsourced between two businesses. • Clay Containers (CC) manufactures clay pots in one size and one colour using flow production. CC is based in country Q. PP would like a larger variety of pots, but CC does not want to pay the capital expenditure that this would require. CC has a lead time of three days for PP’s pots. • Fantastic Flexible (FF) manufactures plastic pots in a large factory in country S. The use of mass customisation means that it can produce any size and colour of pot. The lead time is one month for PP’s pots. Identify one promotion method. Explain the term capital expenditure (line 16). Refer to Table 1.1. Calculate the labour turnover rate for PP in 2023. Explain one possible impact on PP of its employees being trade union members. Analyse one advantage and one disadvantage to PP of outsourcing the manufacture of pots. Evaluate the importance to PP of workforce planning.
9609_w24_qp_22
THEORY
2024
Paper 2, Variant 2
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Market Solution (MS) MS is a public limited company in the tertiary sector. MS advises businesses on elements of the marketing mix. Most of its customers are small businesses who cannot afford their own marketing department. MS designs marketing materials for these businesses to use. Although MS uses computer aided design (CAD), the business is labour intensive. MS employs specialist marketing workers as well as administrative support workers. Table 2.1 shows some data about employees of MS. Table 2.1: MS employee data Specialist marketing workers Administrative support workers Average number of workers in 2019 Payment method Salary plus bonus Performance related pay plus bonus Number of workers who left in 2019 Average pay (compared to national average) High Low Main need of the workers Achievement Affiliation Main hygiene factors • Pay • Flexible hours of work • Staff restaurant • Holidays Is a bonus expected in 2020? Yes No MS has recently employed Hetti as the new Human Resources Manager. Hetti thinks that the ideas of the motivational theorists are important when managing employees. She is particularly worried about the labour turnover of the administrative support workers. MS has recently taken on a new customer, named Books Outlet (BO). BO has an objective to increase its revenue by targeting a younger market segment. BO has provided MS with the following information about its current marketing mix (see Table 2.2). Table 2.2: Current marketing mix for BO Product • Books aimed at customers who are 30 years and older • Specialist books on many topics – BO is often the only seller in the area Price • Price skimming Promotion • Window display • Local newspaper advertising Place • A retail shop on the main street • Postal sales from a brochure Define the term ‘tertiary sector’ (line 1). Explain the term ‘performance related pay’ (lines 12–13). Refer to Table 2.1. Calculate the difference between the labour turnover of the specialist marketing workers and the labour turnover of the administrative support workers. Analyse how Hetti could use the ideas of two motivational theorists to reduce the labour turnover of the administrative support workers. Explain one possible advantage to MS of being labour intensive. BO has an objective to increase its revenue by targeting a younger market segment (lines 25–26). Recommend how BO should change its marketing mix to achieve this objective. Justify your recommendation.
9609_s20_qp_22
THEORY
2020
Paper 2, Variant 2
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Fretter’s Music (FM) FM is a private limited company based in country Z. FM manufactures a range of musical instruments, such as guitars and keyboards, for the consumer market. FM uses batch production to produce its range of instruments. However, FM is in the process of changing to mass customisation. FM’s customers are all in country Z and include musicians and students. It sells through its own chain of retail stores. FM’s marketing mix has been successful; sales increased by 45% in the last two years. The changes in the production process and the increase in sales have put pressure on employees to maintain quality and speed of production. FM employs 108 people. The Human Resource Manager, Kylie, is concerned about the high labour turnover. Kylie has produced Table 1.1, which shows reasons why employees left in 2022. Table 1.1 Reasons why employees left FM in 2022 Reason for leaving Number of employees who left Better job in another industry Higher pay at a competitor Lack of promotion opportunities at FM Unhappy with the work environment Retirement FM’s directors would like to grow the business and plan to enter international markets. FM’s brand is not well-known internationally and they will have to compete against established musical instrument businesses. FM will have to change its supply chain and increase production. Identify one element of the marketing mix. Explain the term consumer market. Refer to Table 1.1 and other information. Calculate FM’s labour turnover rate for 2022. Explain one method of reducing FM’s labour turnover. Analyse two impacts on FM’s costs if it enters international markets. Evaluate the impact on FM’s stakeholders of a change from batch production to mass customisation.
9609_s23_qp_23
THEORY
2023
Paper 2, Variant 3
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Questions Discovered
47