1. (Mt) – discussions
Considering Human Resource Planning from Different PerspectivesTwo Olympic Gold
Medalist in skiing married in 2014, Jason and LeAnn Benson opened Adventurers and
Explorers (A&E) outdoor sporting store, which sells gear and clothing. The couple’s concept
is different than many of the other sporting goods stores in that, they design and sell their
own lines of specialized products. LeAnn’s focus is on the design of products and Jason’s
focus is on the financials. As a result, no one is worrying about the organizational policies
or controls.Jason and LeAnn encourage their employees to continue their favorite outdoor
sports, from skiing to mountain climbing, white-water rafting, etc. Employees are given two
weeks of paid vacation. However, many employees were allowed to take up to two months
off at half pay so they could fulfill their life-long dreams. Samantha just returned from
a successful climb of Mount Everest. Beth will use her two months off to backpack around
Europe. Around the office, emoloyees joked about the “weekend flu,” taking Friday through
Monday off. The office often ran below staffing levels depending on the season. In addition,
because Jason and LeAnn were Gold Medalists, they attract more employees who
are interested in skiing. The skiers want time off during the peak season. This is also the
peak time for A&E orders and service requests. In the last 3 years the company has grown
from 30 employees to 100. Jason and LeAnn need advice on controlling the daily staffing
levels so A&E meet or exceed customer expectations for responsiveness without sacrificing
its company identity. Choose one of the issues facing A&E and propose a solution and
rationale for your response:Paid vacation along with the most valuable times for vacation
(peak season time off)Attendance Issue — The Weekend Flu (Friday-Monday)A&E needs to
know whether customers are satisfied with the products and whether the company is
responsive to those customers’ needs as outdoor enthusiasts.
