De La Salle University-Dasmariñas

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Dasmariñas City, Cavite
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

Case #2
Excelsior Department Store

Craig , Kobe
Quebec , Ashley
Sarmiento , Joymalyn Mariel
Torres , Zharyl Elton
Velasco , Melissa Erika

ABM15
 Case Study of Excelsior Department Store

The Excelsior Department Store had a large department that employed six

salesclerks. Most of these clerks were loyal and faithful employees who had worked

in the department store more than ten years. They formed a closely knit social group.

The store embarked on an expansion program requiring four new clerks to be

hired in the department within six months. These newcomers soon learned that the

old-timers took the desirable times for coffee breaks, leaving the most undesirable

periods for newcomers. The old-time clerk also received priority from the old-time

cashier, which required the newcomers to wait in line at the cash register until the old-

timers had their sales recorded. A number of customers complained to store

management about this practice.

In addition, the old-timers frequently instructed newcomers to straighten

merchandise in the stockroom and to clean displays on the sales floor, although this

work was just as much a responsibility of the old-timers. The result was that old-

timers had more time to make sales and newcomers had less time. Since commissions

were paid on sales, the newcomers complained to the department manager about this

practice.
I. Time Context
-The problem was brought up when four new clerks that were required to embark
on an expansion program of the Excelsior Department Store.

II. Viewpoint
-The viewpoint is from the newcomers of the Excelsior Department Store.

III. Central Problem

-It was learned that the old-timers took advantage of their seniority in taking the
most desirable times for coffee breaks, receiving priority from the cashier and the
old-timers also frequently instructed newcomers to straighten merchandise in the
stockroom and to clean displays on the sales floor thus affecting the overall
output sales of the newcomers can make.

IV. Objectives
 Must Objective
- To make sure everyone have the equal opportunity whether be it in
taking breaks or doing sales related maintenance task even up to
lining up at the cashier.
 Want Objective
- To build camaraderie and teamwork between old timers and
newcomers.

V. Areas Consideration
 Strength
- The old-timers has been working for more than ten years, therefore
they are more experienced and there is a certain familiarity with the people
they have been working with.
-
 Weaknesses
-The old-timers are not giving equal opportunities and privileges to the
newcomers.
 Opportunity
-Adding the newcomers can improve their sales at the Excelsior
Department Store.
 Threats
-The newcomers might transfer to another company due to the incidents
that hinders them to do more sales.
 VI. Alternative Courses of Action
1. Rotation of schedule for taking breaks
o Advantage: They get to enjoy having breaks in equal turns.
o Disadvantage: The old-timers will not be able to choose their
break at their will.
2. Optimize the process, instead of waiting in line at the cashier until
the clerks had their sales recorded, the process can be reversed that
the sales recording can be done after paying at the cashier then long
waiting lines can be avoided.
o Advantage: Long waiting lines will be avoided due to cashier
dependency on requiring sales recording before payment also
customer’s time for waiting in line will be lessened and it can
result in avoiding loss of sales.
o Disadvantage: They will have to adapt the changing method
of recording sales.
3. Rotation of schedule for doing sales related maintenance task such as
straightening merchandises in the stockroom up to cleaning displays.
o Advantage: They get to have equal work load in doing sales
related maintenance task.
o Disadvantage: The old-timers will no longer have their
desired schedule.

VII.Conclusion / Recommendation
-We recommend ACA 3 because it will give them an equal distribution of
tasks.

VIII. Plan of Action

Plan Department in charge Time

 Implement schedule  Sales Department  As soon as

for taking breaks and possible to
maintenance task. prevent
 Optimize the process  Cashier Department disturbances.
by letting the  As soon as
customers pay at the possible to
cashier without prevent
requiring the sales disturbances.
clerks to do their sales
recording instead the
sales recording can be
done after paying at
the cashier.