Question 1: What challenges do organizations like BMW face in balancing the

need to retain skills with the need to recruit younger staff?

BMW is stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (Bavarian Motor Work),
this company originally from Munich, Bavarian, Germany. BMW is very well know
successful conglomerate company in automobile and motorcycle manufacturer
industry. Over the years, as time goes by BMW has been exist on the earth for
quite long time, as for BMWs business planner has come to realize and become
their concern, that they will faced population trends challenges due to the
number of employees around age 60s and older initially will keep on grow in
percentages. Therefore, BMW have to come up with a new strategy that involve
in recruiting younger and at the same time to retain the skills of veteran in order
to maintain and enhance the companys production quality performance.
BMW is a very gigantic automobile and Motorcycle Company, the diversity
in the company also big. In order to retain

2. How and to what extent can the concept of emotional intelligent help
managers to integrate workers from diverse backgrounds into an effective
workforce?

Case study 2: B&Q: The Business Case for Diversity.

Question 1: Why did B&Q adopt its present approach to diversity? How far do you
agree or disagree with these reasons for its action, and why?

B&Q is a very well-known largest chain of DIY (do-it-yourself) stores in UK,

a retail that supply DIY building, gardening and equipment materials to the
society. As time goes by, this company also one of the companies in the whole
wide world that face Demographic Time-bomb, which is shortage in number of
labour market to it company itself. In adding other issue that they face, which is
high cost of turnover among younger workers with the range age of 16 to 26
years old due to lack of motivation and enthusiastic towards their job. This has
made one of the reasons why B&Q adopting this Diversity Strategy, as they also
wanted to prove that all this while myths about this Generation X have problem
to make their work production efficient and high quality that brings impact to the
company performance. This is because B&G Company believes that by brings
strong engagement between its people and utilize man power source is the main
keys to their companys positive achievement.
By taking all into an account, I do agree that implementation of Diversity
approach is one of brilliant ideas. As many companies try to get rid of this group
of workers (Generation X) and try to substitute them with younger employees,
meanwhile B&G give opportunity to the older workers to work in the company
because they have seen the positive potential of performance compare to bring
more problem in term of work disciplinary at working place. This also can be
count as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to the societies because they are
taking care of the welfare of its people especially old employees, which has lead
them to a have a good performance over the years, instead of struggling to
survive in the business industry. Not only in term of work performance this
diversity approach bring positivity, but the gives advantage to the old employees
itself as making the mentally active will lead them to a healthy life.
Moreover, this Diversity approach has bring its own uniqueness to more
appreciate the talent and skills of the workers and make use of it to trigger and
motivate the employees to explore more in the workplace and give them
freedom in how they consult the customers as in to understand what the
customers wants and needs in order to meet the market demand. They might

not having problem to bring a good relationship between staff and customer,
because of the experience that have gotten over the years of working experience
and the knowledge they have gained in maybe various scope of industry. This
kind of experience that need to be develop and inherit among the Generation Y
staff. Thus, this give one more solid reason to agree on this matter in order to
tackle the problem of ageing of diversity.
Last but not least, by making the workers feel engaged to their employers
and having communication within the company it does build a strong relationship
between employers and workers. As the employers really appreciate the
diversity in the pool of workers, as they utilize what resources in front of them
but also still manage to follow the law. By means, the management still
reconsider the old workers capable to do and give them flexibility during working
time and modified their facilities accordingly to the group of age and ability. By
bring the best of from its people has resulted in a great quality performance of
the company.

Question 2: Review B&Qs approach in the light of theories about personality.

Which of the theoretical approaches do you think might best explain the
companys approach to its staff and customers?

Based on B&Qs approach in order to overcome the problem they face

which is ageing population among the workers. They have come up with the idea
to embrace the diversity in the company, where they prefer to employed more
number of older staff as they see from different point of view opposite with the
myths has been stated in the article. By seeing this matter in term of theories
regard personality, it much more relatable as in term of diversity word own its
own is the vast of physical and cultural differences that constitute the spectrum
of human differences.
Personality is the combination of common and uniqueness of characteristic
of a person and the quality that form an individuals distinctive character. As for
this question, I going to choose the The Big Five Personality Dimensions and
relate it to the companys approach to the relationship toward staff and
customers.

The Big

Five

Personality theory are

consists component of

Extroversion, Agreeableness, Openness to experience, Emotional Stability and

Conscientious. In the diversity of employees, the company can develop planning
on selection of workers according to their personality during the recruitment
session or even after the recruitment. By consider according to their personality,
assigning them in suitable area of job will also give a good impact to their job
performance and contribute to the companys performance.
In the components of The Big Five Personality dimension, first is
Extroversion if an individual have high score in extroversion the person is enjoy
being out-going and tend to gain energy from social situation. However, if the
person have low in extroversion, the person tend to be more reserve and have to
expand energy in social settings. Thus, the company know where best to put this
group of extroversion people. Where an extroversion employees will enjoy more
work in a team as they more eager to explore and do social interaction with

other colleagues, or B&G can put them to in charge to give consultation to the
customers by assisting and fulfil what the customers wants and needs by
suggesting the products that the company supply. This will build a good
relationship between staff and customer, direct will contribute the positive image
of the company.
Second component is Agreeableness, which attribute to be compassionate
and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others. A
person who has high in agreeableness tend to cooperative more in a team, as for
a person who have low in agreeableness are tend to be competitive which is also
good to create a positive competitive work environment if the company handle it
well to use it as motivated the employees. This can be applicable in the scope of
decision making of any issues that appear within the company. Moreover, a
worker has this agreeable character will be loved by the customers because
using their good interpersonal skills will get along with the slogan Customer is
always right in order to gain the customer trust.
Third is emotional stability is refers to the degree of emotional impulse
control, which a trait characterized by sadness, moodiness, and emotional
instability. A person who high score in emotional stability tend to be more stable
and emotionally resilient compare to the person have low score that this trait
tend to experience mood swings, anxiety, moodiness, irritability and sadness. By
consider this, the company know best where to put this type of worker. Where
the most stable one can be put in customer service, that they can control the
level of stress in handling customers complaint which the service they provide
after the customer purchase products.
Fourth is openness to experience described as the extent to which a
person is imaginative or independent, and depicts a personal preference for a
variety of activities over a strict routine and also tend to have a broad range of
interests. As for high openness in this trait tend to be more adventurous and
creative compare to the low openness. This can be related to in the situation
where how open is a staff during training session to absorb all the new
knowledge or skills for them to implement during work. This can be seen in a
situation where if there is an issue that include the companys customers or the
performance and the company suggest a solution or the employees itself
suggesting an idea, how well the employers and employees being open in order
to develop a strategy to tackle the issue and overcome it.

Fifth personality is conscientiousness this dimension include high levels of

thoughtfulness, with good impulse control and goal-directed behaviours. A staff
that have high conscientious will tend to be organized and mindful of details.
This suit to put the staff in management department, where to manage the
operational part of the company and making sure all procedures are followed in
order to smoothen daily routine in the companys retails. Good organized
operation in retail will help boost performance of the company in delivery a good
service to the customers and this directly will enhance the quality of
performance.
In a nutshell, by considering this theory of personality to implement it in
B&G Company will lead to a proper strategy planning of diversity approach in
order to develop a good bonding between staff and customers and help build the
sentiment of positive work ethics.

Question 3: How might the B&G approach to diversity encourage individuals

(both staff and customers) to contribute to the organisations performance?
Back to the late 1980s, when UK started to concern about ageing
population that will lead to potential crisis situation called Demographic TimeBomb. This whole crisis situation made B&Q find solution to overcome the
problem and has lead them to implement diversity approach. The company has
used this strategy to embrace the differences of its workforce and use diversity
as their platform to excel the performance of its company, at the same time to
prove myths that old staff have
In a way to retain this approach, B&Q really appreciate and respect of their
people regards all culture and set it as the central key of the company success.
This has become a motivation for the employees because they felt respected and
appreciated by their employers, and makes them to work smart by provide the
best service to the customer. Whereby the staff use the culture of their company
to always keep engaged and communicate from one and another. This approach
eventually trained them to keep positive relationship between staff and customer
can be retained, and leads to understand what the customer wants and needs
regard the DIY products. Thus, the information about the customers demand can
be implement as input to develop a strategy to enhance the company
performance.
Furthermore, as B&Q really look up to the sentiment of diversity within the
company that bring to the ideas to utilize the different languages the staff know
as a way from them to understand and respond to customer needs. Other than
that, the difficulties that foreigner usually face is language barrier, with the help
from staff that came from the same country or knows the language will be able

to assist them during shop at B&Q retails. Not only in term of verbal language,
the company also employed a person who have sort of disability. For instance, a
staff that know sign language might help the customer with disability to find
things that they wants to purchase. This also can be a competitive advantage to
the company as the company that full with different cultures.
Last but not least, the company main keys of success is its people due to
that the company really take care of the employees as they provided as much
facilities that suited with all group of age especially to the older employees. For
instance, provide working environment that help them to do work easily that will
boost up their work performance, give them the flexibility of working hours as
help them to keep their healthy in good condition and always give them the
guarantee to job security so that the employees will not have to worry about
their job. Furthermore, B&Q also give an opportunity to their employees regards
all ages to let them join job training that will enhance their knowledge and skills
and not to forget the apprenticeship program to the staff that will be useful in the
future. By consider all these important keys to retain the employees and always
communicate with them will make them feel much more appreciated and
engaged. This will lead them to perform a good quality of work as they attend
the companys customers very well that make the customer felt they received
good service. Therefore, as long as the company apply diversity approach with
care to consider all important aspects that involve to take care the employees
welfare will bring to the positive result of companys performance, whereby
employees keep to contribute to the company and to always put the customer
needs and wants first.

Question 4: B&Q operates in a very specific sector, i.e. retail DIY building and
gardening materials and equipment. Would its approach to diversity translate to
other types of organisation, for example an on-line or telephone retail insurance
company (e.g. selling for motor, travel or home insurance), a car maker, or a
state-run school or hospital?

The B&Q Company is the largest supply company, selling DIY (Do-ItYourself)

building

and

gardening

materials

and

equipment

for

home

improvement and gardening market. As time goes by, in order to overcome the
conflict of ageing of the population. Which is mean all the quality or experienced
workers that have been work for the company for a long time has become aged.
This is one of the reason why the company come up with the idea to use
diversity approach in order to tackle the problem and succeed to excel in
enhancing the company profit. However, does this kind of approach can be
applied to the company nature business that selling insurance, a car maker, or a
state-run school or hospital?
In my humble opinion, in every company whether it is a large or small
company it still has the component of diversity. It is because the definition
diversity in the workplace itself has to do with more than race or ethnicity.
Diverse are composed of employees with varying characteristics including, but
not limited to, religious and political beliefs, gender, ethnicity, education,

socioeconomic background, sexual orientation and geographic location. As a

company that has its own mission and vision, the management need to take part
and play their role in how to utilize the diversity in the workplace that result in
the company productivity. For instance, B&G company really taking care its
people especially to their old staff. Where they believe the older staff bring more
productivity to the company, well-known experienced about the customers of the
company and less controversy in discipline matters. However, the company
should consider to modify a little bit on diversity technique, which the company
need to foster an attitude of openness among employees in the organization.
The company need to encourage the workers to be more open towards each
other, so that they will be able to express their ideas and opinions that help in
enhancing their performance. This can be implement in insurance company,
where the experienced worker (old staff) that has more knowledge in the field of
insurance industry, they can assist the young or new employees and young
employees that have some fresh ideas can combine it in order to deliver a good
information to clients in order to buy the service of the company and also the
service after the client bought the insurance product.
Other than that, diversity approach in workplace not only refer to
differences of age but also in term of ethnicity or culture also can be competitive
advantage if the company know how to utilize it, in a pool of workers there are a
lot of different culture that might help the company to understand the customer
that come from different background of culture. For instance, in a school they
have a lot of student not only from local but also come from different variety of
culture or even an international student. Thus, the management should play
their roles to let the employees who know better about a certain culture to make
the other worker to understand it and help to overcome any kind of difficulty to
comprehend others custom or any language barriers that give effect to the
efficiency of the organization. Moreover, if the company have information about
a certain culture, in term of what should they execute according to the Dos and
Donts in order to avoid miscommunication with customers. Therefore, this will
give a positive impression towards the company and to smoothen the company
development.
In a conclusion, diversity approach is an applicable approach to any
companies regards any kind of industry. This is because each company they had
their own uniqueness of diversity, it depends of the companys management

itself on how they manage its people, mixed the employees that brings the good
quality in each of workers in order to provide a larger pools of ideas and
experiences. Thus, the organization can utilize from that pool to meet the
business strategy needs and the needs of customers effectively.