MIT Sloan School of Management, USA.
Harv Bus Rev. 2012 Jan-Feb;90(1-2):124-31, 154.
Too many retail managers believe that they must offer bad jobs to keep prices low. As a result, almost one-fifth of American workers suffer low wages, poor benefits, constantly changing schedules, and few opportunitie for advancement. The author's research reveals, however, that the presumed trade-off between investment in employees and low prices is false. To meet short-term performance targets, many retailers cut labor. The unmotivated and poorly trained employees who remain often cannot keep up with their tasks in a complex operating environment. The result is a vicious cycle, in which lower sales and profits tempt managers to cut even more employees. Retailers such as QuikTrip, Mercadona, Trader Joe's, and Costco instead create a virtuous cycle of investment in employees, stellar operational execution, higher sales and profits, and larger labor budgets. They also make work more efficient and fulfilling for employees, improve customer service, and boost sales and profits through four practices: simplify operations by offering fewer products and promotions, train employees to perform multiple tasks, eliminate waste in everything but staffing, and let employees make some decisions.
许多零售经理认为，他们必须提供低薪工作来保持低价。结果，近五分之一的美国工人遭受低工资、低福利、不断变化的工作时间和很少晋升机会的困扰。然而，作者的研究表明，员工投资与低价格之间的所谓权衡是错误的。为了达到短期绩效目标，许多零售商削减劳动力。留下来的那些没有动力、培训不足的员工往往无法在复杂的运营环境中完成任务。结果是一个恶性循环，销售额和利润下降促使经理们进一步裁员。像 QuikTrip、Mercadona、Trader Joe's 和 Costco 这样的零售商则通过在员工身上投资、出色的运营执行、更高的销售额和利润以及更大的劳动力预算，创造了一个良性循环。他们还通过以下四种做法使员工的工作更高效、更有意义：通过减少产品和促销来简化运营，培训员工执行多项任务，除了人员配置外消除浪费，让员工做出一些决策。他们还提高了客户服务水平，并通过以下四种做法提高了销售额和利润：简化运营，减少产品和促销；培训员工执行多项任务；消除人员配置以外的浪费；让员工做一些决策。
