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AQA Center Parcs Case Study Resources Part 3

Center Parcs: Marketing part 3

All parts of this analysis can be found here.

Unusual to put it in a blog I suppose, but just in case you need it and haven't seen what we've done already, this is part three of the four parts of the FREE analysis of the AQA GCSE Case Study Center Parcs for the June 2006 examination.

Did you try the quiz that went with yesterday’s work? If not, go to http://www.oxbow.org.uk/ and click on quizzes … you’ll find it.

Also you were given the task of rereading the Stakeholders section of the case because that’s what we are discussing today. It’s all on page 9! These are today’s topics, then:

• Employees


• Local Economy


• Local Environment

Employees

This is a dangerous section of the case study because there is very little in it. However, there are clues as to what they might want you to talk about.

Confused? You won’t be!

Part Time Workers

Firstly, there is a large number of staff working for CP, 5,870 in all but we are told that most of them work part time.

( you might be asked to discuss why so many employees are part time employees.

Question What would you say to that?

• well, part time employees are cheaper than full time employees … do you know why?


• part timers may be job sharing … oooh, what’s job sharing?


• does that mean that many staff are female then? are most part timers women?

Then the case does give us two further things to think about here

• it gives it greater flexibility in arranging work rotas


• helps to improve efficiency, as more employees can be used at busy times

Training

Then there is training; and we are told that CP believes that it is important to invest in the training of employees in order to get the best from them.

And … ? See, there is so much that they could say here but they haven’t. So,

( be ready to discuss training, on the job, off the job, sitting by Nelly, formal, informal, certified training, undergraduate training. Then there are the costs involved …

Question give five examples of costs incurred in a training programme

1 __________________________________________

2 __________________________________________

3 __________________________________________

4 __________________________________________

5 __________________________________________

Motivation

Then we are told that the company realises that employees need to be well motivated; and that One way in which it tries to do this is by rewarding employees’ achievements.

( good … what would that be then?

Question a) Define motivation and say why it is important that employees are well motivated
b) Give three possible effects on company performance of employees who are badly motivated
c) Say how a company can reward its employees’ achievements: give specific examples to support your arguments.

These are crucial questions for you to answer. Whilst it’s really dangerous to try to spot questions, there does seem some scope in this part of the case study for the examiner to ask the kinds of questions we are giving here.

Communication Systems

The case says It also makes sure that there are good communication systems, so staff are kept up to date with company policy.

( Does anyone believe that a good communications system simply means keeping staff up to date with company policy?

Hands up everyone who thinks that.
How many hands can you see, everyone?
None?
Me neither!

Question a) Define what you mean by an employee communication system. Give three examples of effective employee communication.
b) What is company policy? Give four examples of company policy for each of CP and any other company with which you are familiar.

Employee Retention

Is it a surprise or just a shock that we are told that CP realises that it needs to retain good employees?

This might lead to a discussion of labour turnover. So:

Question Define labour turnover and say why labour in CP might turn over: give concrete examples to support your arguments.

This is getting ridiculous: they are just spilling out lots of ideas to cram as many business concepts and ideas into the case as they can with very little development for our benefit.

Team Work

The best way to look at team work is to look at what the case says and then work through a series of questions.

Well, that’s my story anyway!

CP believes it is important that its staff should work as part of a team. The Company states that employees are more productive working in a team than operating individually. Employees are set targets against which they are monitored to see if they are working efficiently.

Question a) What is meant by being more productive?
b) Define productivity
c) Give four examples of where teamwork is an advantage
d) Give four examples of where teamwork is a disadvantage
e) What is meant by targets for employees and how are they set? Give realistic examples.
f) Define efficiency

Another Question a) Why have they given us the CP Mission Statement?
b) What is a mission statement?

Local Economy

Same stuff as before now. Remember the key part of this examination that I just mentioned: they want you to know and discuss key business concepts and ideas. The section on the local economy is like that. Here is that section with the key concepts and ideas highlighted.

CP is the main employer in each of the immediate areas in which the villages are located. The local economy benefits financially from the business. Jobs are created at the CPs’ villages, and local businesses are used whenever possible to supply goods and services. The employees’ wages and suppliers’ profits will also generate more wealth in the area when they are spent. CP must also pay local business rates. This brings more money into the areas in which CP operates.

Task Find, define, understand and learn how to use and discuss each of the concepts and ideas that I have highlighted. One way of doing that is to write a new sentence using the word or phrase highlighted: you might even combine the concepts and ideas in one sentence … you choose how to do it. The important thing is that you know how to use these things properly … that comes from having identified the ideas and learned the.

For example, from me:

It is important to realise that as the main employer in the immediate area, CP has a great responsibility to the local economy. As CP grows, jobs are created and the local economy benefits financially.

There you go … try it yourself now. It’s not difficult once you’ve tried a few.

Local Environment

Similarly, let’s look at what the case says about the local environment and then let’s explore what they’re talking about.

Local authorities are becoming stricter in giving planning permission for rural locations to be developed as holiday villages.

Great care was exercised in planning the villages so that the impact on the natural forest environment was kept to a minimum. Pressure groups have become increasingly concerned about environmental damage caused by businesses. CP, however, has received several awards for its commitment to the environment.

Planning Permission

Task go online to your local council’s web site and search for planning permission if you can. If you can’t search there, use your favourite search engine and find what planning permission is in the UK … it will be different in different countries so stick to the UK.

I did that for Vale of the White Horse district Council, my local; and got some good information.

If you can, try to find a few case studies of who did what.

Now why not take a look at a council where holiday companies/hotels and so on are bound to apply for planning permission? Go and have a look at Brighton and Hove Council’s pages on planning permission … http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=b1000100 There’s a lot to look at but you don’t need to read and make notes on everything. Don’t like Brighton? Try Blackpool, Scarborough, Bournemouth ... you choose

Pressure Groups

Pressure groups are a favourite with examiners for some reason. Take a look at these web sites where you can several examples of pressure groups …

Wait a minute, before I give you those links, how many pressure groups do you already know? Name them? Go on, name four pressure groups:

1 __________________________________________

2 __________________________________________

3 __________________________________________

4 __________________________________________

Now, those links:

A HISTORY site: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/pressure_groups.htm who’d have thought that history could be so relevant?! There you will see the answer to such questions as these:

• What are pressure groups?: click on this link and you’ll find a useful list of pressure groups


• What are sectional pressure groups?

More good examples here: http://www.uknetguide.co.uk/News_and_Weather/Organisations/Pressure_Groups.html and when you click through the links on that page you’ll see some really good examples of the issues they are pressurising the government and business with!

From Australia … not a problem to be international here http://hsc.csu.edu.au/pta/scansw/powgps.html

Environmental Pressure Groups

You must include at least a search of at least two of the following environmental pressure groups: they are specifically mentioned in the text of the case.

Take your choices from this one site, Greenphase, which lists a huge number of them: it’s an environmental directory http://www.greenphase.com/organisations.html. You can choose from:
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UK Organisations and Pressure Groups
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• British Ecological Society


• Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament


• Environmental Law Foundation


• Ethical Consumer


• Fairtrade Foundation


• Friends of the Earth UK


• Foundation for International Environmental Law & Development


• Greenpeace UK


• NSCA: National Society for Clean Air


• Word Wildlife Fund UK


• Waste Watch

If you know and prefer different pressure groups for the environment, fine, use them.

That’s it for today.

Homework For tomorrow this is what you need to do:

Reread the Competition and Finances sections of the case because that’s what we will be discussing tomorrow. It’s all on page 10!




Duncan Williamson

posted by Duncan Williamson @ 8:12 PM