OGL 481 Pro-Seminar I:
PCA-Human Resource Frame Worksheet
Worksheet Objectives:
1. Describe the human resource frame
2. Apply the human resource frame to your personal case situation
Complete the following making sure to support your ideas and cite from the textbook and other
course materials per APA guidelines. After the peer review, you have a chance to update this and
format for your Electronic Portfolio due in Module 6.
1) Briefly restate your situation from Module 1 and your role.
My role in this organization is a Store Manager. Specifically, I’m a new store
manager being introduced to a store (Wilmington Pike) so I’m able to assist the current
Store Manager (Steve). Since this store is struggling in many areas, deemed by the
District Manager, I was instructed to move to this store and help alongside the team.
This situation takes place over the span of three months (February 2023-April
2023). Once I arrived at Wilmington Pike in February, I was able to meet Steve, the
current Store Manager in the role. We discussed what the opportunities were in his store.
Steve identified to me that there was “not much” that needed fixing. Later after our
conversation, Steve mentions that he needs to go on a leave of absence, meaning I’m left
behind to manage Wilmington Pike by myself. It’s my first official week in my new store
and Steve is now gone. As I got to work a few shifts there and introduce myself to the
partners, I started to unveil what’s been happening to the partners at Wilmington Pike.
One of the opportunities of this store was to get rid of the bug problem. Ants were
crawling all over the café. The previous manager had been notified of this problem and
nothing had been done. Secondly, there was a lot of broken equipment in the store.
Partners were forced to use broken pitchers, utensils, etc. Lastly, I needed to hire more
partners. The store was extremely understaffed. Partners were being scheduled out of
their availabilities due to poor staffing practices.
2) Describe how the human resources of the organization influenced the situation.
The lack of training and investment in store manager development influenced this
situation. Starbucks does a really good job of training shift supervisors and below, but
store managers get thrown into their positions after not properly being trained. This
happened to both the previous store manager at Wilmington Pike and to me as well. Store
manager turnover has been at an all-time high at Starbucks because of the lack of support
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and ridiculous expectations, therefore in-training assistant store managers are tossed into
new stores when they are not ready.
Secondly, Starbucks doesn't invest much into promoting within and keeping who they
have anymore. This leads to a lack of manager accountability, manager oversight, and
overall a lack of manager feedback. Starbucks has shifted towards hiring externally.
Some internal store managers who may require some support are left to figure it out
themselves since there is already an external hire waiting to replace them.
3) Recommend how you would use the human resources for an alternative course of
action regarding your case.
I would have used human resources to instead invest in the current managers in roles as
well as empower colleagues to support each other. This would involve recurring training
for store managers and knowledge checks that focused on their development. Starbucks
does have a system in place that reviews store managers' development but it feels more
like a test you must pass rather than something beneficial for you. This system must be
redesigned to something more empowering for store managers to take accountability and
take control of their development.
4) Reflect on what you would do or not do differently given what you have learned
about this frame.
Something I would have done differently is invest in my learning during this time. I felt
so rushed to take over this store and fix everything that I forgot about some of the really
important things. I really should have prioritized my development and invested in myself
but I almost felt like that wasn’t the priority at the time. I just needed to float by and
make sure the store wasn’t in shambles. I didn’t feel “psychologically safe” during this
period of my career and my development suffered due to that. Reflecting on my
experience and what I went through, I’m sure that is what the previous store manager felt
as well, and that is why the whole situation happened. He probably didn’t feel supported
and he just had to make it “look good” to basically pass a test.
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Reference or References
(Choose appropriate Title if Applicable and Delete the Rest)
