Assignment One Case Study Scenario: Jewellery Available For All (JAFA) manufactures and sells a wide range of jewellery throughout New Zealand and Australia. JAFA is one of the few jewellery retailers...

Assignment One Case Study Scenario:
Jewellery Available For All (JAFA) manufactures and sells a wide range of jewellery throughout New Zealand and Australia. JAFA is one of the few jewellery retailers that have an in-house team of master craftspeople – dedicated in creating future heirlooms and keepsakes while continuously perfecting their craft. Materials are sourced from leading designers and diamond suppliers. A strong relationship with suppliers ensures only top-quality materials make it into the manufacturing processes.



At present, JAFA has 20 stores in New Zealand and 10 stores in Australia. As part of its growth strategy, the company is planning to open branches in the US and Canada.



The head office and the manufacturing arm of JAFA is situated in Parnell, Auckland. The company started out as one shop in Whangarei in 1979 and has grown progressively since then. It provides a variety of services to its customers including design and manufacture of jewellery, particularly engagement and wedding rings. Their philosophy is to craft distinct and appealing jewellery, designing timeless pieces that will last a lifetime.


JAFA employs over 250 staff throughout its 20 stores in New Zealand. There are 30 staff in managerial positions working in New Zealand including a General Manager and a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The company has a top management team of eight. It also has a Board of Directors that meet four times a year to discuss the direction of the company and strategic issues affecting the company.



The company’s corporate strategy is for continued growth, however, it is currently operating in difficult and challenging market conditions especially in Australia. So far the demand for the company’s superior quality jewellery is strong. JAFA’s business strategies include being an innovator in the design of jewellery and focusing on its customer needs.




You have been recently appointed as the new Human Resources Manager for JAFA. Up until now, the functions of human resources were carried out by each Store Manager in conjunction with the Office Manager at the Parnell Head Office. However, with its increased growth, JAFA recognises that it needs a specialist Human Resources person – hence, the appointment of you to this role.



Your philosophy, as Human Resources Manager, is to find and employ the best people to fill vacant job positions in all of its branches. This philosophy is even more important as JAFA moves to be more innovative in some of its services in order to gain more customers, save on costs and improve its market share in the New Zealand jewellery industry.


In this role, you are continually working hard to convince the Board of Directors and Store Managers about how important human resource management is - without it the jewellery stores would not be competitive in the industry they serve.


Over recent times Human Resources as a discipline has been revolutionised worldwide and the Human Resource Department, with you as its Manager, wants to be recognised as an important and strategic part of JAFA’s future.



LEARNING OUTCOME 1: STUDENTS WILL EVALUATE THE INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, ORGANISATIONS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT
Key elements:
a.    Development of human resource management
b.    Human resource contribution to organisational strategy and

    performance: planning process, strategic focus; measurement.
                        36 marks