Page 281Part Five Video CaseHot Topic: Employees with
Page 281Part Five Video CaseHot Topic: Employees with
Page 281Part Five Video CaseHot Topic: Employees with PassionHot Topic Incorporated, located in City of Industry, California, is a retailer that licenses various products,such as T-shirts, clothes, and accessories geared toward alternative and pop culture with an emphasis onmodern music trends. The average age of the employees at Hot Topic is 25 years old.Hot Topic Incorporated reaches its customers through its two retail store linesHot Topic and its sisterstore, Torrid. Hot Topic offers a myriad of cultural items as well as accessories and clothing aimed at ayounger market segment. Torrid is a fashion store offering modern, trendy clothing catering to plus-sizewomen. The organization has been cited on the Best Small Companies and Best Companies to WorkFor lists many times over its 20-plus year history.Former CEO Betsy McLaughlin believes that the culture at Hot Topic is based on a passion for a concept.For Hot Topic, that passion is music, and for Torrid, it is fashion. McLaughlin says that the passion for theproducts and the inspiration behind them is what makes Hot Topic different from many others, and thepassion that drives the culture is shared across all levels and positions of the organization. In fact,McLaughlin claims that music inspires not only the products they sell, but also store design and even thepeople they hire.Hot Topic has a unique corporate culture, but structurally does not differ tremendously from otherorganizations. Employees are fiercely loyal to the firm as a result of the great working environmentwhere they feel they can fit in and be appreciated for what they contribute to the organization. Oneexample of how Hot Topic encourages fitting in is its concert reimbursement program. Employees canattend a concert and bring someone with them, fill out an expense report, and be reimbursed for thecost of their tickets. The only requirement for this benefit is to submit a fashion report. The culture alsovalues collaboration, open communication, and empowerment, and is perpetuated by a lack of walls anddoors in the corporate headquarters. Everyone works in one big room and shares space, taking emphasisoff hierarchy and promoting collaboration and open communication. The employees are supported inrisk-taking decisions when taking care of the needs of customers. This gives employees a feeling ofinclusion and empowerment to make decisions.Hot Topic has grown from 15 stores just 15 years ago to nearly 800 stores today. This provides a readyapplicant pool to allow the company to hire for corporate jobs from withina practice that has theworker bring her or his sense of the corporate culture to the new job. Employees are kept satisfiedthrough such perks as cell phone discounts, on-site massages, health fairs, scholarship reimbursement,and employee of the month programs. Another interesting and no-cost perk offered to employees isthe 9/80 program. This program allows employees to work 80 hours over 9 daysgiving them a threeday weekend every other weekend.Senior executives talk to employees and customers to learn in what direction they want Hot Topic to go.This along with all of the innovative ideas and programs provides Hot Topic with a unique culture thathelps keep their employees and customers satisfied and loyal.Questions for Discussion1. What makes Hot Topic so successful as a retailer? What makes them so popular with their employees?How can they keep their success going?2. How does the idea of no walls and no doors in the corporate headquarters encourage the culture HotTopic is trying to perpetuate? Do you think you would like to work in such an atmosphere?For more information, see www.hottopic.com. See also:University of South Florida, Counterproductive Behavior at Workhttp://chuma.cas.usf.edu/~spector/counterpage.htmlAmerican Psychological AssociationPsychology Topicswww.apa.org/topicsGroup DynamicsThe Resource Pagewww.has.vcu.edu/group/gdynamic.htmCompliance Tools for HR ProfessionalsHomepagewww.HR.BLR.comThe Social Psychology NetworkHomepagewww.socialpsychology.orgUS Human ResourcesEmotional Intelligence and Job Satisfactionwww.hrmguide.com/commitment/job-satisfaction.htmFree Management LibraryHomepagewww.managementhelp.orgMayo ClinicJob Satisfactionwww.mayoclinic.com/health/job-satisfaction/wl00051Mind ToolsLeadership Styleswww.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLD_84.htmThe Leadership HubHomepagewww.theleadershiphub.comSociety for Human Resource ManagementHomepagewww.shrm.orgIowa Social PsychologyHomepagewww.uiowa.edu/~grpproc/index.htmlNational Institute for the Prevention of Workplace ViolenceHomepagewww.workplaceviolence911.comIndividual Assignment 3Instructions and RubricRead the case study Part Five Video CaseHot Topic: Employees with Passion on p. 281 ofyour textbook and answer the Questions for Discussion 1 and 2, providing evidence for pointsyou make. For full points, ensure substantive responses to the questions. See rubric below forcriteria for full points.Rubric (professor has the discretion to change award points as deemed reasonable)Complete, well thought-out answer tapping into required content, arguments wellpresented, all parts responded to adequately, no significant errors – 40/40Many points made, but some connection to content missing, one part not answered, notcomplete discussion- 34/40Some points made, but some connection to content missing, incomplete and/orlimited discussion – 26/40Limited discussion, limited points 18/40Poor in every way – 5-10/40For grammatical and spelling errors, student may lose additional points.
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