British Columbia Innovation Council

The case deals with a challenging situation of employee turnover within a marketing team at AbeBooks.com, an online marketplace for new, used, rare and out-of-print books.

The narrative focuses on Antonio Frias, who recently joined AbeBooks as the Online and Email Marketing Manager. Over a period of three months, Antonio faces the predicament of having two of his direct reports resign and a third employee threatening to quit. Antonio must decide whether or not to attempt to keep the third employee from leaving, and if so, how. Out of the two recently vacant positions, one has been filled and one still remains vacant. Antonio must also work with the HR Director and Marketing Director to develop a recruitment and retention strategy.

The description of AbeBooks competing for young professionals in a challenging labour market can be transferred across a broad range of industries and will become increasingly relevant as older generations approach retirement.

The case considers generational and cultural differences, healthy versus dysfunctional employee turnover, effective recruitment and retention strategies, employee development and motivation, job satisfaction, employee engagement, and leadership development. Organizational culture may also be examined through the identification of people practices and policies as a determinant of culture.

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