Since chain convenience store becomes the main trend in the retail industry, and the store managers play the important roles to run the business, therefore this research is trying to find out what the competences are necessary for the store managers. Furthermore, this research would like to find out if different characteristics of managers would affect their emphasis degree on the managerial competency. The results are as follows: 1. The 7 competences for the store managers are: (1) business improving ability; (2) daily work managing ability; (3) planning ability; (4) leadership; (5) selling field managing ability; (6) instructing ability; (7) goal approaching ability. 2. The relations between demographics valuables and managerial competences: (1) store managers from ¡§ the middle area¡¨ put the least emphasis on selling field managing ability, leadership and instructing ability; (2) store managers working in ¡§ Family¡¨ put the least emphasis on goal approaching ability; (3) store managers working in ¡§ regular chain¡¨ put more emphasis on planning ability, daily work managing ability and leadership than franchise chain; (4) store managers who work less than one year put the least emphasis on planning ability, goal approaching ability and business improving ability. 3. The moderate effect of individual performance: when individual performance interacting with education, it would affect the emphasis degree toward planning ability and daily work managing ability.

Service industries increase every year in global industry, more and more labors work in this industry, thus this research is aimed at understanding the current situation of management development of first-line manager in service industry. The population of our survey is confined to the first-line manager of service industry. The questionnaire survey was adopte for the study. Of totally 332 distributed questionnaires, there are 91 effective. Through statistics analysis, the main results of the study are concluded as follows: 1.About managerial competency demand, ¡§customer service-oriented¡¨ and ¡§relationship competencies¡¨ are most important in all service industries, ¡§joint venture¡¨ and ¡§balance life and work¡¨ are relative not important. As the scope of management becomes wider, ¡§nurturing¡¨ and ¡§problem solving¡¨ become important. 2.As regard to management development techniques, ¡§personal skills training¡¨ is most important, ¡§talent selection¡¨ is second. Different services industries may use some techniques upon industries characteristics. 3.Management development assessments are not popular in service industries, only ¡§group discussion¡¨ and ¡§simulation game¡¨ are used often, both of them could be related to work in practice. 4.In all service industries, ¡§on-the-job-experiences¡¨ and ¡§management skill training¡¨ are most used management development techniques, ¡§evaluate past experiences¡¨ and ¡§evaluate competencies¡¨ are most used management development assessments.

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Background: In today's dynamic business environment, organizations face high pressure for change and adaptation. It is generally perceived that change is inevitable and many believe that change is an ongoing and never-ending process. The retail industry is a highly competitive sector, and thus it becomes paramount for organizations to successfully manage change. The subject of change management has been present for a long period, however, a remarkably low amount of research has been focused on change management for retail store managers. Therefore, this study aims to examine retail store managers' communication during change processes. Purpose: This study’s purpose is to create a comprehensive understanding of retail store managers’ communication during change processes. Moreover, to identify which elements should be prioritized by retail store managers communicating during change. Method: To achieve the purpose of this thesis, a qualitative interview study was conducted, and it consisted of seven semi-structured interviews with retail store managers. The thesis was guided by an inductive approach, and a thematic analysis of the empirical findings was utilized. Conclusion: This study found that retail store managers' communicational structure was similar as it was based on the same elements, adaptability, selectivity, multiple channels, and prioritization. The structure enabled retail store managers to ensure that the communication was clear and open, thus minimizing employee stress and uncertainty. Continuing, the results indicated that retail store managers should prioritize certain communicational elements, for instance, clarity, openness, and long-run perspective.

Summary                                                               Overweight and obesity in Sweden and in the rest of the industrialized world continues to increase. This results in increased costs both to society and the healthcare system. Part of this development is the increasing consumption of sugar and that is what should be restricted to tackle this growing social problem. Part of the increased consumption of sugar in Sweden was the launch of pick and mix ingrocery stores.  This study aims to examine how store managers look at their public health responsibilities, and investigate how managers of grocery stores think about health and health aspects in general and about the sugar consumption in particular. Semi-structured "face to face" interviews was used to collect data and seven grocery store managers participated in the study. The interviews were analyzed using concentration of sentences that involves compiling the interviewees' statements into shorter formulations. Results of the study showed that all the store managers claimed to take the health responsibilities that can be expected of them. The health aspects taken into account by the store managers were that they provided good organic and locally produced groceries and that some of them had collaboration with a dietician or people with other professions related to food. It was considered easy to buy good and healthy food by all store managers. The question regarding the introduction of a sugar tax divided the store managers, 4 of them were positive to taxation, while 3 of them were more hesitant about its effects. The conclusion of this study is that store managers are taking some responsibility to the public health by providing healthy alternatives. However there is much more they can do to reduce sugar consumption among the population, thus contributing to an important public health work.

The covid-19-pandemic has affected many companies and businesses in society, the retail business being one of them. The pandemic has caused a decrease in sales and many stores have had to make staff reductions. The responsibility of managing the store, as well as managing the changing work conditions, lands in the hands of the store managers. Previous research shows that the middle management position is a vulnerable position where they constantly have to adapt to and handle different interests, particularly during a time full of change. The purpose of the study is to contribute to knowledge about how the covid-19-pandemic affect the store managers work role and leadership, focusing on the conflicting demands and expectations that are integral parts of the middle management position. The empiric material has been gathered through qualitative interviews with store managers in retail, specifically within clothing,cosmetics and shoe retail. The basis for the analysis of the data is a collective theoretical framework regarding sociological ambivalence and sociological coping. The result of the studyshows that the pandemic has resulted in changed work conditions mainly due to temporary and permanent staff reductions. The changed work conditions has led to intensified conflicting demands for the store managers causing them to experience a role conflict, a conflict of values, and conflict between goals and means. Moreover, the study shows that the store managers have handled the conflicting demands and expectations by switching between roles, accepting the intensified demands, seeking support from upper management and co-workers, and to some extent by attempting to make change and set boundaries. The study indicates that the storemanagers work involves incompatible demands and expectations that they are attempting to meet, as a result the store managers feel that they are stretched to their limit. / Den rådande covid-19-pandemin har påverkat många företag och branscher i samhället, däribland handelsbranschen. Pandemin har resulterat i minskad försäljning och många butiker har behövt göra personalneddragningar. Ansvaret för att driva butiken och hantera de förändrade arbetsförhållandena hamnar i knät på butikscheferna. Tidigare forskning visar att mellanchefspositionen är en utsatt position där de ständigt måste förhålla sig till och hantera olika intressen, särskilt under en tid av förändring. Studien syftar därmed till att bidra med kunskap om hur covid-19-pandemin påverkar butikschefens yrkesroll och ledarskap, med ett fokus på de motstridiga krav och förväntningar som inbegrips i mellanchefspositionen. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom kvalitativa intervjuer med butikschefer inom sällanköpshandeln. Grunden för analysen av datamaterialet är ett samlat teoretiskt ramverk om sociologisk ambivalens och sociologisk coping. Studiens resultat visar att pandemin har resulterat i förändrade arbetsförhållanden främst i form av permitteringar och personalneddragningar. De förändrade arbetsförhållandena har lett till en intensifiering av motstridiga krav och förväntningar på butikscheferna vilket gör att de upplever rollkonflikt, värderingskonflikt och konflikt mellan mål och medel. Vidare visar resultatet att butikscheferna hanterat motstridiga krav och förväntningar genom att växla mellanrollfunktioner, acceptera intensifieringen av kraven, söka stöd från ledning och kollegor samt till viss del försöka förändra och sätta gränser. Studien indikerar att butikschefernas arbete präglas av yttre inkompatibla krav och förväntningar som de försöker möta, vilket resulterar i butikschefernas upplevelse av att de vänder ut och in på sig själva.

Bakgrund och problem: Idag eftersträvar företag kostnadsminskning genom flexibilitet, vilket har medfört att efterfrågan på visstidsanställda inom detaljhandeln har ökat markant. Trots den ökade efterfrågan är det inte ovanligt att visstidsanställda inte får någon upplärning alls och företag riskerar lägre produktivitet till följd av lägre kompetens. Utifrån den resursbaserade teorin är det viktigt att de visstidsanställda bidrar med värde genom acceptabel produktivitet, vilket innebär hur mycket företag förväntar sig av sina anställda. Det krävs inte minst eftersom yrket butiksbiträde anses vara komplext. På grund av komplexiteten och den ökade andelen visstidsanställda är det därför centralt att bevara och utveckla visstidsanställdas kompetens genom en god upplärning för att de ska uppnå acceptabel produktivitet. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att öka förståelsen för hur företag inom detaljhandeln arbetar med upplärning av visstidsanställda. Studien avser att undersöka hur företag kan bemöta den föränderliga marknaden genom att förstå hur upplärning av visstidsanställda kan utformas för att de ska uppnå acceptabel produktivitet. Metod: Studien har antagit en kvalitativ metod för att uppnå studien syfte. Åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med olika butikschefer, vilket har bidragit med deras syn på visstidsanställdas upplärning i praktiken. Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att visstidsanställdas upplärning varierar beroende på vilken butik det gäller, men att det finns vissa aspekter som är generella. På grund av att butiker är unika och att individuella skillnader påverkar finns inget konkret arbetssätt för hur upplärningen blir mest effektiv. Trots det har studien klargjort för att skriftliga, muntliga och digitala verktyg är av central betydelse för upplärningen och borde kombineras för att generera värde. Hur kombinationen ser ut beror däremot på hur företaget arbetar och vad som förväntas av de visstidsanställda, alltså den acceptabla produktiviteten. Det har även visat sig att företag vanligtvis inte förväntar sig lika mycket vad gäller produktivitet hos de visstidsanställda som de tillsvidareanställda och att upplärningen därför varierar. Av resultatet framgår även att en värdefull aspekt av upplärningsarbetet är att låta nyanställda implementera teoretiska kunskaper i praktiken. Därmed krävs både teoretisk och praktisk upplärning. / Background and problem: As of today, companies are aiming to reduce costs through flexibility, which in turn has led to a significant increase of the demand for temporary employees within the retail sector. Despite this increased demand it is not uncommon for temporary employees to not receive introductory training, thus companies risk lowering productivity as a result of lower competence levels. According to the resource based theory it is essential that temporary employees contribute valuably through acceptable productivity, which exhibits how much companies expect from their employees. This is however partly necessary since the position of a sales assistant is regarded as a complex profession. Due to the complexity and the increasing portion of temporary employees in the workfield, it is essential to preserve and develop competence achieved through sufficient introductory training to attain acceptable productivity. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to acquire a deeper understanding of how companies in the retail sector conduct introductory training of temporary employees. The study aims to examine how companies potentially can manage the ever changing market through understanding how introductory training of temporary employees can be designed to obtain acceptable productivity. Method: The study has adopted a qualitative method for achieving its purpose. Eight semistructured interviews have been conducted with multiple store managers with the purpose of compiling views and experiences of introductory training in practice. Conclusion: The results of the study demonstrate that introductory training of temporary employees varies depending on the store in which one operates. Certain aspects appear to be prevalent, however since each store is unique and has individual variables in effect there is no palpable way of streamlining introductory training. Consequently, the study has confirmed that written, oral and digital tools are imperative for introductory training and should be combined to be of value. This combination design is dependent on how a specific company works and what is expected of the temporary employees, that is, the acceptable productivity. It has also been found that companies frequently do not expect as much in terms of productivity from temporary employees as opposed to permanent employees, seeing this introductory training can vary. The result confirms valuable aspects of introductory training involves allowing new employees implement theoretical knowledge in practice. Therefore is both theoretical and practical training required.

Under det senaste decenniet har den svenska elektronikhandeln präglats av en allt hårdare konkurrenssituation och lägre lönsamhet. Det har lett till att stora butikskedjor gått i konkurs. För att vända trenden måste företagen hanterar sina butiksverksamheter effektivt. Det blir därmed avgörande hur butikschefen sköter butiken. Av den anledningen är det intressant att undersöka butikschefers arbetssätt för att se vad som leder till hög lönsamhet. Vår genomgång av tidigare forskning visar på att det finns en kunskapslucka gällande hur en butikschef bör arbeta för att öka lönsamheten. Studiens syfte är att undersöka hur butikschefer arbetar och utifrån det identifiera faktorer i butikschefers arbetssätt som påverkar resultat och leder till skillnader i butikers prestationer. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och bygger på intervjuer med 10 butikschefer. Respondenterna har delats in i en högpresterande fokusgrupp och en jämförelsegrupp för att tydliggöra skillnader i arbetssättet. Studien visar på flertalet skillnader i hur butikschefer i fokusgruppen hanterar de vardagliga arbetsuppgifterna. Den största skillnaden består i ledarfilosofin butikscheferna utövar, vilket genomsyrar alla beslut butikscheferna i fokusgruppen tar. / Background During the latest decade the Swedish electronic industry has been exposed to intensified competition and lower profitability. The consequences have been that major retail chains have gone out of business. In order to survive, the companies need to handle their stores as efficiently as possible. As a result it’s crucial how the store manager operates the store. Therefore it is interesting to study how store managers practice their work in order to see what leads to high profitability. Our review of research reveals that there’s a knowledge gap of qualitative studies regarding how store managers should work. Aim The aim of the study is to investigate how store managers works and from that identify factors in the store managers way of work that affects the result and leads to differences in store performance. Methodology The study is made with a qualitative approach and is built on data from interviews with 10 store managers. The respondents have been divided in to a high-performance focus group and a comparison group in order to clarify the differences in their approach of work. Conclusion The study shows a number of differences in how high-performance store managers handle their work. However, the biggest difference is the leadership philosophy they choose to practice, which affect everything they do.

This thesis is focused on the analysis of job duties leading mobile operator selected stores. Based on the analysis are proposed changes to those obligations in order to unify the concept of performance management stores and eliminate the difference in the performance of individual managers. In the thesis was to create a solution to increase the effectiveness of store Manager and improve performance stores including calculations of incurred costs and revenues.

Problembakgrund: Detaljhandeln har länge karakteriserats som en feminiserad bransch,där kvinnor varit överrepresenterade. Fastän kvinnor utgör merparten av de anställda ibranschen, så är de disproportionerligt representerade i chefspositioner. Vilket beror på attkvinnors möjligheter till att nå en chefsposition varit mycket liten. Förklaringen kanhänföras till att kvinnor historisk sett har upplevt faktorer som hindrar deraskarriärutveckling, vilka män däremot inte har mött. Vilket har inneburit en ickejämställdhet mellan könen vad gäller deras möjligheter att klättra uppför i arbetslivet. Attkvinnor mött utmaningar när det kommer till att nå högre positioner kan konstateras,däremot har tidigare studier identifierat både faktorer som har underlättat och försvåratför de båda könen i deras karriärutveckling till butikschef i detaljhandeln. Syfte: Kandidatuppsatsens syfte är att få en ökad förståelse för de potentiella faktorersom kan inverka på manliga och kvinnliga butikschefers karriärutveckling i ett stortsvenskt detaljhandelsföretag. Det vill säga de upplevda faktorer som hittills underlättat endetaljhandelschefs karriär i Sverige, och de upplevda faktorer som dessa varuhuscheferupplever varit problematiska för deras karriärutveckling. Metod: Kandidatuppsatsen utgår ifrån en kvalitativ forskningsmetod där data för studiensamlats in med hjälp av semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem kvinnliga och fem manligavaruhuschefer i ett stort svenskt detaljhandelsföretag. Resultat: Kandidatuppsatsen visar utifrån varuhuschefernas upplevelser att en utvecklinghar skett jämfört med tidigare studier då de kvinnliga och manliga respondenterna idagupplever färre faktorer som har försvårat och fler faktorer som har underlättatkarriärutvecklingen. Trots att en förbättring har påvisats finns fortfarande belägg för attkvinnor, dock i lägre utsträckning, fortfarande upplever fler faktorer som har försvåratderas karriärutveckling, och att män upplever fler faktorer som har underlättat deraskarriärutveckling, som en jämförelse könen emellan. Författarna har även kunnatidentifiera två nya faktorer som ett bidrag till kommande studier. / Background and problem: Retail has long been characterized as a feminized trade,where women have been overrepresented. Although women make up the majority of theemployees in the trade, they are disproportionately represented in managerial positions.Which is because women's opportunities to reach a managerial position have been verysmall. The explanation can be attributed to the fact that women have historicallyexperienced factors that prevent their career progression, which men, on the other hand,have not encountered. Which has meant a non-equality between the sexes in terms oftheir opportunities to ascend in their work. It can be stated that women have facedchallenges when it comes to reaching higher positions, however, previous studies haveidentified both factors that have facilitated and made it more difficult for both sexes intheir career progression as store managers in retail. Purpose: The purpose of the bachelor thesis is to gain an increased understanding of thepotential factors that can affect the career progression of male and female store managersin a large Swedish retail company. That is, the perceived factors that have so farfacilitated a retail manager's career in Sweden, and the perceived factors that these retailstore managers experience have been problematic for their career progression. Method: The bachelor thesis is based on a qualitative research method where the data forthe study was collected with the help of semi-structured interviews with five female andfive male retail store managers in a large Swedish retail company. Results: The bachelor thesis shows, based on the retail store managers' experiences, thata development has taken place compared with previous studies, as the female and malerespondents today experience fewer factors that have made it more difficult and morefactors that have facilitated their career progression. Although an improvement has beendemonstrated, there is still evidence that women, albeit to a lesser extent, still experiencemore factors that have hampered their career progression, and that men experience morefactors that have facilitated their career development, as a comparison between the sexes. The authors have also been able to identify two new factors as a contribution to futurestudies.