People, Culture and Contemporary Leadership

This report analyzes HRM practices used by Woolworths Limited related to culture, people, and performance. It suggests measures for improving workforce performance, work culture, and employee engagement.

Running head: PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
People, Culture and Contemporary Leadership
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Measures for the improvement of performance of the workforce.............................................2
Measures for the improvement of work culture.........................................................................3
Measures for the improvement of employee engagement.........................................................4
Recommendations......................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

2PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
Introduction
As opined by Mone and London (2018), the business world of the contemporary times
is drastically different from the ones of the earlier times because of the need of modern
organizations to integrate the diverse emerging business trends within the spectrum of
services offered by them. Shields et al. (2015) are of the viewpoint that unlike earlier times
when the focus of organizations was on the aspect of profitability, the contemporary
organizations focus more on the aspects of culture and people. In this regard, it can be said
that the process of leadership plays an important role since the leaders are required to
effective manage the people who are associated with a particular organization and also for
fostering a congenial work culture within the organization wherein the employees can
maximize their performance (Saks and Gruman 2017). This report will analyze the HRM
practices used by the organization Woolworths Limited which are related to its culture,
people and performance.
Measures for the improvement of performance of the workforce
Adler et al. (2016) are of the viewpoint that the individual performances of the
employees is the major factor on which the overall performance of an organization depends
greatly and this is perhaps one of the major reasons why the organizations are taking the help
of various measures for the enhancement of the same. The net result of this is the fact that the
organizations take the help of different kinds of performance measurement tools as well as
performance review systems so as to quantify the performance of the employees (Lee and
Steers 2017). However, as argued by Mone and London (2018), the performance
measurement systems used by the organizations merely take into account the quantifiable
performance of the employees and does not take into consideration the contribution made by
the employees. In this regard, it needs to be said that the organization Woolworths Limited

3PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
takes the help of different kinds of performance measurement tools as well as reviews. These
tools not only take into account the quantifiable performance of the employees but also the
contribution made by them towards the growth of the concerned organization as well.
The organization Woolworths Limited, for the improvement of the job productivity of
the different employees of the organization is trying to use the performance based reward
system. The employees are given a particular monthly target on the basis of which the
salaries of the employees are fixed (Dusterhoff, Cunningham and MacGregor 2014).
However, this new system evolved by the organization is intended to provide additional
monetary as well as other kinds of perks to the employees who work extra or over-achieve
the monthly targets which are being given to them (Lee and Steers 2017). More importantly,
there are separate categories for the incentives or the rewards that are offered to the
employees. For example, there is reward for the employees who over-achieve their monthly
targets and also incentives for the ones who contribute in a meaning manner towards the
growth of organization through the extra initiatives that they take for the enhancement of the
performance of other employees (Dusterhoff, Cunningham and MacGregor 2014). In addition
to these, on prolonged sustained outstanding performance designations are also being offered
to the employees in synchronicity with the level of their performance.
Measures for the improvement of work culture
As argued by Shields et al. (2015), the work culture which is being followed within
the framework of an organization greatly determines the performance level or job
productivity of the employees. For example, it is seen that a congenial work culture can
positively influence the job productivity of the employees whereas a negative work culture
can adversely affect it (Brown 2014). In this regard, it needs to be said that the organization
under discussion here has one of the best work cultures in the entire nation of Australia

4PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
(Crane 2017). For example, it is seen that the organization actively recognizes the loyalty of
the employees who have been a part of their organization for a long time and also have
contributed in a meaningful towards the growth of the organization.
The organization Woolworths Limited has evolved a loyalty recognition policy
wherein the employees are rewarded not only on the basis of the number of years that they
spent within the organization but at the same on the basis of their sustained dedicated
performance as well. For example, it is seen that attractive appraisals are being offered to the
employees who had completed more than one year within the organization. It is pertinent to
note that the organization at the time of the yearly appraisals not only accesses the employees
on the time period that they have spent within the organization but at the same time on the
basis of their yearly performance and the contribution that they have made towards the
growth of the organization as well (Shields et al. 2015). In addition to the monetary
appraisals, it is seen that various additional perks like family holiday packages, reward and
recognition, designations and others are being offered to the employees for being loyal to the
organization (Crane 2017).
Measures for the improvement of employee engagement
Albrecht et al. (2015) are of the viewpoint that the construct of employee engagement
not only helps the organizations to enhance the engagement level between the different
employees of an organization but at the same time helps in the improvement of the relation
that they share with the organization. As opined by Anitha (2014), the performance of an
individual within a particular workplace depends greatly on the manner in which the
concerned individual is being able to engage with their colleagues. In this regard, it needs to
be said that the organization Woolworths Limited in order to positively influence the job
productivity of the employees actively takes the help of the process of employee engagement.

5PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
The organization Woolworths Limited in order to enhance the level of engagement
among the different employees takes the help of the process of reward and recognition. The
organization under discussion here through the use of this framework not only rewards the
hardworking employees of the organization but at the same time the ones who have
contributed in a meaningful manner towards the improvement of the performance level of the
other employees (Saks and Gruman 2017). In addition to these, the employees who have
helped in the creation of an effective organizational culture are also being rewarded and also
their efforts are being recognized through the use of this method (Albrecht et al. 2015). These
reward and recognition programs are being organized by the organization under discussion
here on yearly basis and the rewards are being distributed by the CEO of the organization.
Recommendations
There are various measures through which the organization can improve the use of
above mentioned strategies. Some of the most important ones are listed below-
 For the improvement of the productivity of the employees the organization
Woolworths Limited is taking the help of the performance reward system. However,
the major weakness of this strategy is the fact that the rewards offered by the
organization on the basis of the fact whether or not the employees have over-achieved
the monthly targets which have given to them. However, rather than using this
method the organization is likely to gain in a substantial manner if it compares the
performance level of the employees with the performance given by the same
employees in the previous month. This is likely to enable the organization to improve
the performance of the employees in a much better manner.
 For the improvement of the organizational culture the organization is taking the help
of a loyalty recognition policy. However, the major weakness of this strategy is the

6PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
fact that only the employees who have completed atleast one year are entitled to this.
Thus, it is expected that if the organization relaxes this time period and offers loyalty
recognition rewards the employees solely on the basis of their hard work and the
loyalty that they show towards the organization through their work it would be able to
improve its culture in a much better manner.
 For the enhancement of employee engagement the organization is taking the help of
reward and recognition system. However, the major weakness of this strategy is the
fact that these programs are being conducted once a year. Thus, the organization
would be able to gain in a substantial manner if they increase the frequency of these
programs.
Conclusion
To conclude, the concepts of employee performance, organizational culture and
employee performance have gained a substantial amount of prominence within the spectrum
of the contemporary business world. More importantly, the prominence that these concepts
have gained can be explained on the basis of the contribution that they make towards the
improvement of the individual job productivity of the different employees of an organization.
This becomes apparent from an analysis of the manner in which these concepts are being
used by the organization Woolworths Limited within the process of their business operations.

7PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
References
Adler, S., Campion, M., Colquitt, A., Grubb, A., Murphy, K., Ollander-Krane, R. and
Pulakos, E.D., 2016. Getting rid of performance ratings: Genius or folly? A debate. Industrial
and Organizational Psychology, 9(2), pp.219-252.
Albrecht, S.L., Bakker, A.B., Gruman, J.A., Macey, W.H. and Saks, A.M., 2015. Employee
engagement, human resource management practices and competitive advantage: An
integrated approach. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 2(1),
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Anitha, J., 2014. Determinants of employee engagement and their impact on employee
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Dusterhoff, C., Cunningham, J.B. and MacGregor, J.N., 2014. The effects of performance
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[online] Available at: https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/ [Accessed 4 Dec. 2018].