Managing Continuous Organisational Improvement

Running head: MANAGING CONTINUOUS ORGANISATIONAL IMPROVEMENT
Managing Continuous Organisational Improvement
Name of student
Name of University
Author note
Table of Contents

1
MANAGING CONTINUOUS ORGANISATIONAL IMPROVEMENT
Introduction............................................................................................................... 3
Task 1...................................................................................................................... 3
Influence of organisational culture on continuous improvement............................................3
Features of organisational culture that encourage and allow for continuous improvement............4
Approaches to change management introduction and acceptance of changes............................6
Approaches to continuous quality improvement...............................................................8
Task 2.................................................................................................................... 13
Sources of information used by organisations................................................................13
Big Data concept and its contribution to improvement.....................................................16

2
MANAGING CONTINUOUS ORGANISATIONAL IMPROVEMENT
Introduction
I have been employed as the Human resources department in the head office of the
national chain of retailers in Sri Lanka, i.e., considering the business organisation named
Laugfs Holdings Supermarket, Sri Lanka. It is one of the largest supermarket chains in Sri
Lanka and has managed to offer good quality products such as grocery items, electronic
goods, homecare as well as other beauty care products to cater the needs of people all over.
Due to the changing demands and expectations in the marketplace along with high
competition within the business environment, there is need to implement changes and
improve the business functioning for ensuring consistent growth, development and success in
business in terms of gaining bigger market share and at the same time, attain high level of
profit too1. I have been assigned in team A to ensure that the staff memebrs of teams are
acknowledged about the changes to be done, furthermore accomplish both the strategic and
operational goals too. Considering the fact that change is necessary and can be complex at
times, it is important to ensure that the various aspects of the change program are considered
wisely and then proper implementation of changes is done to ensure smooth business
functioning as well as ensure continuous organisational Improvement.
Task 1
Influence of organisational culture on continuous improvement
A meeting has been arranged by the Director of Operations for the purpose of
establishing a good corporate culture where communication should be possible and also
continuous improvement would be managed. The entire organisational functioning is quite
complex and thus is dependent upon the cultural behaviours that are fostered within the
workplace. Often business organisations like Laugfs Holdings Supermarket in Sri Lanka have
1 Boer, Harry, et al. CI Changes from Suggestion Box to Organisational Learning: Continuous Improvement in
Europe and Australia: Continuous Improvement in Europe and Australia. Routledge, 2017.

3
MANAGING CONTINUOUS ORGANISATIONAL IMPROVEMENT
faced issues such as decline in sales performance, unable to achieve competitive advantage
and others. According to Boer et al. (2017), these issues might emerge due to the lack of good
working conditions and an appropriate culture, which could easily lower down the morale of
staffs and impact the organisational performance and productivity instantly. Thus,
maintaining a good corporate culture is always essential for enabling continuous
improvement and becomes ease for implementing changes as well. The Total Quality
Management or TQM technique has been used at Laugfs Holdings Supermarket, Sri Lanka
for implementing changes and to increase the organisational effectiveness by setting the right
goals and objectives2. It has improved the organisation’s capability to manage self-organising
activities based on the different aspects of corporate culture consisting of organisational
values, beliefs and norms.
As stated by Hoftsede, culture has been related to the ethnic and regional groups and
also for the organisation’s workplace including symbols leaders, rituals, values and beliefs.
There are few basic components have always been the critical driving factors behind the
formation of a healthy culture including the ability to adapt to the external change or
environment. The maintenance of honesty, integrity and internal identity are the other factors
that have been developed a good culture within the workplace too3.
Features of organisational culture that encourage and allow for continuous
improvement
The various features of the culture of an organisation include various assumptions,
values, beliefs and way or aprpaoches that govern the way people interact and work wih each
other within the organisation. The shared values and beliefs have created strong influence on
the employees within the workplace as well as allowed them to develop the way they dress,
2 Clark, David M., Kate Silvester, and Simon Knowles. "Lean management systems: creating a culture of
continuous quality improvement." Journal of clinical pathology 66.8 (2013): 638-643.
3 Sanchez, Lidia, and Beatriz Blanco. "Three decades of continuous improvement." Total Quality Management
& Business Excellence 25.9-10 (2014): 986-1001.

4
MANAGING CONTINUOUS ORGANISATIONAL IMPROVEMENT
act and perform within the workplace of the organisation. The organisation maintains a good
and unique culture that enables implementation of various organisational laws, rules,
regulations and policies and also the boundaries that the employees should maintain to ensure
smooth business functioning4. Abiding by the laws, rules, regulations, policies and principles
of the organisation, the employees would be able to create a healthy work culture, which is
free from any sort of discrimination based on race, religion, colour or creed and at the same
time, influence behaviours of individuals. Due to the formation of a good culture, change
would be evident and this could result in continuous improvement and changes on a positive
note all throughout the organisational functioning5. The manager or leader also needs to play
a major role in making sure that the Laugfs Holdings Supermarket chain in Sri Lanka remains
one of the most popular and establishment retail chain and remain competitive within the
business environment. But for this, maintaining honesty, openness and transparency along
with maintenance of spirituality are essential for contributing to the formation of a healthy
corporate culture6.
The organisational culture would be fostered with the help of good communication
between members of the organisation and also based on the clarification of roles and
responsibilities and skills. The way they communicate, interact and perform within the
workplace are dependent upon the listening skills of the employees, which can make them
clarify their roles and gain empowerment too. The manager must identify ways to keep them
motivated and engaged within the workplace, which should also be possible with the help of
rewards and benefits and also by understanding their developmental needs, based on which,
4 Brajer-Marczak, Renata. "Employee engagement in continuous improvement of processes." Management 18.2
(2014): 88-103.
5 Bititci, Umit, Paola Cocca, and Aylin Ates. "Impact of visual performance management systems on the
performance management practices of organisations." International Journal of Production Research 54.6
(2016): 1571-1593.
6 McLean, Richard, and Jiju Antony. "Why continuous improvement initiatives fail in manufacturing
environments? A systematic review of the evidence." International Journal of Productivity and Performance
Management 63.3 (2014): 370-376.

5
MANAGING CONTINUOUS ORGANISATIONAL IMPROVEMENT
necessary training and developmental programs could be arranged for them7. This would
raise their potential through improvement of skills, acqusitions of knowledge and information
and make them encouraged to perform efficiently to assist in for continuous improvement.
Thus, the managerial implications are major aspects of organisational culture that allow the
manger to become a role model to his subordinates, communicate ethical expectations,
provide them with training and make them acknowledged with their work and job roles,
provide rewards and benefits for their contribution and lastly, provide them protective
mechanisms in the form of job security8. With their needs being fulfilled, they would feel
more engaged and act with interest towards accomplishment of business objectives,
furthermore ensure continuous improvement all throughout the business functions and
processes at the Sri Lankan retailer chain named Laugfs Holdings Supermarket.
Approaches to change management introduction and acceptance of changes
There are few steps that have been followed at Laugfs Holdings Supermarket to
facilitate the introduction and acceptance of changes. It is important to identify the driving
forces of change on the basis of contrast planned and unplanned change. The major forces
that are experienced here to be influencing the change at the company are the nature of
workforce, implementation of technologies, competiveness, social trends and political
environment. There are also planned changes that are focused more on goals and are
objective oriented, which could assist in improving the organisational ability to adapt the
change, furthermore ensure positive changes in behaviours of the employees working at the
company9.
7 McLean, Richard S., Jiju Antony, and Jens J. Dahlgaard. "Failure of continuous improvement initiatives in
manufacturing environments: a systematic review of the evidence." Total Quality Management & Business
Excellence28.3-4 (2017): 219-237.
8 Mosadeghrad, Ali Mohammad. "Essentials of total quality management: a meta-analysis." International
journal of health care quality assurance 27.6 (2014): 544-558.
9 Javadian Kootanaee, Akbar, K. Nagendra Babu, and Hamid Talari. "Just-in-time manufacturing system: from
introduction to implement." Nagendra and Talari, Hamid, Just-In-Time Manufacturing System: From
Introduction to Implement (March 1, 2013) (2013).