Report on Contemporary Management Issues at Asda in the 21st Century

This report examines contemporary management issues in the 21st century, focusing on the impact of COVID-19 and the use of information and communication technology in managing Asda. It discusses how Asda hires for attitude and trains for skills, emphasizing flexibility and adaptability to cope with uncertainty. The report highlights the importance of safety measures, democratic leadership, and performance management for employee growth. It also recommends employee engagement, open communication, and short-term goal setting to improve organizational efficiency and productivity. The conclusion emphasizes the need for strategic planning and proactive measures to overcome challenges and ensure organizational success in a dynamic business environment.

Contemporary
Management Issues in
the 21st Century

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Business environment is determined as aggregate of internal as well as external factors
which impacts upon business organisation operating in business environment. In order to operate
and regulate operations and activities, there are several defined mechanisms which facilitates in
accomplishment of desired goals and objectives. Asda Store Ltd is among leading business
organisations engaged in providing grocery and general merchandise to customers in their chain
of supermarkets. This report essay will be comprised of information and knowledge of impact of
uncertainty in business environment with reference of COVID-19. Furthermore, it will be
highlighting use of information and communication technology in regulating management
practices within workplace (Jimenez-Jimenez, Martínez-Costa, and Rodriguez, 2019).
MAIN BODY
A business organisation is comprised of various different elements and components
which results in impacting upon carrying out operations and activities. For instance, all these
elements and components further impact upon completion of determined operations and
activities carried out in workplace.
Communication is determined as process of exchange or transfer on information or
message from one end to another. In addition to that, it facilitates workforce in communicating
with each other in order to carry out business operations in workplace. Primary and major aim of
communication process lies in improvisation and enhancement of coordination as well as
cooperation of employees in workplace. Furthermore, efficient practices of communication in
respective organisation further results in development of positive and productive working
environment. Impact of communication technology in exchange of information lies in ensuring
efficient completion of process with the use of technological aspects in order to facilitate
effective decision-making and problem-solving (Kroh, and et. al., 2018).
Information technology is defined as use of technology in gathering and analysing
information or knowledge according to needs and requirements of respective organisation. For
instance, information and knowledge acquired though information technology is inclusive of
consumer demands, market trends, forecasting of future uncertainty or risk, etc. All these factors
and aspects impact upon operations and activities of respective organisation. Information and
knowledge acquired through Information technology facilitates Asda in being ready to fulfil

future customer demands as well as prevention of future uncertainty (Schermerhorn Jr, Bachrach,
and Wright, 2020).
The Belief of respective business organisation behind their Talent strategy lies in Hiring
for attitude and training for skills. For instance, respective company is determined at recruiting
and selecting people who are aimed at contributing values towards organisation with initiation of
efforts with best of their potential. The recent pandemic situation due to COVID-19 has been
resulted in various negative impact upon respective organisation which requires additional
efforts and more effective strategies in order to prevent the same. Moreover, employees with
determination in carrying out operations and activities will facilitate respective organisation in
overcoming through damage and negative impact of pandemic in order to survive in business
environment as well as ensuring organisational growth and success.
Training and development programs organised by respective organisations are aimed at
increasing and enhancing flexibility of workforce as well as related skills including self-
discipline, adaptability, problem-solving, etc. In addition to that, all these skills and abilities
facilitates respective organisation in coping up with changes in business environment in order to
carry out operations and activities in an efficient manner. Representatives engaged in HR
practices in respective organisation are determined at regulating positive working environment
with continuous learning of skills as well as enhancement of individual abilities. In order to cope
up with uncertainty in business organisation, flexibility and adaptability plays a crucial role in
implementing various strategies in order to accomplish organisational goals and objectives.
Furthermore, pandemic phase of COVID-19 has resulted in impacting upon each and every
business organisation in some or the other manner.
In order to ensure workplace safety of employees or workforce, sufficient measures and
precautions are taken into consideration in order to accomplish determined goals and objectives.
For instance, these measures and precautions include adequate physical distance, wearing face
masks and gloves, sanitisation, etc. Moreover, it further facilitates in prevention of barriers that
could arise in effective completion of operations and activities in workplace. Therefore, Asda
was aimed at consideration of each and every aspect that could further contribute towards
effective and efficient completion of business operations and activities in order to achieve
organisational goals and objectives (A view form Asda: Aligning the people strategy with the
Business Strategy to Drive Commercial Success, 2022).

The representatives engaged in leadership practices in respective organisation are
determined at influencing workforce towards achievement of desired goals and objectives. For
instance, belief of respective company lies in significance of ideal leadership approach in
achievement of desired goals and objectives. Democratic leadership approach has been taken
into consideration in order to delegate authority to subordinates in order to take decisions
according to existing scenario of business environment as well as workplace. In addition to that,
this leadership delegates decision-making power to subordinates at different in order to make
decisions according to their assigned tasks and activities (Griffin, 2021). Referring to current
business environment, pandemic due to COVID-19 has a huge impact upon business
environment which has resulted in necessity to develop and adapt different strategies in order to
implement changes in workplace.
The primary and major role of leadership in respective organisation lies in ensuring
effective and efficient completion of operations and activities by motivating as well as providing
employees with guidance and support. In order to regulate consistency in personal growth and
development of employees, performance management practices have been taken into
consideration which contributes in identification and determination of areas of improvement.
Moreover, these areas with scope of improvement are provided with additional efforts and
guidance in order to increase efficiency and productivity in workplace. Furthermore, motivation
practices carried out by leaders in workplace further facilitates in initiation of additional efforts
by workforce in carrying out business operations. Therefore, this positive aspect taken into
account by respective business organisation accelerates journey of company towards
accomplishment of organisational goals and objectives.
Being operating in a dynamic business environment, respective organisation might face
issues or challenges in growth and success. For instance, Asda need to initiate additional efforts
constantly in order to overcome through changes in business environment due to pandemic
phase. In order to increase sales and attract more customers, efficient promotional and marketing
practices is needed to be taken into consideration. Moreover, safety precautions and measures
considered in workplace in order to ensure safety of customers as well as employees must be
promoted and advertised in marketing practices. In addition to that, this aspect will allow
company to attract additional customer base towards products and services offered by respective
business organisation (Rosenbach, 2018).

The primary and foremost recommendation to respective business organisation is to
consider employee engagement in workplace with frequent meetings in order to discuss essential
and significant aspects in order to make decisions. Furthermore, it will contribute values towards
respective organisation with contribution of employees with ideas and opinions regarding issues
or problems faced by respective organisation. Moreover, it will further result in consideration of
most suitable and appropriate strategies to be implemented in workplace in order to carry out
operations and activities in an efficient manner. Therefore, this consideration will facilitate
respective business organisation in coping up with changes according to existing needs and
requirements.
Another major recommendation to respective organisation is to consider Open
communication within workplace. For instance, due to negative impacts of existing scenario of
business environment, open communication in workplace will facilitate in enhancing
coordination and collaboration of workforce in carrying out operations and activities.
Furthermore, leaders in workplace must ask for feedback in order to acknowledge their views
and opinions over a introduced or developed strategy. It also facilitates with improvisation and
enhancement of developed strategy to be further implemented in workplace(Bratton, 2020).
Determination of short-term goals is also recommended to respective organisation in the
journey of accomplishment of long term goals and objectives. For instance, these short-term
wins ensures systematic approach towards achievement of long term goals and objectives of
respective organisation. In addition to that, employees with upright performance in carrying out
operations and activities must be recognised among workforce in order to motivate and
encourage them towards efficient performance in workplace.
Therefore, all these initiatives will further result in accomplishment of desired aim and
objectives of respective business organisation.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it could be concluded that pandemic phase due to COVID-19 has
impacted upon business environment in a negative manner. Moreover, representatives engaged
in leadership practices in respective organisation are determined at development and
implementation of strategic planning in order to eliminate issues or challenges faced by company
as well as overcoming through negative impact of pandemic. Efficient employee engagement,

Open communication, , etc. are recommended to Asda in order to increase efficiency and
productivity in workplace as well as preventing negative impacts of COVID-19.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Jimenez-Jimenez, D., Martínez-Costa, M. and Rodriguez, C. S., 2019. The mediating role of
supply chain collaboration on the relationship between information technology and
innovation. Journal of Knowledge Management.
Kroh, and et. al.., 2018. Use and efficacy of information technology in innovation processes: the
specific role of servitization. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 35(5),
pp.720-741.
Schermerhorn Jr, J. R., Bachrach, D. G. and Wright, B., 2020. Management. John Wiley & Sons.
Griffin, R. W., 2021. Management. Cengage Learning.
Rosenbach, W. E., 2018. Contemporary issues in leadership. Routledge.
Bratton, J. ed., 2020. Organizational leadership. Sage.
Online
A view form Asda: Aligning the people strategy with the Business Strategy to Drive Commercial
Success, 2022. [Online] Available Though: <https://www.marlinhawk.com/articles/a-view-from-
asda-aligning-the-people-strategy-with-the-business-strategy-to-drive-commercial-success/>