BBS0061: People Management and Culture Analysis at Marks & Spencer

This report provides an analysis of people management and organizational culture at Marks & Spencer, focusing on the challenges and strategies involved in managing a diverse workforce within a multinational retailer. The report explores key issues such as organizational change and the impact of culture on employee performance and productivity. It applies Charles Handy's cultural model, examining power, task, person, and role cultures within the context of Marks & Spencer, and discusses how the company can leverage these cultural frameworks to address organizational challenges and improve overall business performance. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of effective people management and a well-defined organizational culture in achieving business objectives, highlighting the practical applications of Handy's theory in resolving real-world issues faced by Marks & Spencer. Desklib provides access to similar reports and study tools for students.

People - BBS006-
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Description of issues...............................................................................................................1
Knowledge of academic theory..............................................................................................2
Application of theory..............................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Managing people is considered as the procedures of training, encouraging and guiding staff
for optimising work area productivity as well as promoting professional development. Moreover,
the leaders of workplace like team leads, managers and head of the department utilise
individuals’ management for overseeing the flow of work as well as boost staff performance
each day. In addition to this, it incorporates arranging their team in such manner which enhances
productivity and optimising effectiveness (Bader and Reade, 2021). Within workplace, people
management importance goes through evaluation of staff competencies and understanding.
Through determining these aspects, firm may evaluate every individual’s strength and weakness,
investing into strategies for improving it, that have an impact upon professional’s productivity.
The company chosen for this report is Marks & Spencer, which is a multinational retailer that
deals in clothing, home & food products. Its headquarters is in London, United Kingdom. The
topics which are going to be discussed in this report are explanation of issues and understanding
of theory. In addition to this, their application is also provided in this report.
MAIN BODY
Description of issues
Organisation management is undertaken as the techniques to unite individuals for assisting
them to perform towards common pre-specified objectives. Moreover, this provides possibilities
of utilising an entity’s resources to fullest as well as facilitates sense of direction to staff. In
addition to this, organisational culture describes as the appropriate way to behave in firm. it
incorporates shared values as well as beliefs developed through leaders and thereafter reinforced
and communicated by several process that ultimately shape worker’s conception, knowledge and
attitudes. In addition to this, it aids in improving flows of work as well as directs the procedures
of decision making (Berman and et. al., 2021). Also, this assists team to overcome from barriers
ambiguity. Though, by having a clear culture which unifies workers as well as promote
organised structures of work that aids individuals to work together with intent. Furthermore,
organisational change is undertaken as the actions where a firm or business alters a huge element
of their business, like their culture, underlying technologies or infrastructure that they utilise to
perform their internal methods.
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In respect of Marks & Spencer, this is known to be one of the leading British multinational
retailers that deals in clothing, home & food products. Its headquarters is in London, United
Kingdom. Additionally, it was founded in year 1884 by Michael marks, Thomas Spencer. In
addition to this, it has around 78, 000 staff and operates their business in about 29 countries and
Hong Kong. Also, they have franchised stores together with 19 directly owned shops within
Hong Kong, Gibraltar and Ireland, the United Kingdom have a chequered history into its
attempts for exporting UK higher street brands to worldwide. As the operate into various
countries so they are facing the issues related to organisational culture as for effective culture
they have to make changes into their strategies, process, techniques and others. Apart from this,
they also have to oversee towards work culture for employees because this impacts their
performance and productivity. It directly or indirectly affects their business profitability. For
instance, the respective organisation has to apply some theories or models in accordance with
Organisational culture such as Charles handy model of cultures, Hofstede's dimensions of
cultural theory and others in order to resolve it in much effective and efficient way.
Knowledge and application of basic academic theory
Charles handy cultures model which is a well known framework that relates the
categorisation of firm’s culture to evidence in the way of organisational structure. Additionally,
Handy’s also believed that there are four key kinds of organisational culture that may be
determined through extent to that an entity is both formalised as well as centralised (Charles
Handy Model of Organization Culture, 2020). Charles handy was born in year 1932 into
renowned philosopher who has expertise within firm culture. As per the respective model, all
those four forms of cultures that are discussed below:
Power culture:
There are few firms in which power remains into hands of only some individuals as well
as only they are authorised for taking decision. Moreover, they are ones who enjoy particular
privileges at work areas. In addition to his, they are much essential person at work and are key
decision takers (Gopinath, 2020). These people further delegate accountabilities to other staff.
Within respective culture, subordinates have no other options but to obey its higher authority
instructions. Along with this, workers do not have any liberty for expressing its opinions or share
its ideas upon an open forum and have to comply what their higher authority’s say. Also, manger
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into such culture kinds sometimes may be partial to someone or other leading to key unrest
among others.
Task culture:
Firms in which teams are developed for attaining the targets or resolve critical issues
follow the task culture. Moreover, within such entity person with common interests as well as
specialisation come together for forming a group. In addition to this, there are usually around 4
to 5 members into every team. Within it all members of group have to contribute equally as well
as attain tasks into much innovative manner.
Person culture:
There are various firms in which staff feels that they are much essential in comparison to
its company. Those entities comply a culture called as person culture. Within it, individuals are
much focused towards its own self instead of entity (Gopinath, 2021). Additionally, firm into
such culture undertakes a seat as well as eventually suffers. In addition to this, staffs just come to
workplace for money as well as never get attached towards it. Along with this, they are seldom
loyal towards management as well as never decide into favour of company. So, individuals have
to always remember that firm comes first and all later on.
Role culture
This is considered as the culture in which all staff is delegated roles as well as
accountabilities based upon their specialisation, interests and educational qualification for
extracting effective among them. Additionally, within such culture workers decided what
efficient they may perform as well as interestingly accept the modifications. In addition to this,
all people are responsible for all or other and have to undertake ownership of task delegated to
them. Also, power comes with accountability within those work culture.
Therefore, Handy’s theory is also related to the idea of visual presentation of that culture as
well as aids to facilitates an acknowledgement of how various forms of organisational culture in
physical manner manifested itself into whole firm’s structure as well as hierarchy. Additionally,
it has been also recognised that into entity, this is natural that culture would continue to leads
through personality or preferences of specific person, manager or leader. But into large entity
culture would become self replicating as well as reinforcing (Hanif, 2020). Along with this, the
critics of respective culture theory also recommends that it would advantageous from being
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upgraded within modern much flexible work atmospheres in which developed career patter and
structure have not much relevance.
Application of theory to business case.
Organisation’s culture is undertaken as underlying perceptions, value, ways and beliefs to
interact that contribute towards social as well as psychological business environment. Moreover,
it aids in influencing individuals within form (Kaufman, 2019). Also, through applying Charles
Handy’s culture theory Marks & Spencer can able to deal with the problems related to
organisation culture as it is related to the idea of visual presentation of that culture as well as aids
to facilitates an acknowledgement of how various forms of organisational culture in physical
manner manifested itself into whole firm’s structure as well as hierarchy. Additionally, it has
been also recognised that into entity, this is natural that culture would continue to leads through
personality or preferences of specific person, manager or leader. With assistance of four kinds of
culture that are described below:
 Power culture: This is undertaken as the culture where power is into the hands of top
authority or within some individuals. They are only liable to undertakes decision for
entity as well as enjoy few rights. Additionally, those people are undertaken for work
areas as well as are decision taker. In respect of Marks & Spencer, such power stay with
higher authority who are accountable to resolve issues of its staff which comes during
business operations changes or opting new strategies and others in efficient way. such as
in case marketing section desires to introduce promotion campaign for its new goods at
market area thereafter it have to takes permission from superior who have higher power
and facilitates information to staff for performing task that drives towards influencing
person and group performance and attitude.
 Task culture: This is undertaken as those culture where team is formulated to resolve
specific issues raise at workplace. In this, person with common specialisation come
together with common interest for resolving it (Riccucci, 2021). Such as Marks and
Spencer have faced issues of developing its goods, if respective culture required to be
developed through recruiting expertise individuals and other staff that have to aids them
in attaining its pre-determined objectives that drives towards maximising particular
individuals performance with workplace.
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 Person culture: This is considered as those cultures in which staff feels itself to be
essential at workplace. Respective cultures drives towards suffer business as staff come
to office to gain money as well as not have any business with company. In respect of
Marks and Spencer, various staff performing at respective workplace feel themselves as
superior in which they do not do any delegated task. So, in this context particular
business have to suffer a lots in accomplishment of its objectives.
 Role culture: This is undertaken as those cultures where staffs are delegated roles and
accountabilities based upon their specialisation, educational qualification, interests and
others. In this, staffs are ready to accept various challenges as well as are responsible to
delegated task (Sampath and et. al., 2020). In respect of Marks and Spencer, as there is
change into the firm culture so several issues raise and workers who works with them are
delegated task based upon its abilities and competencies so that they may perform
effectively as well as develops its productivity.
Therefore, all kinds of culture are beneficial for Marks and Spencer in order to resolve the
various issues raised due to change into organisational culture. But among all respective entity
has to comply role culture as there are several departments within several locations who perform
in accomplishment of business objectives. For instance, they need expertise workers for
performance of various practices and practices of business.
CONCLUSION
As per the above report, it has been concluded that it is vital for organisation to manage the
people effective and efficiently. As it incorporates arranging their team in such manner which
enhances productivity and optimising effectiveness. Within workplace, people management
importance goes through evaluation of staff competencies and understanding. Through
determining these aspects, firm may evaluate every individual’s strength and weakness, investing
into strategies for improving it, that have an impact upon professional’s productivity. Moreover,
organisation culture is essential as incorporates shared values as well as beliefs developed
through leaders and thereafter reinforced and communicated by several process that ultimately
shape worker’s conception, knowledge and attitudes. In addition to this, it aids in improving
flows of work as well as directs the procedures of decision making. Also, this assists team to
overcome from barriers ambiguity. Though, by having a clear culture which unifies workers as
well as promote organised structures of work that aids individuals to work together with intent.
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For it, Charles handy culture theory is applied as aids to facilitate an acknowledgement of how
various forms of organisational culture in physical manner manifested itself into whole firm’s
structure as well as hierarchy.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Bader, B. and Reade, C., 2021. The Context of Terrorism for Managing People in Multinational
Enterprises. In The Oxford Handbook of Contextual Approaches to Human Resource
Management (p. 135). Oxford University Press.
Berman, E.M., and et. al., 2021. Human resource management in public service: Paradoxes,
processes, and problems. CQ Press.
Gopinath, R., 2020. HRD Factor Managing People Influence to Job Satisfaction with special
reference to BSNL Employees in three different SSAs using Modeling.
Gopinath, R., 2021. A study on Performance Management, Managing People and Industrial
Relations influencing Job Satisfaction in BSNL, Thanjavur SSA.
Hanif, S., Ali, S.N., Hassanein, M., Khunti, K. and Hanif, W., 2020. Managing People with
Diabetes Fasting for Ramadan During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A South Asian Health
Foundation Update. Diabetic Medicine, 37(7), pp.1094-1102.
Kaufman, B.E., 2019. Managing the human factor. Cornell University Press.
Riccucci, N.M., 2021. Managing diversity in public sector workforces. Routledge.
Sampath, K.K. and et. al., 2020. Barriers and facilitators experienced by osteopaths in
implementing a biopsychosocial (BPS) framework of care when managing people with
musculoskeletal pain–A mixed methods systematic review protocol. International
Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 35, pp.41-45.
Online
Charles Handy Model of Organization Culture. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.managementstudyguide.com/charles-handy-model.htm>.
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