John Lewis Partnership: Contemporary Business Management Analysis

This essay provides an analysis of contemporary business management practices through the lens of the John Lewis Partnership. It explores the organization's rational and social structure, leadership approaches including the transformational style employed by its founder, and the importance of groups and teams within the organizational framework. The impact of globalization on John Lewis's expansion and product offerings is examined, along with the continuous learning organizational culture fostered to encourage employee creativity and innovation. The essay also delves into the ethical organizational leadership practices, motivation strategies incorporating reward and recognition, and the use of reward power to manage conflicts and relationships within the organization. Ultimately, the essay concludes that the modern business world requires a complex and diverse approach, with factors such as employee motivation, leadership, and ethical practices being critical for success, as demonstrated by the John Lewis Partnership's operations in the United Kingdom. Desklib provides access to similar essays and study resources for students.

Running head: CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Contemporary Business Management
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1CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Rational and Social organization...............................................................................................2
Leadership..................................................................................................................................2
Groups and Teams......................................................................................................................3
Impact of Globalization..............................................................................................................3
Organizational Culture...............................................................................................................4
Organizational leadership...........................................................................................................4
Motivation and job design..........................................................................................................5
Power and Politics......................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................6

2CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Introduction
As opined by Alinsky (2017), the advent of globalization and also the diverse kinds of
innovative technologies has significantly metamorphosed the contemporary business world.
Jenkins and Williamson (2015) have argued that the growth of an organization depends
substantially on the kind of leadership and also management style that the concerned
organization is following for the effective management of the diverse aspects of their
business. This report will analyze the different facets of the business operations of the
organization John Lewis Partnership.
Rational and Social organization
The primary rationale of the founder of John Lewis Partnership, John Spedan Lewis,
was to create an organization which would not only be powered by the common people or the
customers of the organization (Johnlewispartnership.co.uk 2018). This is perhaps one of the
major reasons why the annual profit generated by the organization is being shared by the
partners of the organization (Johnlewispartnership.co.uk 2018). Furthermore, he also
intended to create an organization which will be offer the best quality services or products to
the customers at affordable prices. These in short are of the major factors which has made the
organization under discussion here one of the major social organizations of contemporary
times.
Leadership
The organization is known for the effective leadership which has been offered to it by
the founder by the organization John Lewis (Alinsky, 2017). In this regards, it needs to be
said that he used to take the help of the transformational leadership style so as to positively
motivate the employees of the organization (Jary and Wileman 2016). In addition to this, it

3CONTEMPORARY BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
was seen that he led the different employees by example and he himself actively managed the
diverse affairs of the organization (Jary and Wileman 2016). Furthermore, the process of
partnership that the organization is currently following was his brainchild. Thus, it can be
said that the effective leadership offered by John Lewis is considered to be one of the major
reasons for the unprecedented growth received by the organization.
Groups and Teams
Salaman and Storey (2016) are of the viewpoint that the construct of teams or groups
has emerged as an integral part of the organizational structure of the different contemporary
business enterprises. It is pertinent to note that the organization John Lewis also takes the
help of the construct of teams and groups within the framework of their organization for the
effective completion of different kinds of jobs (Jenkins and Williamson 2015). In this regard,
it needs to be said that the organization under discussion here has different kinds of teams
like the sales team, marketing teams and others which ensures the fact that the diverse
business operations of the organizations are completed in an effective manner (Paranque and
Willmott 2014). In addition to these, they also ensure the fact that the best quality services are
being offered to the different customers and also the partners of the organization as well.
Impact of Globalization
The organization John Lewis although headquartered in the city of London had
opened its supermarkets in the different parts of the nation of England
(Johnlewispartnership.co.uk 2018). Furthermore, following the path of globalization the
organization has even established its supermarkets in the diverse parts of the nations of
Scotland and others (Johnlewispartnership.co.uk 2018). As a matter of fact, the organization
has more than 336 different supermarkets in the diverse parts of the nation of the United
Kingdom (Johnlewispartnership.co.uk 2018). In addition to this, the impact of globalization

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is even visible in the product line which is being currently offered by the organization to the
customers. For example, in the earlier times it was seen that the organization used to offer a
limited amount of products to the services however in the recent times it is seen that the
organization offers diverse kinds of products offered by different international organizations
(Cathcart 2014).
Organizational Culture
Jenkins and Williamson (2015) argue that the performance of the employees depends
greatly on the organizational or workplace culture which an organization is taking the help of.
In this regard, it can be said that John Lewis tries to foster a continuous learning culture
wherein the diverse employees of the organization are offered the opportunity to take the help
of the notions of creativity and innovation for the completion of their job roles (Jenkins and
Williamson 2015). More importantly, this kind of organizational culture not only enables the
diverse employees of the organization to complete their job roles in an effective manner but
has also helped in the growth of the organization in a substantial manner as well (Alinsky,
2017).
Organizational leadership
As opined by Cathcart (2014), the success or failure of an organization depends on the
kind of organizational leadership which is being practiced within the concerned organization.
John Lewis follows an effective organizational leadership policy wherein the management as
well as the leadership practices and also the policies of the concerned organization are
interlinked (Paranque and Willmott 2014). Furthermore, it is seen that the employees as well
as the partners have a say in all the major decisions of the organization and also the strategies
that it is going to follow. Thus, it can be said that John Lewis through the use of ethical

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organizational leadership has been able to maintain not only an ethical relationship with the
different partners of the organization but also its employees as well.
Motivation and job design
The organization John Lewis for the purpose of effectively motivating the diverse
employees who are related to the concerned organization not only takes the help of the
process of ethical leadership but at the same time the construct of reward and recognition
(Alinsky, 2017). For example, it is seen that various kinds of rewards are being offered to the
hard working of the organization, who have been able to perform consistently (Jary and
Wileman 2016). In addition to this, it is seen that the job roles of the different employees of
the organization have been designed in such a manner that the employees would be able to
complete their job roles in an effective manner. For example, an individual from a sales
background is allocated the role of selling the products and others.
Power and Politics
The organization under discussion here takes the help of reward power to effectively
manage the different affairs of the organization (Jenkins and Williamson 2015). For example,
it is seen that various kinds of rewards are being offered to the employees so as to enhance
their performance. In addition to this, reward power is also being used for the management of
different kinds of conflicts and also for the purpose of the management of the relationship
between the employees and the organization (Cathcart 2014).
Conclusion
To conclude, the present business world is much more complex as well as diverse
than that of the earlier times and because of this the modern business enterprises need to take
into effective consideration a plethora of factors. Some of the most important factors in this

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regard are employee motivation, leadership, power, politics and others. This becomes
apparent from an analysis of the organization John Lewis and their business operations in the
nation of United Kingdom.
References
Alinsky, S., 2017. John L. Lewis: an unauthorized biography. Pickle Partners Publishing.
Cathcart, A., 2014. Paradoxes of participation: non-union workplace partnership in John
Lewis. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(6), pp.762-780.
Jary, M. and Wileman, A., 2016. Retail power plays: From trading to brand leadership.
Springer.
Jenkins, W. and Williamson, D., 2015. Strategic management and business analysis.
Routledge.
Johnlewispartnership.co.uk. 2018. John Lewis Partnership - Home. [online]
Johnlewispartnership.co.uk. Available at: https://www.johnlewispartnership.co.uk/ [Accessed
20 Dec. 2018].
Paranque, B. and Willmott, H., 2014. Cooperatives—saviours or gravediggers of capitalism?
Critical performativity and the John Lewis Partnership. Organization, 21(5), pp.604-625.
Salaman, G. and Storey, J., 2016. A Better Way of Doing Business?: Lessons from the John
Lewis Partnership. Oxford University Press.