Analysis of Contemporary Business Management Issues at M&S

This report analyzes contemporary issues in business management, focusing on their impact on Marks & Spencer (M&S). It begins by introducing the challenges faced in the modern business environment, emphasizing the negative impacts on organizational productivity. The main body explores contemporary issues in business, leadership, and management, with a focus on gender, political, and racial issues. The report critically evaluates the impact of these issues on M&S, including their effects on decision-making, employee motivation, and organizational performance. It also analyzes the influence of stakeholder views on the approaches taken by M&S, considering how these views shape strategic directions. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and offering insights into mitigating the negative impacts of these contemporary issues. The report highlights the importance of effective leadership and management in navigating these challenges and maintaining a competitive edge in the retail industry.

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
ON BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Contemporary issues in the field of business, leadership and management................................3
Critically evaluating the impact of contemporary issues on organizations.................................5
Analysing critically the impact of stakeholder views on approaches taken by the M&S............7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Contemporary issues in business management are referred as the challenges that are faced
by the businesses in the modern business environment (Khooharo, 2022). These issues have a
negative impact on the overall productivity of organizations which is not beneficial for gaining
advantage in the industry. In the corporate world, each organization face different types of issues
that affect their performance and effectiveness. The current report will be based on M&S, which
falls under the category of leading fashion retail organizations that have significant market share
and position in the UK, where growth opportunities accessible in bulk. It is a gained a
competitive edge in the market and it is considered as a trusted brand among the customers. This
report will explain different contemporary issues in the field of leadership and business
management, the impact of contemporary issues on businesses, the influence of stakeholder
views on approaches that are taken by organizations.
MAIN BODY
Contemporary issues in the field of business, leadership and management
Contemporary issues in business have a significant impact on the business and are
considered as ineffective as they are not suitable for the development of the organizations. The
problems that frequently arise in the business environment and act as barriers in the development
of the organization in the industry. They are the problems that are faced by businesses in the
current business scenario and have a direct or indirect impact on the overall productivity of a
business organization. These aspects may hinder the growth of the business which is not
beneficial in order to stay sustainable in the industry (Chang and Vo, 2020). The racial, political,
gender and health issues arise due to the changes in the business environment due to various
external and internal factors. These issues have a negative impact on the success of the business
in the competitive business environment.
They increases the vulnerability of the business by making its decision-making and
organizing ability weaker. It leads to various changes in the strategic management of the
business which is not appropriate for the overall success of the business in the competitive
industry. Due to these changes the management is unable to have a control over their growth
which is not beneficial for the business to gain competitive advantage among its key rivals. The
employees get demotivated due to these issues in the business environment that has a negative
influence on their overall success in the industry. This has a negative influence on their

performance towards the organizational goals that is not appropriate for the success of the
organization. The business is deeply affected due to these issues and requires more consideration
from the key stakeholders to prepare effective strategies and increase the success of their
organization in the business environment.
These contemporary issues may reduce the effectiveness of the management of the key
areas of an organization as they are interrelated. The impact of these issues reduces the efficiency
of these areas to produce better quality of output on a regular basis (Mogaji, 2021). This scenario
is not beneficial for organizing the resources and workforce effectively by the business as they
are deeply out of control from these aspects. The management of different areas is based on the
performance of these areas which plays a crucial role in increasing the productivity of their
business in the industry. The political, racial, health and gender issues may create differences
between people in the organization and may cause a significant influence on several important
factors related to management of the business.
These issues in the business may have a serious impact on the image of the leader among
his employees which is not beneficial to improve their morale in the business (O’Cass and
Wetzels, 2018). It may create e negative working environment for the employees which is not
suitable for their personal and professional growth in the business environment.
The issue that emerge in corporate world along with management, and venture may affect
negatively upon leadership as well, in form of increasing work pressure upon leaders and driving
their attention toward strategic strategy implementation. It may put pressure on each leader in the
M&S to change or adopt new leadership style that relevant and meet the current requirement
related to internal and external situation (Van Spall and et.al., 2021). Either it is health or
political issue, leaders and their leadership styles may impact negatively, which is not good for
continuous success of chosen company. In the field of leadership, gender issue is common, as
candidates are judge on the bases of gender, whether they are male or female, instead of focusing
on the efficiency, skill, knowledge, experience and other capabilities they have. The current issue
in the leadership field is affect leaders effectiveness and decisions, which they are accountable to
take after analysing overall situation in the firm. Gender issue may lead to increase the stress
level among employees and decrease their performance extent, which affect M&S success and
growth, in term of decreasing sales that might be ineffective for its rapid progress in the overall
sector. Gender inequality among candidates lead to increase stress level and create negative

working environment, in which individual person do not prefer to work for long or short time
period (Biswas, Roberts and Stainback, 2021). Gender inequality is a kind of toxic factor or
element that impact in negative manner and influence the practice that leaders are accountable to
conduct into practical way to make assure that candidates are obtaining desire outcomes and
reaching the unpredictable results, excellently. It becomes the key barrier in the context of
organizational growth and success, which lead to create more complications, even the worst than
last few years or months.
It is important for leaders to utilize or select the best leadership style that help to
overcome the adverse impact of current issue, which put direct impact on their profitability,
productivity and performance, that firm tends to increase more than rivals (Cortis, Foley and
Williamson, 2022). Instead of hiring people and providing roles to individual on the basis of
gender, age, race, etc. management may focus on selecting candidates on the bases of skills,
talent, knowledge and capabilities that they may have and utilize the same, to grow and make
company progressive more than other brands. It affects the decision firm may take and conduct
practice to engage each stakeholder, who work within company and for the same.
Critically evaluating the impact of contemporary issues on organizations.
In the context of M&S, there are different types of problems arise that put direct impact
on venture success and growth in negative manner. Each issue critically evaluate below that
affect organizational performance and these are;
It can be critically evaluated that a contemporary issue such as Gender problem may lead
to decrease the performance and effectiveness of business. It impacts the way, management take
decisions in the Mark & Spencer, in negative manner (Pu, Zeng and Luo, 2021). It is quite
common in the corporate world, as it arise on the bases of gender inequality in the workplace
among employees, which is not good for their growth and organizational success. It is a kind of
discrimination that impact candidates performance, which outcome in form of high employee
turnover, because of that firm may face challenge to sustain for longer in the market, where
already the competition level is higher at extent. It may lead to increase complications for chosen
company and decrease profitability, which also impact on its brand image in the retail industry,
where it has established great reputation and existence as well as position in the customer mind.
It can be said that gender issue covers each and every aspect as well as concept related to
differences between male and female candidates and their lives in the world of business or

society. This issue is quite essential for company to take into its consideration, because it directly
or indirectly put impact on organizational performance, success, growth and other procedures,
that management is accountable to oversee. It may create negative environment in the work area,
where number of candidates are working together for purpose of achieving strategic
organizational aims and objectives. Due to gender issue, majority of candidates in the recent time
while performing within an organization may take decisions to switch to other employment
opportunity that exist in the job market. It may drive the attention of administration toward
strategic actions and decisions that they are accountable to conduct appropriately.
Another contemporary issue that affect M&S business performance and other activities
including operations, such as marketing, production, supply chain, etc. is political problem
(Feldmann and Morgan, 2021). This issue create a lot of complications for chosen company in
term of increasing work pressure upon managers and leaders, who are using effective leadership
and management styles. This issue may create the biggest challenge for M&S and that is Brexit,
due to which firm may lose skilled and talented candidates who are able to accept any task and
work during high work load, that is the key characteristic of them. In another term, political issue
impact organization which is not good for its success, whether it is related to current of in the
future. The worst situation emerge in the context of M&S venture performance as barrier is
challenge to operate in the UK (Hadfield and Turner, 2021). It may affect in form of taking
decision to leave EU, that outcome in form of decreasing sales, losing customers and a good base
of potential buyers, who are able to conduct word of mouth promotion after obtaining
appropriate satisfaction from M&S products. As each customer prefer to purchase goods
according to their needs, which they prefer to refer to other non individuals. In the recent time,
political issues affect business performance in negative manner, whether it is small or large on
the bases of size and scope. Political stability is the major element that change the whole
business practices negatively and driven the attention of companies toward taking approach to
add more things or alter the same in appropriate manner as per the situation in the corporate
world. Due to Brexit, organization face challenge to get access and utilization of key resources,
especially skilled workforce that it may utilize to achieve target business aims and objectives
appropriately.
Along with above two, another category of contemporary issue that put direct impact on
M&S is racial issue. It may affect, in term of decreasing the performance and productivity of

individual in the workplace as an outcome of disrespect, lack of equality and trust among
existing or new workforce, among which skilled and knowledgable people are working together,
for purpose of aim and objective achievement. In the recent time, each and every employee
expect to get respect, in turn of providing the same to other, which impact the way they work and
perform in a specific working environment, where existing workforce already take approach to
reach desire outcomes (Johnson, 2022). When they are not getting respect and equality from
management and other people, it may influence their commitment level and motivation, which is
not suitable for further growth of company. It may lead to decrease the effectiveness or
efficiency of business operations such as production, supply chain, etc. It is necessary for
management in the M&S to consider the current issue, instead of avoiding the same, which is not
good for continuous and productive growth of company in the market, where the competition
level reach high because of competitive attribute of other companies that are operating into retail
sector where Mark & Spencer is already existing. The possibility of business success and
progress depends on people who are working and for company growth. When they are not
obtaining satisfactory facilities and other things in the work area, then it may begin employee
demotivation. Racial issue emerge in term of complex challenge for M&S and its management,
which they may deal by applying strategic approach, tactic and plan.
Analysing critically the impact of stakeholder views on approaches taken by the M&S.
In the context of business growth, and success, stakeholders may play significant impact
as they may have specific view or perspective that impact methods and practices undertaken by
the organization. Thus, it is important for management to identify and analyse the impact on
these things, for which the appropriate application of strategic model or concepts is needed
(Sriatmi and et.al., 2021). They may utilize stakeholder matrix, which enable manager and leader
to determine the extent to which a stakeholder impact on business performance and approach
they may utilize to obtain desire results in effective and appropriate manner. Stakeholder matrix
encompasses different types of categories in which a specific group or individual stakeholder
include. It is also considered as stakeholder analysis, that may drive the attention of management
toward conducting procedure to assess a system and potential modifications as an outcome of
stakeholders powers and their impact on existing venture practices.

Keep satisfied-
 Government
 Owner
Manage closely-
 Investors
 Suppliers
Monitor-
 Customers
Keep informed-
 Employees
High power and highly interested-
Those stakeholders who fall under the category of keep satisfy are holding high power,
and they are highly interested in success of company. Governmental bodies and owner may put
positive impact on M&S, in term of driving management concentration toward conducting
ethical and legal practices that help to expand venture and manage the current operations
appropriately (Sanchez and et.al., 2022). They may have positive and clear view such as
organizational growth that lead to increase GDP which is possible when organization may grow
rapidly and in competitive manner. Government and other stakeholder that cover in current
category of matrix level, may hold high extent power, which influence firm, either in negative or
positive manner as it depend on to which extent firm follow rules, regulations and policies
govern by the governmental bodies. When a company do not follow the legal terms in
appropriate manner, it may face number of issues, which is not suitable for its continuous
business growth plans. Therefore, firm may take approach to keep these stakeholders satisfied.
High power and less interested-
It is necessary for management to manage some stakeholders quite closely, because they
may hold high power, on the other hand less interested in growth of venture. The main reason
behind this factor is number of opportunities available in the business world which investors and
suppliers as key stakeholders may grab (Dimitrovski and et.al., 2021). They may put direct
impact on strategic directions and approaches that M&S may take into its consideration,
positively. For example, investors may affect business in term of increasing sales and enhancing
capability to obtain desire outcomes such as to increase sales, which is not that easy for any
company to do that strategically. Thus, they may affect in negative manner as well, in term of
switching to new contemporary venture, with which they may conduct collaborative practices. It
is essential for managers and leaders to focus on managing these stakeholders closely, who may

contribute to achieve target aims and objectives, instead of moving toward other companies with
which they may perform to meet requirement and own needs.
Low power and highly interested-
Customers may have low power to influence business performance and are also less
interested in growth of venture on the other side. It is essential for management to monitor their
performance and activities that influence on M&S. The main reason behind low extent power is
lack of substitute products and services that chosen company offer to them (Vrontis and et.al.,
202). They may straightly put influence on strategic directions of firm, in negative manner,
because of which venture may face varied challenges and face the worst situation. It may drive
the attention of management toward making change related to existing practices and activities
that aid to retain consumers and allow them to take pleasure of obtaining goods. It may affect
their buying behaviour and then to profitability of business, positively. It is necessary for
manager and leaders to focus on customers needs that might be changed according to trend that
individual person prefer to follow. In order to prevent venture from failing down the best way is
to trend identification.
Low power and less interested-
M&S may have taken varied approaches into its consideration, which might be
influenced by varied stakeholders such as employees. Employees are those people or
stakeholders who may hold low power and are less interested in success of venture, because they
may have more employment opportunities, which they may grab according to need and
requirement, especially in case of lack of motivation. Along with considering varied situations,
environment and factors, management is accountable to keep these stakeholders inform about
decisions that they may take. It is essential because of assessing at which extent people are ready
to accept the change and then work with company. As their views and perspectives matter when
they are performing within an organization, until individual candidate leave.
CONCLUSION
From above study, it has been concluded that political, racial and gender issues affected
organization, and drive the attention of key actions that management has taken, to deal with each
issue appropriately. Firm with strategic plans, approaches and strategies gained competitive
advantages, which is important for its competitive position in the overall retail sector. It has been
determined from above report that management, leaders and organization other stakeholders has

faced the worst situation because of contemporary issues that impact on their performance and
efforts as well. Furthermore, by summing up above analysis, it has been summarized that
stakeholder matrix has appropriately specified the impact of each stakeholder view and their
perspective on approaches that organization has taken into its consideration. It has enabled
company to gain competitive advantages and form new plans which management implement
further appropriately, in order to reach desire and expect outcomes, without making major issues.
From above report, it has been identified that stakeholders' analysis has contributed to
determined the impact of each stakeholder. It has enabled managers to consider stakeholders and
manage the impact they put on venture.

REFERENCES
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