An Analysis of People Management at Marks & Spencer Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of people management practices, specifically focusing on the case of Marks & Spencer. It begins with an introduction to human resource management and its importance in enhancing organizational productivity. The report then delves into contemporary issues faced by line management, including training and development, employee relations, and leadership development, using relevant theories like Reinforcement Theory, Strategic Choice Theory, and Contingency Theory. Furthermore, it explores the essential knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for effective people management, such as leadership and team building, supported by theories like Behavioral Theory and Tuckman's team theory. The report also examines HR processes that underpin and support performance management, including performance management reviews and 360-degree appraisals. Finally, it concludes with recommendations for improvement, emphasizing the importance of employee handbooks, performance evaluations, and job descriptions. This report aims to provide valuable insights into effective people management strategies within a real-world business context.

Introduction to People Management

Table of Contents
HEADING 1: INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................1
HEADING 2: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES FACE LINE MANAGEMENT FACES WHEN IT
COMES TO PEOPLE MANAGEMENT........................................................................................1
HEADING 3: KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS NEEDED TO BE AN
EFFECTIVE PEOPLE MANAGER...............................................................................................2
HEADING 5: RECOMMENDATIONS..........................................................................................5
HEADING 6: CONCLUSION........................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

HEADING 1: INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is practice of managing the people to attain better and
effective performance. The role of human resource manager is to enhance the organisational
productivity by sustaining employees for longer time period. The human resource manager hires
those candidates who fit in culture of company as they will be stay longer, happier and also
productive than those people who would not be fit in company culture. People management
refers to set off the practices which encompasses end to end processes related to talent
optimization, talent retention and talent acquisition while giving the continuous support for
business (Alagaraja, Cumberland and Choi, 2015). It covers all aspects how the people behave,
work and also engage at workplace. Systems are employed to be manage people impact total
workings of company. It requires to adhered to as the dynamic puzzle pieces without losing sight
of big picture. In COVID-19, it is complex for organisations to manage the people at workplace.
Marks & Spencer is British multinational retailer that specialised in selling the home products,
food items and clothing’s of its own level. The present report is going to discussed about
Contemporary Issues which are face line management faces when this comes to People
Management.
HEADING 2: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES FACE LINE MANAGEMENT
FACES WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
Contemporary issue is related to the problem that is impacting places or people. This is
one of the effective thinking way that needs to be properly addressed. There are some of the
contemporary issues faced through Marks & Spencer line management when this comes to the
people management related to theory mention below:
Training and Development- It is one of the most important part of human resource. Training
and development helps in enhancing the skills as well as core competencies of employee so that
their performance can be enhanced (Alfes, 2018). Investing in training and development of low
level staff is common problem of HR in Marks & Spencer organisation. Company face the issues
in finding effective resources to do so. In COVID-19 situation, Marks & Spencer provide the
online experience to employees through converting the in person workshops to the webinars.
Theory of Reinforcement- This theory is emphasizing learning behaviour of an
individual and also suggesting learner to getting positive outcomes. It is related with the
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reinforcement theory as there can development of many techniques that is main part of the
human resource practices with the training programs. Marks & Spencer company use the rewards
such as salary raise, promotion and awarding certificate so there can be positive results generated
(Berkes, 2015).
Employee Relation- It explains relationship among the employees and employers. It mainly
focusses on the collective and individual relationship in workplace with enhancing emphasis on
relationship among managers and team members. Marks & Spencer company uses the verbal
communication for an instance phone conversation and face to face. Relationship among
employees and employer is governed through contract of the personal service. In context to
COVID-19, staff members may resort to salaried deduction in the mutual agreement with staff
members.
Strategic choice theory- This theory mainly picks up on system concept and advanced on
this through accommodating number of the contemporary changes in such a manner that the
employee relations was practised (Berlowitz, Wadsworth and Ross, 2016).
Leadership development- It is process that assists in expand capacity of people in order to
perform leadership roles within an organisation. The role of leadership is to facilitate
implementation strategy of an organisation by developing alignment, winning the mindshare and
developing others capabilities. In situation of COVID- 19, Marks & Spencer company developed
the resources and information that helps to manage teams and also communicate during
challenges effectively.
Contingency theory- This theory stated that there is not specific leadership style that is
mainly applicable in all the situations. The effective leadership is regarding striking of right
balance among needs, behaviour and context. It is mainly adopted through management by not to
focussing on single leadership style and having the contingency approach (Denning, 2018).
HEADING 3: KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS NEEDED TO
BE AN EFFECTIVE PEOPLE MANAGER
There are the specific skills, behaviour and knowledge behaviour needed for people
management process. There are some skills and behaviours given below which required to be
better people manager with relevant theories:
Leadership- It is one of the important skill that help in guide or lead the staff members at
workplace. The effective leaders have proper ability to be communicate the better manner,
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motivate team and also delegate the responsibilities. The strong leadership skills are necessary
for the people manager because through this it can able to manage the team in an effective
manner. It is necessary that the people manager should have the effective leadership skill so that
it can able to provide right direction to staff members and focus on attaining the set objectives
within specified time period (Jyoti, 2019).
Behavioural theory- The main focus of this leadership theory on how environment not
abilities of an individual formed. Conditioning is main concept of the behavioural theory. In
regards to this, conditioning states that an individual will be likely to be act or lead in styles as
result of the environmental responses related to behaviour.
Team building- It is collective term for different kinds of activities which mainly used to
increase social relations and explain roles within teams. The aim of team building skill is to
address the interpersonal issues within group. The effective efforts occur when the team
members are It is necessary to enhance the team building skills as to motivate the employees to
work in a team effectively (Knies and Leisink, 2018).
Tuckman's team theory
The focus of this theory is on way under which team tacked task from initial formation of
team by completion of project. This theory of team building consists different stages which given
below:
Stage 1: Forming- It is assembled and the task is to be allocated. The team members are
mainly tending to be behave on independent basis although goodwill may be existing that they
do not know about each other. There is dependence in the leaders for effective guidance, overall
roles of individual are unclear (Wehrmeyer, 2016).
Stage 2: Storming- In this, team begins to address task that suggesting ideas. Various
ideas may be competing for the ascendancy and if managed badly then this stage can be
destructive. At storming stage, team members of Marks & Spencer company are making an
attempt to be establish their position with team members (Liao and Ai Lin Teo, 2018).
Stage 3: Norming- As team members are move out of storming phrase and enter in
norming phrase. At this stage, there us formation and agreement of the team behaviour with
proper facilitation through leader. All big decisions are made through a group members
agreement as unity level is strong in Marks & Spencer company (Zhang and et. al., 2015).
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Stage 4: Performing- At this stage, there is more strategic awareness as vision is mainly
guide with team member. The main focus of this stage in Marks & Spencer on higher autonomy
(Malik and Rowley, 2015). HEADING 4: WHAT HR PROCESS UNDERPIN AND
SUPPORT MANAGEMENT WHEN IT COMES TO EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE
MANAGEMENT
Performance management is not easier to be navigate as this is evolving constantly. It is
continuous process regarding improving performance through setting a person and team
objectives which are mainly aligned to strategic objectives of company, planning the
performance to attain objectives. In regards to this, performance management related standards
are organised through senior leadership at company and through task owners. This can consists
specifying outcomes and tasks of job, providing feedback on timely basis and behaviour with the
desired performance. This is necessary to outline role of every person in company in context of
responsibilities to assure that at workplace performance management is successful (Martin and
Siebert, 2016).
Performance management review- It is formal assessment in which manager examined
work performance of staff members, determine strengths and weakness and set objectives for the
future performance. Managing the employee’s performance and also align with objectives are
facilitate better delivery of operational and strategic objectives. Marks & Spencer company use
tools and the forms in order to track goals of staff members and also improvement levels.
COVID- 19 pandemic has been disrupted how the company is operating with several
experiencing minimized hours, furloughs and adjusted objectives. This is essential for company
to be re- evaluate aspects of performance management system to be respond in better manner to
existing context of company (Sharp, 2017). Conversations of performance management can be
daunting experience for the staff members and managers when they are not to be carried out in
proper manner. At the time of pandemic where there are more uncertainty worries are to be
amplified. In context to this, carrying with process of performance management without any of
amendments will lead to negative experience for staff members.
360 Degree Appraisal- It is a kind of the employee performance review in which the
subordinates, managers and the co- workers all rate the staff members. This information is
mainly incorporated in to performance review of an individual (Thomas, 2019). 360 feedbacks
are comprehensive appraisal where feedback regarding performance of employees comes from
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all sources that come in the contact with staff members on job role. The organisation uses this
tool to assess performance as well as potential of employees which enable them to map career
path on the basis of feedback. They can take the 360-degree feedback regarding staff members
before taking main decision regarding professional career. Marks & Spencer company mainly
use this performance review technique for purpose of development and providing this to staff
member to help them in developing the work behaviours as well as skills. This company is using
360-degree feedback in the employment decisions and evaluation of performance. In regards to
this, result from the 360-degree feedback mainly often used through an individual who receiving
feedback to be plan the training and development. The results are used through company in
making the administrative decisions for an instance promotion or pay (Stewart and Brown,
2019).
HEADING 5: RECOMMENDATIONS
For improvement purpose, management process in company, there is requirement to lay
the emphasis on effective practices which have to adhered in proper manner in company.
Improvement in HR process helps in enhancing the employee’s performance and productivity of
company. Related to this, there are many recommendations given below:
 It is necessary that managers require to develop employee handbook that is accordance to
compliance of the practices related to human resource. This has to be in the adherence
with human resource practices as well as management in order to develop insights of
expectations of an organisation.
 It is necessary that process of performance evaluation has too sure to check efforts of all
the managers as per the needs and standard performance. It is an important method in
examining present performance level so that attempts can be made in future in area where
the performance is low.
 Job description is one of the important part that includes hiring of staff members,
employee performance and orientation. It is necessary that management of Marks &
Spencer should be assure about copy of the job description that need to be signed so there
can be detailed overview regarding job roles and the responsibilities through managers.
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HEADING 6: CONCLUSION
It has been concluded from above mention report that managing people at workplace
effectively helps in enhancing the organisational productivity and sustain staff members at
workplace for longer time period. There has been studied about the different contemporary issues
faced by the line managers for an instance leadership development, employee relations and
training and development. These issues are discussed along with applying the related theories
effectively. Team building and Leadership are two main skills required through people manager
at workplace. Company use the different ways to analyse performance level of staff members
for an instance performance management review and 360 Degree Appraisal. These all are
effective in measuring employee’s performance and also providing them the training so that they
can make improvement in them in a significant manner. This helps in enhancing the employee’s
performance and company can able to get the competitive advantage at marketplace.
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REFERENCES
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