Marks and Spencer: HRM, Customer Service, and Organizational Structure

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the Human Resource Management (HRM) and Customer Service departments at Marks and Spencer (M&S). It explores the crucial roles of HRM in employee recruitment, training, development, and maintaining positive employee relations, emphasizing their impact on organizational efficiency and employee satisfaction. The report also details the importance of the Customer Service department in retaining customers, attracting new business, and generating revenue through effective handling of customer inquiries and complaints. Furthermore, it examines the contribution of an effective organizational structure to M&S's success, highlighting how a well-defined structure enhances efficiency, coordination, and communication across different departments. The report underscores the interconnectedness of these departments in promoting M&S's brand image and achieving its business objectives.

REPORT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
1. Role of Human Resource Management and Customer Service department in Marks and
Spencer........................................................................................................................................1
2. Contribution of effective structure to the success of Marks and Spencer...............................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Every department in an organisation has a significant role. They facilitate business
activities of a firm. Human resource department deal with every issue which are related to
employees and works to provide them a productive environment in order to accomplish goals
and objectives of an enterprise. It is very important to resolve problems of workers for smooth
functioning. Whereas, Customer Service deals with buyers of the firm. They effectively resolve
their every grievance and difficulty, which they are facing regarding any factor associated with
any product or service of a company. This department retains customers and develop relations on
good terms (Albrecht and et.al., 2015). Following report includes the role of these departments
in Marks and Spencer for promoting its image in market. Apart from this, contribution of
effective working structure for successful processing has been depicted.
1. Role of Human Resource Management and Customer Service department in Marks and
Spencer
M&S has an effective Human Resource Department that works on providing better
productive environment for its employees. It tends to manage essential aspects of a fruitful
business. Its role is associated with organising people for increasing their efficiency in
performing every task. Workers are considered to be important assets, which require an effective
management that supports the success of Marks and Spencer. Human resource itself means the
work force related to humans for their recruitment, selection, training, development, etc. So
human resource is concerned with increasing employees skills and performance at their highest
level in any organization. Every organization is made of people or a workforce that helps an
organization to achieve their goals simultaneously, Human resource management is all about
getting services of people, improving their skills and performance, motivating them at their
highest level and to make sure that they continue to give their services to the organization for
long time as well as maintain their commitment towards the organization (Armstrong and Taylor,
2014). This department formulates strategy, which is related to handle individuals as business
resource. In addition, HR professionals are considered to be consultants who provide suggestions
for all issues faced by workers of a company are facing.
Their role is discussed as below:
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Role of Conscience- This department handles maintenance of an important concept,
which must be followed by M&S and its workers i.e. by reminding them their morals as well as
obligations towards each other. It provides complete discussion of various contracts that decides
limits and policies within which they have to work together. This is very necessary to protect the
image of management among employees that result in developing a harmonious relation between
them.
Addressing Issues- It is very important to resolve every problem, which is faced by
employees. As within the organisation, there are certain factors that can be unfavourable,
hindering them to provide quality work to Marks and Spencer. Addressing them is very
important because it eliminates their potential of developing negative attitude towards company,
which can be harmful in various ways. This department focuses on accumulating those factors
that can be favourable for their working which will ultimately results in maximisation of their
productivity. Apart from this, there can be some issues by which worker faces due to loss or any
aspect related to management; these are resolved by providing non-monetary or monetary
benefits to them.
Employee Relation- It is very important to maintain relations with workers as it can
affect the productivity of M&S. They are regarded as pillars. Therefore, developing strategies
that can foster their relationship with them is very essential. This department has an ability to
influence behaviour and working outputs of every individual who serve this firm. It tries to
organise activities, which helps to facilitate all of them and management to know them at
personal as well as professional level (Bailey and et.al., 2018). Employee relations that are
planned effectively provide promotion of a balanced and healthy environment between employer
and employee. It is the most important key for building up positive image of Marks and Spencer.
Training and Development- This function of human resource management is also very
much important for the organization. In simple words it is an attempt to improve and sharpening
the skills of employees to scratch best out him by educating or by increasing knowledge about a
particular subject. It is provided to workers tend to improve their delivery of services and they
get aware of essentialness of quality in their work. In addition, it motivates them to adopt
innovative techniques in service delivery, which attracts customers and outcomes that is
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generated from it, can be favourable for M&S, and would lead to develop an effective image in
market. This will lead to serve positive promotion of brand name.
Recruitment and Selection- This is one of the most important functions performed by
human resource management team of any organization. It is the process of selecting, capturing
and screening of the best qualified and suitable applicants for the particular type of job.
Organizations execute proper staffing plans to facilitate recruitment and selection process and to
know the exact number of employees required to achieve short term or long term goals. This
process is very much important for an organization because it reduces the chances of mistakes
done my employees by giving them proper training as well it prevents unmotivated, unqualified
workforce into the organization.
Orientation- Orientation of new employees is done to make them comfortable with
their new job and organization environment and it is the most basic function of human resource
management. This program should include long term and short term objectives that are to be
achieved and ways to achieve them. It helps an employee to know his or her work, job
description, details about the job, job role, etc.
Maintaining good working conditions-Good working environment means employees
satisfaction towards job which increases the morale of employees to work for a longer period in
the organization. It is the duty of human resource management to develop good working
environment for the employees and provide them with good working conditions (Bratton and
Gold, 2017). Employee with good morale will contribute maximum from his or her side for the
completion of organization goals.
In addition, Customer Service Department has its own importance in Marks and Spencer.
Being a retail company it is very important for it to handle buyers in an effective manner. This is
an essential aspect in order to build up a good relation with consumers, which will promote their
brand name in positive manner. It is crucial for this firm because without convincing customers
for buying their products or services, no company can survive in market. Therefore, customer
service has the following roles in M&S
Encouragement of Return and New Business- An extraordinary customer care service
can provide help for retaining all existing customers as well as attracting potential buyers from a
market. When the firm provides a quality service in retail market; it tends to develop an effective
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image in mindset of their consumers. An exceptional service can facilitate in developing a bond
of trust between firm and its customers, which can act as the way of promotion through word of
mouth to other individuals. This is beneficial because customer tends to visit those retail stores,
which are suggested by other person.
Creation of lasting impact- When any customers has faced bad experience with a
company then it might not visit store again for consuming their product or service. This
department of M&S makes sure that they are getting instant resolutions for all queries, which
will convert them as loyal customers in future because it provides effective services without
consuming any time (Organizational Structure, 2018). This tends to create an impact that has a
potential to last for long, making their position in market to rise as a result, increase in sale can
be observed.
Facilitation for Revenue generation- An impacting customer service results in building
up a base of loyal customers that can be very profitable for Marks and Spencer as it would lead
to provide that category of customers who will value the product more as compared to their
prices. The outcome will be very advantageous for them as it would lead to provide them fixed
amount of sale, developing good revenue for sustenance of company in market. This department
focuses on innovative ways for providing help and solution for various aspects, which are
required for retaining customers for their brand.
Making customer feel valued- Buyers are considered to be an important aspect for a
successful business For acquiring a lead potion in retail market, every store should focus on
providing priority to customer in many ways. Customer Service makes sure that their buyers are
getting honest and quality service as well as they strive for meeting their expectations (Brewster
and Hegewisch, 2017). It provides them a sense of getting privileged from company and it
makes them to feel valued. Customer should be the first priority of a firm and providing them
effective services and products which can provide them an opportunity for satisfying their needs
and requirements.
Improvement in Sales Processes- An effective customer service can facilitate in
determining all kinds of information that are required by clients (Paillé and et.al., 2014). Every
complaints as well as concerns are handled and are provided to sales department to focus on it as
a loop hole which is leading to decrease sales aspect of company. Therefore,, better ales pitches
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can be formulated to attract more segment of customers in a market which will definitely result
in increasing the process of sales. It provides several customer care programmes which provides
better understanding of every likes and dislikes related to buyers of a market segment that is
considered to be important for sales information.
2. Contribution of effective structure to the success of Marks and Spencer
Organisational structure is considered to be foundation for development of M&S.
Absence of an effective organisational structure, the growth of a business can be on threat. It can
lead to stagnate the progress of any business which can be harmful for its survival in particular
market. It is considered to be chain of many hierarchies which bifurcates the employees on the
basis of their designation, level as well as their responsibilities. Apart from this, confusion is
reduced and company run in a smooth manner. It has a potential to provide a clear idea for
proceeding in any new task for a successful execution. It binds every member of team in order
to achieve goals that are common for every individuals, which results in the development of
mutual understanding among workers. It is known to be inevitable for an enterprise. An effective
organisational structure facilitates achieving objectives of all individuals with the proper
coordination in every task (Chelladurai and Kerwin, 2017). It tends to reduce all conflicts which
occurs between many individuals as ell as team members. Overlapping as well as duplication of
work gets minimised. Likelihood of runaround are decreased by impacting structure. Apart from
this, it facilitates promotions of personnel in a company and provides administration in wages
and salary. Communication becomes much easier at every level involved in organisational
structure. It facilitates in providing a sound base for conduction of effective planning and also
encouragement for introducing innovative concept are done. Improvement in coordination is also
achieved which provides many benefit such as timely deliver of project to client that helps to
develop an effective image in market. There are many benefits which are associated with There
is an effective contribution of organisational structure in providing success to M&S. They are
discussed as below:
Efficiency- An organised structure can lead to provide an increase in efficiency. As it
lead to divide several departments according to their common requirement and output. This lead
to solve the issue of duplicating resources which tends to maximise optimal utilisation of every
inventory (Marchington and et.al., 2016). Thus, providing scope of a greater efficiency which
leads to improve all task that are involved in effective delivering of output. It is very important
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for every time to increase their efficiency in order to provide quality product which leads to
attract customer that will generate a good profitability. This is helpful for a company to compete
in market. Organising several departments is very important due to diversity which is needed to
be handled effectively, as every department is interdependent on each other.
Experience Harnessing- Another role can be harnessing the experience. Every firm
arrange themselves in several unit which work upon different areas such as marketing, financing,
accounting as well as engineering (Kramar, 2014). The major purpose for this is to utilise the
experience aspect of every group for accomplishing several task and related projects. Synergism
tends to exist when all skilled workers work together for a common objective that is very
beneficial for every commercial activities.
Decision Making- It provide enhancement in decision making which is very essential.
Every organization follows a particular structure that leads to involve hierarchy of individuals
who are assigned at different level according to their delegations which provides them an
opportunity to take decisions regarding different aspects. Marks and Spencer follows the concept
of decentralisation of power which distribute authorities to several individuals that take decisions
at different level.
Communication- It is an important aspect for every company to make communication
among all employees to be very strong because it provides an effective coordination at several
level (Jackson, Schuler and Jiang, 2014). It provides a good scope of effective management of all
employees and the resolution of every issues faced by them while working. There are various
operational procedures which are adopted for providing effective communication between all
departments and levels of hierarchy. It tends to eliminate every gap between the management
and employees that makes a good understanding level which provides better results according to
their expectation.
Span of Control- An effective structure leads to provide an effective control on all
functional units of a company. There is a single direction of the flow of command which is from
top to bottom (Chuang, Jackson and Jiang, 2016). It provides a clear view to all lower
employees to follow a particular command This provides a better control which lead to facilitate
business activities that are involved in an enterprise. It is very essential to control every task in
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order to minimize every errors and delay in project. Thus, making it more cost and time
effective. These are regarded as a success factor for every firm.
CONCLUSION
Form the following report, it has been concluded that human resource management and
customer services are considered to an important departments which includes effective handling
of employee as well as customers in order to serve goals and objectives of Marks and Spencer.
Human resource department has essential role such as recruiting and selecting of right individual
for the organisation apart form this, handling of all issues and resolving them accurately provides
the company to build up an effective image in market. Also, handling of customers are very
important in order to develop a relation with them which I based upon trust and understanding of
their need and requirement which is essential for providing a great increase in sales.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Albrecht, S.L. and et.al., 2015. Employee engagement, human resource management practices
and competitive advantage: An integrated approach. Journal of Organizational
Effectiveness: People and Performance. 2(1). pp.7-35.
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014. Armstrong's handbook of human resource management
practice. Kogan Page Publishers.
Bailey, C. and et.al., 2018. Strategic human resource management. Oxford University Press.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2017. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.
Brewster, C. and Hegewisch, A. eds., 2017. Policy and practice in European human resource
management: The Price Waterhouse Cranfield survey. Taylor & Francis.
Chelladurai, P. and Kerwin, S., 2017. Human resource management in sport and recreation.
Human Kinetics.
Chuang, C. H., Jackson, S. E. and Jiang, Y., 2016. Can knowledge-intensive teamwork be
managed? Examining the roles of HRM systems, leadership, and tacit knowledge. Journal
of management. 42(2). pp.524-554.
Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S. and Jiang, K., 2014. An aspirational framework for strategic human
resource management. The Academy of Management Annals. 8(1). pp.1-56.
Kramar, R., 2014. Beyond strategic human resource management: is sustainable human resource
management the next approach?. The International Journal of Human Resource
Management. 25(8). pp.1069-1089.
Marchington, M. and et.al., 2016. Human resource management at work. Kogan Page Publishers.
Paillé, P. and et.al., 2014. The impact of human resource management on environmental
performance: An employee-level study. Journal of Business Ethics. 121(3). pp.451-466.
Online
Organizational Structure. 2018. [online]. Available Through <https://husys.com/blogs/good-
organizational-structure-clear-roles-and-responsibilities/>
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