Analysis of HRM Strategies and Practices at Sainsbury's

This report examines the human resource management (HRM) strategies and practices employed by Sainsbury's, a UK supermarket chain. It begins by introducing the concept of HRM and its importance in managing the workforce effectively. The report then delves into Guest's model of HRM, analyzing its six dimensions: HRM strategy, practices, outcomes, behavior, performance, and financial outcomes. A comparison of HRM definitions used by Sainsbury's and Asda is provided, highlighting their approaches to workforce management. The report further explores the implications of strategic HRM approaches for employees and line managers, emphasizing the impact on performance, communication, and operational efficiency. The second part of the report focuses on flexible work practices at Sainsbury's, discussing the benefits of such practices and the types of flexibility that can be implemented, including functional and numerical flexibility. Recommendations are made for enhancing productivity through various flexibilities like functional, financial, and locational. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of HRM in achieving organizational goals and improving employee satisfaction and productivity.

Managing Human
Resources
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INTRODUCTION
Human resource management is a formal tool that is used manage the work force in the
organisation in a effective manner. With the help of this management develop a working spirit so
that employee's become capable towards the accomplishment of working. In addition to that
management can use this in a staffing, solving employee's issues and for leaves, compensation
also (Human Resource Management. 2015). All this work is done by the representative who they
recruit capable employee's in the organisation and select the best one who is appropriate for the
job. HR manager of the company also play a role as a dynamic one (Mondy and Martocchio,
2016).
Present report is based on Sainsbury's of UK and they deal in a supermarket. In this report
will discuss about the guest's model of HRM who covers six dimensions. In addition to that
management of the company also use various definition and its uses ion the organisation in a
different manner. In this impact of change is also evaluated in this. Moreover in this report
various dimensions are cover in this field (Hendry, 2012).
TASK 1
1.1
Management of the Sainsbury's has adopted guest's model of HRM. In this various
strategy, practices and many more thins are included in this. It covers mainly six dimensions that
will assists for the analysis in the organisation and this are listed as follows:
HRM strategy: Management of the company can use HRM strategy for planning in
which they cover all functional area. When the management use this so that it will assists for the
guidance in the decision making process (Bennett and Ho, 2014). In this management can use
this strategy for better production so that it leads to the better working aspect in the organisation.
HRM practices: Sainsbury's management can use this for the developing knowledge as
well effective relationship. It includes performance appraisal that motivate the worker. This
practise also included career management in which various training sections and workshop are
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included in this (Wu, 2013). When management use this practises so that employee feel they are
part of the organisation and this will assists for the making endless relationship with workers.
HRM outcomes: When management use this tool in their working practises so that it lead
so the employee satisfaction from the customers end's. For this they can enhance their
productivity as well as their way of working. In addition to that management can make various
various training sections and workshop for better working output in a effective manner.
Behaviour outcomes: This term evaluates the individual performance towards the
working. It is a concept where individual enhance its working performance and its positively
impacted on the working performance of the organisation (Myers, 2013).
Performance outcomes: Management of Sainsbury's can use this term as a management
tool in which their performance can be considered with the achievement of goals. In this a
document is also prepare by the management in which all this services that is provided by the
individual to their client is included in this.
Financial outcomes: When every thing is prepare in a systematic way then it become
easy for the management to enhance their profitability. In this way share of the company also
increasing that shows the company goodwill. This is also show Sainsbury's customer satisfaction
towards its products and services. Management of the company use data map for calculation of
this and so summing up the above study evaluates that guest model covers all things that will
assist for the planning (Afiouni, 2013).
1.2
In this section three different definition are compare with each other and this is based on
Asda and Sainsbury's who they are from the same industry.
Definition Asda Sainsbury's
Storey's definition of
HRM
As per the definition, in the
management of Asda who they are
seek to accomplish their competitive
achievement so they can develop
strategic-plan . This will assists for the
potentiality of a workforce (Manvi,
In Sainsbury's company, they use this
definition towards the enhancing their
working potential as well working
structure. So that it impacted on
personality of a individual.
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and Shyam, 2014).
Personnel HRM It is a traditional method of managing
human resource in a effective manner.
Asda has use this term to focus on
their administration work so that their
way of working become more fluent.
In addition to that management can
use this term to maintain their relation
in a effective manner.
Sainsbury's use this traditional term to
maintain relation between the employer-
employee. So that their working and
effectiveness is authentication increasing.
This will also assists for the management
of workforce in the organisation.
IR practices Management of the company use IR
practises for developing better
working relation among the
organisation. In addition to that they
focus on the HRM as well as union
management also. This is way to
control the conflicts in the
organisation (Driskell and Salas,
2013).
Management of Sainsbury's can use IR
practises in which they develop a
association. This association is work for
the employee's welfare in which
employee's issues are solve under this.
When a company use this practises on a
daily basis or a daily work routine. So
that it will assists for the controlling
conflicts situation in a work place and
leads to a harmonious relationship among
the members.
All above study summing up that every company use their way of thinking in a different
way so that they can use it in a effective manner (Sallis, 2014).
1.3
In any entity employee play crucial role in which various strategic-plan also management
want to develop. In addition to that management has to develop various issues that will be assist
for their development also. At the time of development various implications will be see and this
are listed as follows:
Implications for employees
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 In addition to that employee and line manager faces various implications while
developing strategic approach in the organisation. In which leads of the organisation
develop various direction and this direction will assist for the corporate strategy that
develop commitment. For this employee develop their way of working to meet the
commitment (Mondy and Martocchio, 2016).
 This approaches are also develop their performance and when employee's of Asda
enhance their performance that impacts on their day by day performance.
 In this management also focus on the effective communication and this leads to
the true feedbacks. So that it will assists for the reduction in the error as well reduction in
work frustration also.
 This will also dramatically effects the enhancing work productivity (Hendry,
2012).
 This approach also develop employee better working status and this status
motivate the individual towards the attractive performance.
 This is also leads to sharing their views and ideas so that worker can move
forward towards the working.
Implications for line manager
 In addition to that this strategic approach leads to enhance line manager working that
leads to better people management at Asda (Bennett and Ho, 2014).
 When line management do their work in a effective manner so that their operational cost
is also manage in a effective manner. In addition to that management of the Asda become
specialised manner.
 Management also capable to use techniques where necessity is their and in addition to
that management can also apply this techniques in a various manner.
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 This will also assist for better work organisation in which line manager can allocate their
work in affective manner (Wu, 2013).
 This approach is also assist for the operational performance as well as quality of working.
 They become better for monitoring working in a effective manner.
 This strategy is also develop for dealing with customers in a effective manner.
TASK 2
2.1
Flexibility in work practices is basically the out of box ideas on which employer and
employee agree upon. Members have good working environment and family-friendly policies in
our wrok culture. Flexible work practices are helpful to bring change and innovation in an
organisation. If flexible working policies are adopted by Sainsbury it would be more beneficial
for the employers and the organisation (Myers, 2013). Employee will be able to gain the benefit
from the by their job prospects in order to reduced costs and enhanced efficiencies gained
(Afiouni, 2013). organisation allows employees various aspect of benefit packages to their
personal favour for more holiday pack and car allowance.
With these practices employee's morale gets boosted and level of satisfaction is high. If
Sainsbury offers these flexible practices it would improve recruitment,absenteeism, productivity
and retention problems. It will increase the employee demand for work life balance for all
changes and continuties. These will attract high skilled talent and create a diverse workforce. In
this way organisation will be having the most talented, skilled and satisfied employees. Members
of the organisation will have help to reduce stress, fatigue and unfocussed people. It will have
help reduce stress,fatigue and unfocussed people (Manvi and Shyam, 2014).
As mentioned above when satisfaction level of people working in the organisation is on
heights it will increase production which will contribute more in the company's profits. By
sharing of work employees cant give excuse to delay in their tasks. Flexibility will assure to
become competitive in the increasing and fast growing global economy. It will promise better
working conditions and interesting job profiles to the employees. Consumer also get high quality
and innovative products which gave organisation brand value. Types of flexibility which could
be applied in Sainsbury:
Functional Flexibility:
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Employees shows their skills and competencies across various channels of production to increase
mobility. Employees are working in the organisation where various types of duites are
performing by the multi-tasking and by having so much skills .This will also assist for the
accomplish various duties as well as accomplish their various requirements. If Sainsbury
benefited from the reduced cost and efficiency of employer then enhanced the job prospects and
security measures they receive from organisation. Through many training sections develop the
employee's performance that management can interprets with various implications.
Numerical Flexibility:
It allows the organisation to adapt its labour on a short notice increasing or decreasing it as it sees
fit varying employee can be achieved by contacting temporary agency workers. Saisbury should
have the ability to make rapid changes in their working environment where in a particular season
or trend requires extra staff to meet the requirement of the customer (Driskell and Salas, 2013).
2.2
Sainsbury is the well know organization of UK and working well in global market. For
improving productivity of the organization, it can develop several flexibilities in the workplace.
These are as below maintained: Functional flexibilities: Sainsbury cans implement this form of flexibility in the
workplace. It can adopt job sharing system, by this way employees will feel happy and
they will be able to learn more about the other departments. This will enhance their
knowledge and will make them multi talented. Apart from this it can reduce working
hours of workers by this way they will be motivated and will perform better for the
organization (Woodman, 2014). Financial flexibility: Sainsbury is required to give them rewards for heir impressive
performance. Incentives, bonus, cask benefits will encourage them and will make them
loyal towards the firm. By this way talents will remain in the workplace for longer period
(Beaman, 2012). This will help in improving the productivity and profitability of the cited
firm. Locational flexibility: Sainsbury can develop such environment in which employee get
branch which is nearby to individual homes. So that persons will feel comfortable and
will work better for the firm. By this type of flexibility employee will be able to reach at
home soon and will be able to spend time with family members. By performing job at
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alternative location will enhance their knowledge and they will gain good information
regarding market demands. Thus, they will be able to share innovative ideas with the
organization which can enhance profitability of the cited firm (Beyer and Smets, 2015).
 Temporal: In this type of flexibility Sainsbury can give freedom to skilled employees to
take decision independently. By this way persons will feel better and important in the
workplace. This will encourage them to perform better. By this way productivity of the
firm will be improved. In addition to that management also use this skill for enhance their
working as well as attitude towards the working.
Flexibilities in schedule, reducing working hours, place them at near location, job sharing,
etc. are many more flexibilities which can improve profitability and productivity of Sainsbury to
great extent (McDowell, 2013).
2.3
Flexible working practices are beneficial for both employees and employers. As by
reducing the working hours Sainsbury will be able to motivate its staff members. Even they will
be able to spend more time with their family members. This will give them new energy and they
will be able to perform well with full satisfaction in the workplace. It will enhance revenues of
Sainsbury thus, employer will be benefited with this flexibility (Chun and et.al., 2013). As
objective of Sainsbury is to retain talent in the workplace for longer period. By changing working
hours company will be able to satisfy its employees, thus they will stay in the firm for longer
period.
Job sharing and locational flexibility will help to reduce operational cost of the enterprise.
As by sharing of responsibility, workers will be able to increase their knowledge and they will be
able to gain more knowledge about different department. Thus, they will be multi tasking for the
Sainsbury. Single staff member will be able to perform more tasks. Thus, it will reduce expenses
of recruitment, through which employer will get benefit of increased profitability. By offering
placement at near branches of home will be advantage of the employer (Hong and et.al., 2013).
As employer will not have to pay extra travel benefit to the persons thus, it will help to decrease
operational cost of the company which will increase profit margin automatically.
Leave arrangement is another flexibility through which employer can offer to employees
that they can take leave other than Sunday if they are able to wok on Sunday. This will help
workers to make balance between work life and professional life. By this way they will feel
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changed and motivated. This will encourage them to work better for the business unit (Busse,
2014). It will reduce conflicts between organization and staff members. Thus, it will enhance
image of the company. Thus, employees will be able to serve better to consumers so they service
users will be loyal towards the brand.
2.4
In the organisation various changes take place that impact in a various way. In addition to
that management has to develop various strategy that leads to the flexible with such changes with
working practises (Recent changes in UK Labour markets. 2015). At very recent various change
are seems in the UK labour market that impact on their working practises and these are listed as
follows:
 After changing in the economy various changes are take place in the labour market. All
these changes are impact on the organisation and its worker. In this various
manufacturing jobs are also decline and in addition to that service sectors are also lead to
grow (Busse, 2014). So moreover this will impact in a positive way for all organisation of
UK and for Asda also.
 This change is also positive impacted on employment in which grate growth of individual
would be seems in this and this is because of part time jobs available in the organisation.
Asda also provide part time jobs for freshers so that students are join this jobs. This way
of working will impact on organisation in a positive way because they are not bound to
place in a permanent so that higher pay and job security is not impacted by this.
 This changes are also impacted on a female labour in a positive manner. After changing
such changes various facilities develop for the female labour such as their flexible
working hours and maternity period. Asda also implement with such changes so that
female labour enhance their towards the organisation (Kaufman, 2012).
 After such changes negative impact on the trade union witch is decline so that
management having a biggest challenge to face their problems with employee needs and
their requirement fulfilment. In addition to that management of Asda having issue to
achieve higher member ship in the trade unions.
 After such changes decrease in a manual jobs that will leads to the employment. In this
individual struggle is also increase in this (George, Haas and Pentland, 2014).
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 When Asda and other companies are not able to hire manual labour so that it will also
impact on the manufacturing decline in the organisation.
 This changes are also impacted on a growth of national income in which developments
are rates also included in this. It is also included living wages, adults rates and many
more.
 This will also assists for the social exceptions. In which when way of working will
enhance their desire and so on (Renwick, Redman and Maguire, 2013).
 As per 2008 data wages rate was grown by 2.5% and this change is affect in a positive
way so that management can raising in a effective manner.
Moreover all above changes in labour market affects the working level of Asda in a different
manner.
TASK 3
3.1
Discrimination is most common thing which is taking place in most of the organizations.
It can be on the bases of race, nation, sex, age etc. Sainsbury provides equal environment to all
employees, by this way they feel satisfy in the workplace. Forms of discrimination are as below: Sex discrimination: Many time's employer pay unequal wages to male and female
candidates. They think male persons can perform better and can be more productive for
the organization. It creates inequality in the firm and people do not feel happy in the
enterprise. Sainsbury gives equal salaries to its all staff members (Purce, 2014). It
evaluates the performance and according to its work it provides them incentives and other
accommodation. In the workplace male and female candidates get equal opportunities to
grow. Disability discrimination: There are many firms where disable persons such as blind,
handicap etc. tease by their subordinates. Even top management feels that they are
incapable to perform better so they do not give them chance to get promotion. Some times
they have to face humiliation, insult by supervisors (Warner, 2013). Sainsbury treat
equally to its disable persons. And if any other employee tease them then HR takes
immediate action against the defaulter.
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 Race discrimination: There are various entity who compare worker in a various terms
and this leads to working frustration in a workplace. It includes individual colour,
nationality and race. According to person can be compare with the different manner
because it effects on a working environment. Asda must focus on such points and develop
equal opportunities to their workers as well. Asda has to focus on the equal opportunities
or a treatment that will leads to better goodwill also (Jiang and et.al., 2012). Age discrimination: In this age factor is also crate matter in this because of individual
age. In this government also develop (ADEA) who stand for age discrimination in
employee act. So that no one can or entity do this type of working practises in their
working. In this act who they are 40 and more than they can cover in this act and protect
with this type of discrimination. In addition to that management of Asda have to focus on
the same and give them equal opportunities to their worker in a workplace (Armstrong
and Taylor, 2014).
 Religion discrimination: In this some time in the organisation individual can be treats in
a different manner because of its way of thinking and expressing their views. Every
person is different with each other so that it should be focus by the management that
individual not be discriminated (Religious Discrimination. 2016).
3.2
Asda also affects from various implications in their working practises in which some
times it effects in a positive manner and some time in a negative as well (The implications of the
Employment Equality Act 1998. 2016). In addition to that various implications are listed follow
as per the Asda context:
 This act is came into force in the 1998 which was developed for the employee's
welfare. This act will assist for controlling discrimination in a workplace. This act
is bout person who they different from others. It includes single parents workers
who suffer from discrimination. After this act their was a set of law that is assist
for reduction in the discrimination (Chun and et.al., 2013).
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