ICT, Leadership, and Workforce Management: A Case Study of Sainsbury's

This report explores the role and impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on workforce management, particularly in the context of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses relevant theories, such as human capital theory, and examines Sainsbury's existing policies regarding talent acquisition, learning and development, and change management. The report recommends new initiatives for human resource managers to adopt, emphasizing flexible working arrangements and the use of e-learning tools. It also highlights the crucial role of leaders in implementing these initiatives and supporting employees through change. The report concludes that by embracing new working patterns, leveraging technology, and fostering effective leadership, organizations can overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

CMI REPORT
1

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Role and impact of information and communication technology on the management of
workforces in organisation.....................................................................................................3
Existing policies of Sainsbury in terms of talent acquisition, learning and development and
change management process..................................................................................................5
Recommendation....................................................................................................................5
Role of leaders in implementing new initiatives....................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
2

INTRODUCTION
The outbreak of covid-19 significantly introduces a strong burning platform which led
organisation to make many changes in their strategies and methods to conduct business
operations and manage employees in order to cope up with the challenges that has been
encountered by them (Acton, 2021). To manage and support employees information and
communication technology proves to be an effective tool which helps human resource manager
to adopt changes and guide and manage employees in a flexible manner. In this report discussion
has been conducted on relevant theories that has shaped development of human capital in
organisation along with the impact and role of information and communication technology in
management of workforces. Along with this report include existing policies of organisation in
context of learning and development, talent acquisition and change management process.
Furthermore, certain recommendation is being provided company in order to implement new
initiatives and the role of leaders in this process.
MAIN BODY
Role and impact of information and communication technology on the management of
workforces in organisation
Due to the outbreak of covid-19 there is a significant change in the manner in which
human capital is being managed within an organisation. Due to this ever changing environment
in which covid-19 is making significant changes in working pattern in organisation, it has been
identified according to the human capital theory states that education as well as training our
investments which an organisation make in order to enhance productivity of employees in order
to make employees productive (Ali and Anwar, 2021). As per this theory with the help of
educating and providing training to employees organisation can assure higher return on
investments. This theory identifies that training and educating employee to manage work stress
and the working pattern that has been changed due to covid-19 is shaping the development of
3

human capital in organisation. In this human resource manager of company is required to adopt
changes to provide training and development to employees in order to make them adoptive
towards the challenges and enhance their performance and productivity on simultaneous basis.
The outbreak of covid-19 left many business organisation in every industrial sector to
understand the importance of information and communication technology on the management of
employees on remote working. The Nobel covid-19 has forced government and health authorities
towards urging remote working and allow them to work from home in order to prevent a control
the disease. This significantly change the manner in which organisations are required to identify
the importance of information and communication technology in the management of people in
order to handle them across various locations (Ardiansyah and Teruna, 2021). Furthermore it has
been underlined that the businesses itself relying heavily on information and communication
technology in order to conduct their operations and run business operations in a smooth manner.
Human resource manager of organisation relied upon management of workers with the help of
information and communication technology in order to share informations easily and quick
manner and hire talented individual from different location in order to make sure that all the
human resource need of organisation get fulfilled .With the help of information and
communication technology collaboration to have reliable scalable and flexible work is being
fulfilled with the help of connected information system, communication app, cloud computing
extra which led employees to adjust in new working condition and deliver their best (Brière, Le
Roy and Meier, 2021). With the help of this technology with the help of information and
communication technology human resource manager stay connected with employees in order to
manage the needs and demands accordingly.
Existing policies of Sainsbury in terms of talent acquisition, learning and development and
change management process.
During the time of Covid-19 in order to run business operations in a successful manner
Sainsbury emphasized upon hiring directly top talent within industry with the help of referral
program, creating a attractive internship program and attracting people from different countries
or cities to conduct business roles and responsibilities in effective manner (Fayoumi and
Loucopoulos, 2021). Along with it has been underlined that Sainsbury emphasize upon providing
learning and development facilities to employees mostly by physical methods in which company
4

conduct various forms of employee development programs, offer increased duties and
responsibilities of employee in order to train and make them learn new skills and resources,
provided skill based training and job assessments in order to make improvement in employee job
performance and offer them learning and development facilities in a significant manner
(Parveen, 2021). In addition to this in context with change management process it has been
underlined that Sainsbury effectively emphasise upon implementing change with the help of
change in leadership in organisational workplace strategy and implementation of various plans in
order to is acceptance of change among workforce. With the help of this process Sainsbury
ensures that change is being successfully implemented in organisational workplace structure
(Franklin, 2021). Thus, from the above-mentioned analysis it has been identified that with the
help of taking advantage of various talent acquisition learning and development and change
management process as their strategic objective Sainsbury manage employees and perform roles
and responsibilities in retail industrial sector in efficient manner.
Recommendation
Covid-19 make drastic change in the working pattern of employees and the manner in which
human resource manager manages talent in workforce. Due to the big challenges that has been
imposed by covid-19 it is essential for human resource managers to make sure that they have
flexible working arrangements in order to emphasize on well being of employees (Kosasih and
Nugroho, 2021). In this there are certain recommendations for human resource manager on new
initiative that company can adopt in order to survive and thrive in the new normal.
 Sainsbury human resource manager is required to emphasize upon implementation of a
new technology and work towards striking a balance between flexibility in order to
provide effective support to employees as per the current situation .
 Sainsbury leaders and managers is recommended to undertake use of effective e-learning
tools such as Google Calendar, Google Drive etc and allow employees to use
technological processes to access learning materials from anywhere in easy manner. E-
learning program is a significant technique that will allow human resource manager to
manage training events and offer blended learning programs to employees which will
help in enhancing their skills and development.
5

 Due to outbreak of covid-19 the biggest challenge at human resource manager of
Sainsbury is facing in the process of talent acquisition. In this company human resource
manager is recommended to go virtual and be up to date from technological perspective
in order to recruit candidates digitally. Along with this company human resource
manager is recommended to collaborate with marketing department in order to strategize
the new way of communicating their brand two candidates. In this company HR manager
with the help of developing digital marketing collaterals creating new content for social
media and updating job seekers page can communicate organisation values, culture and
can hire candidates in effective manner.
Role of leaders in implementing new initiatives
Sainsbury is a leading organisation which is performing their business operation on international
platforms with wide range of employees. In this role of leader is significant for organisation in
terms of implementing new initiatives and a successful manner. Due to the adverse impact of
covid-19 there is major change in managing finding and hiring employees which is creating
number of challenges in front of organisation (Liu, Dunford and Liu, 2021). In this leaders
within Sainsbury plays essential role as they have tendencies skills and capabilities to guide and
support employees to implement change, offer regular support, understand needs and demands of
employees and stabilize the performance while making them to work in a team which helps in
reducing stress and complexities in work. Thus from the above-mentioned analysis it has been
identified that in order to successfully implement new initiatives and work efficiently to
overcome the negative impact of covid-19 leaders within an organisation leaders plays key
essential role which not only helps accomplishing organisational objectives but also assist the
employees to perform their roles and responsibilities (Moloney and Doyon, 2021). With the help
of taking advantage of effective leadership strategies and providing support to employees leaders
can overcome the challenges in a well defined and effective way.
6

CONCLUSION
As per the above-mentioned report it has been concluded that in order to overcome the
challenges due to the outbreak of covid-19 HR manager and CEO of organisation can implement
new pattern of working with the help of futuristic strategies to adopt change and make
employees stay within an organisation while managing their performance in effective manner. In
this with the help of e- learning programs, collaborating with marketing department to enhance
brand visibility among employees and taking advantage of effective leadership strategies to
implement new initiatives organisation can perform their roles and responsibilities and can
accomplish overall goals in effective manner.
REFERENCESBooks and Journals
Acton, K.S., 2021. School leaders as change agents: do principals have the tools they
need?.
Management in Education,
35(1), pp.43-51.
Al-Dalahmeh, M. and Héder-Rima, M., 2021. The effect of talent management practices on
employee turnover intention in the Information and Communication Technologies
(ICTs) sector: case of Jordan.
Problems and Perspectives in Management,
18(4), p.59.
7

Ali, B.J. and Anwar, G., 2021. The mediation role of change management in employee
development.
Ali, BJ, & Anwar, G.(2021). The Mediation Role of Change Management
in Employee Development. International Journal of English Literature and Social
Sciences,
6(2), pp.361-374.
Ardiansyah, T. and Teruna, D., 2021. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in
Supporting Entrepreneurship Indonesia: A Systematic Literature Review.
Available at
SSRN 3827582.
Brière, M., Le Roy, J. and Meier, O., 2021. Linking servant leadership to positive deviant
behavior: The mediating role of self‐determination theory.
Journal of Applied Social
Psychology,
51(2), pp.65-78.
Fayoumi, A. and Loucopoulos, P., 2021. Bridging the Strategy Execution Gap of Designing
Intelligent Talent Acquisition Systems Using Enterprise Modelling and
Simulation.
Enterprise Information Systems, pp.1-36.
Franklin, M., 2021.
Agile change management: A practical framework for successful change
planning and implementation. Kogan Page Publishers.
Hemerling, J., Dosik, D. and Rizvi, S., 2021. A Leader’s Guide to Always-On Transformation.
In
Mastering the Science of Organizational Change (pp. 147-162). De Gruyter.
Kosasih, K. and Nugroho, A.W., 2021. Perception of Millennial Workforce upon ICT and
Organizational Learning and Innovative Performance: The Mediating Role of
Ambidexterity.
European Journal of Business and Management Research,
6(2), pp.153-
161.
Liu, Z., Dunford, M. and Liu, W., 2021. Coupling national geo-political economic strategies and
the Belt and Road Initiative: The China-Belarus Great Stone Industrial Park.
Political
Geography,
84, p.102296.
Moloney, S. and Doyon, A., 2021. The Resilient Melbourne experiment: Analyzing the
conditions for transformative urban resilience implementation.
Cities,
110, p.103017.
Parveen, N., 2021. Work Force Management System Using Face Recognition.
Turkish Journal
of Computer and Mathematics Education (TURCOMAT),
12(9), pp.56-61.
Sridevi, G.M. and Suganthi, S.K., 2021. Artificial Intelligence-Based Job Applicant Profile
Quality Assessment and Relevance Ranking Using Clusters in Talent Acquisition
Process. In
Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Engineering (pp. 461-472).
Springer, Singapore.
Viltz-Emerson, M.A., 2021. Forward solutions in digital learning transformation: a study in
navigating 21st-century organizational learning for learning & development
professionals.
Zukof, K., 2021.
The Hard and Soft Sides of Change Management: Tools for Managing Process
and People. American Society for Training and Development.
8