Reflective Journal: Woolworths Staff Productivity and Training Impact

This reflective journal examines the impact of staff training and motivation on the productivity of Woolworths. The journal begins with an opening statement outlining the research's purpose: to understand the significance of training and motivation on company efficiency, with human resources as the primary asset. A comprehensive literature review explores theoretical frameworks like Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Hofstede's Model of Cross-Cultural Dimensions, and Sirota's Three-Factor Theory to analyze employee behavior and motivation strategies. The journal further discusses the process of business research within Woolworths, emphasizing the use of various research methods to assess training program effectiveness and understand customer preferences. The author concludes that motivation and training have positive influences on Woolworths' employees, emphasizing the importance of proactive problem-solving and self-motivation. References to relevant sources are provided.

Running head: REFLECTIVE JOURNAL
Reflective Journal
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Table of Contents
Opening Statement.......................................................................................................................2
Literature Review..........................................................................................................................2
Theoretical Frameworks..........................................................................................................2
Process of Business Research in Woolworths.....................................................................3
Conclusion......................................................................................................................................4
Reference List................................................................................................................................5

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Opening Statement
The main reason as to why my group and I researched Woolworth was to get a
better knowledge and understanding of the impact that training and staff motivation will
have on the productivity of the company. We aimed to define as well as to provide a
detailed idea of the importance of the above mentioned two rationales. I believe that
humans are the biggest asset that a company can ever have as they put in all the hard
work to accomplish the set targets of the company. In addition to this, to lend forward
support to my belief, I have incorporated various models, frameworks, and theories that
elaborate the impact training, as well as motivation, have on the efficiency of the
organization along with highlighting the significance of human resources and
globalization. Moreover, few past articles related to the chosen topic too, have been
reviewed by me to get an insight as to what the scholars opined and then to analyze the
collected information and reduce the research gaps.
Literature Review
Theoretical Frameworks
Theoretical frameworks such as Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy of Needs,
Hofstede’s Model of Cross - Cultural Dimensions, David McClelland’s Three Needs
Theory, Sirota’s Three - Factor Theory, and Alderfer’s ERG Theory were discussed so
as to understand as well as determine the impact of training of the staff members and
employee motivation in the Woolworths’ organisation. After having researched and
understood these theories, it was easier for me to understand the behaviour of the
employees and how they can be motivated to increase their individual level of efficiency
and effectiveness towards the organization.
Maslow’s theory of needs focussed on the importance of human needs in the life
of each individual. The theory states that humans have a physiological need and they
tend to fulfil the same. According to King Hill, the theory is narrow and does not really
take in a comprehensive angle of needs. I, on the other hand, think that this particular
theory provides and caters to certain aspects that the other theories of need do not.
Maslow went on to argue that the individual needs are not tiered, but they are

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ontological. In addition to this, each one of the needs does not have to be fulfilled in
order for the individual to be satisfied. However, I opine, it would be better if all the five
needs of the pyramid were to be fulfilled as it would ensure that all the basic needs are
being achieved.
According to the model of cross - cultural dimensions of Hofstede, the effects of
the society’s culture on the morals and ethics of its members, and how these particular
morals and ethics relate to their behaviour is highlighted with the help of a factor
analysis method. The five dimensions of culture that the framework highlights are
masculinity, power distance, femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and individualism, and
collectivism (Methner, Hamann and Nilsson 2015). Based on this, it is a given that
different cultures have different sets of needs, and I think that this theory eventually
questions the theory of Maslow as it provided the theory of needs in a generalized
manner (Roberts and Grover 2012).
The Three - Factor Theory of David Sirota stated that the employees have a
tendency to lose their will and enthusiasm to work after a while due to the negative
influence and bad working conditions. According to me, this theory is somewhat
different from the other theories that have been discussed, and Woolworths need to
realise which theory and framework should be applied in which situation to resolve the
issue as fast as possible. Moreover, I believe that it is important for the employees to be
motivated to self-learn as it can help the company improve its performance and achieve
the goals.
Process of Business Research in Woolworths
As per Bell et al., (2018) stated, I also think that business research is a process
that has been adopted by a lot of the business enterprises and organizations to get
information regarding the areas related to their individual business so as to maximize
the revenue of the business. Besides, business research also helps the organization to
make certain important decisions, which eventually enables them to understand which
product or service should be launched (Methner, Hamann and Nilsson 2015). In
addition to this, it also helps the company, Woolworths, to understand its customers in a
better way, that is, by knowing their individual tastes and preferences. This allows the
company to understand its peak season and lean season and launch a particular

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product or service accordingly. The process also identifies and assesses which type of
training program will be needed for the employees to improve on their performance to
be able to bring about a positive change in the organization.
This unit gave me a chance to understand and talk about what I have learned in
these past few weeks while conducting out this group assignment. It was important to
make use of a number of research methods that were being used in the business to be
able to get a proper research project outcome (Kohlborn, Mueller, Poeppelbuss and
Roeglinger 2014). As Quinlan et al., portrayed in their study that business research
allows the business enterprise to address to a larger customer base by understanding
their demands and then creating the products or services which would be sold in the
market. I strongly opine that before launching out a product or a service, any business
organization has to conduct a research to know whether it will be viable for them or not.
Moreover, it is also important to consider whether the launch of the particular product or
service will fulfil the customers’ demand or not, along with keeping in mind other factors
such as the cost of the item or service and the targeted segment (Berning 2014).
Another research conducted by Sekaran and Bougie in the year 2016 stated that
the organizations which have become successful and have a stable foundation in the
market tend to conduct market research, which has contributed to growth and success.
According to me, this is completely true as market research is essential for the
organization to develop. This can be done in the form of market surveys as well as by
reading journals and articles related to the topic. The previously discussed models and
frameworks also lend a hand to understand and formulate the business research
process for the training and motivation amongst the employees (Berning 2014).
Conclusion
To conclude, I believe that it is safe to say that there are more of the positive
influences of motivation and training amongst the employees of Woolworth. The
literature review which was conducted also provided me with a lot of new concepts
which otherwise I would not have come across. In addition to this, I also understood the
importance of being self - motivated. The most important thing that I have learned is that

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it is always better to solve the issues that arise immediately to avoid poor working
conditions.

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Reference List
Bell, E., Bryman, A. and Harley, B., 2018. Business research methods. Oxford
university press.
Berning, A., 2014. Sustainable supply chain engagement in a retail environment: the
case of Woolworths food suppliers(Doctoral dissertation, Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch
University).
King-Hill, S., 2015.Critical analysis of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The STeP Journal
(Student Teacher Perspectives), 2(4), pp.54-57.
Kohlborn, T., Mueller, O., Poeppelbuss, J. and Roeglinger, M., 2014. New frontiers in
business process management (BPM). Business Process Management Journal.
Methner, N., Hamann, R. and Nilsson, W., 2015. The evolution of a sustainability
leader: The development of strategic and boundary spanning organizational innovation
capabilities in Woolworths. In The Business of Social and Environmental Innovation (pp.
87-104). Springer, Cham.
Quinlan, C., Babin, B., Carr, J. and Griffin, M., 2019.Business research methods. South
Western Cengage.
Roberts, N. and Grover, V., 2012. Investigating firm's customer agility and firm
performance: The importance of aligning sense and respond capabilities. Journal of
Business Research, 65(5), pp.579-585.
Sekaran, U. and Bougie, R., 2016. Research methods for business: A skill building
approach. John Wiley & Sons.