John Lewis Partnership: Leadership, Management, and Strategy Analysis

This report provides an analysis of leadership and management practices within the John Lewis Partnership (JLP), a prominent UK-based retail organization. It begins with an introduction to the roles of leaders and managers in organizational success, emphasizing their importance in a competitive market. The report then offers a brief history and description of JLP, highlighting its diverse product and service offerings. It delves into various leadership styles, including autocratic, consultative, and democratic approaches, and recommends the adoption of a participative style for JLP. Furthermore, the report examines the strategies implemented by JLP, including the application of McGregor's X and Y theory of motivation to encourage employee performance. It also provides recommendations for improving leadership styles and management practices, emphasizing the importance of communication, motivational, decisive, and time management skills. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and implications for effective leadership and management within the organization. This report is available on Desklib, a platform offering past papers and assignment solutions for students.

Context of Business

Contents
INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................3
TASK 2.................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction and History of the organisation.........................................................................................3
Implemented strategies by the company............................................................................................5
Recommendations for improvement in leadership styles, management practices..............................6
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Both leaders and managers play a very important and valuable role for the growth and
success of an organisation in competitive market. Managers performs crucial functions such
as assigning work to the employees, managing resources according to their requirements etc.
whereas the leaders encourages the workforce to perform allotted work in an effective and
efficient way so as to get good reputation within an organisation. Leaders’ role is very much
depending on the decisions made by the managers. For example, manager took decisions and
make plans to achieve organisational objectives but implementation and following of such
decisions and plans can be possible only if the leaders motivate and guide the employees in
right direction. John Lewis Partnership, a UK-based retail organisation which deals in
providing wide range of products and services is taken for the purpose of preparing this
report. Its products and services include clothing, house wares, furniture, financial services
and many more. The report includes the history and brief description of chosen organisation
along with the purpose of choosing such retail organisation. The report also discusses vision,
leadership styles and management practices that can be adopted by John Lewis partnership
along with a recommendation to select one according to their suitability.
TASK 2
Introduction and History of the organisation
John Lewis partnership (JLP) is UK-based retailer engaging in providing number of
products and services such as clothing, furniture, financial services and many more due to
which it currently attained strong market position across worldwide. John Lewis Partnership
(JLP) is large sized retail organisation of UK which is operated its business operations in
multiple numbers of nations. This growth and expansion of business gets an adequate support
by the management and its employees who have sufficient skills and knowledge to execute
business activities in profitable way (Amagoh, 2019). The performance and productivity
level of employees can be increased if the management have knowledge of identifying and
selecting best leadership/management styles to adopt within an organisation. Here are the
some leadership styles and management approaches that can be chose by the management of
JLP within an organisation:
Autocratic style: This kind of style directs the managers and leaders to form a
decisions and plans on their own with the help of using their experience and knowledge
without providing an opportunity to the employees to get engaged in decision-making
process. Restricting employees to give their new ideas and suggestions while formulation of

business plans makes negative impact on the working behaviour and retention rate of
employees. Thus, such kind of style is less preferable to adopt by most of the organisations.
Consultative or participative style: This kind of style directs the managers to first
consult with the employees and consider their views and suggestions while making any plans
and decisions for the beneficial for an organisation. This style can be adopted by JLP if the
managers and leaders have good listening skills. It makes positive impact on working
environment as well as retention rate of employees due to which most preferable style by
maximum number of organisations.
Democratic style: This style or approach restricts managers not to involve in any
decisions made by the employees during the execution of their allotted work. It gives an
authority and rights to the workers to take decisions on their own with the help of their skills
and market knowledge which help them in proving themselves among their managers and
leaders (Ardichvili, Cardozo and Gasparishvili, 2018). This will help in generation of new
and innovative ideas by the employees due to providing them freedom to think on their own.
Among all leadership and management styles, the managers and leaders of JLP should
adopt participative style which increases the effectiveness of decisions and plans formulated
by the managers and leaders with the help of taking support from their employees. This will
increases the participation of employees in various business activities which results in
increasing sustainability and profitability of JLP at global level.
Strategies developed by JLP:
Managers are having sufficient knowledge and skills to operate business in more
successful manner through utilising available resources in an optimum manner. These
resources include manpower, raw material, funds etc. who motivates managers to take
decisions without any restrictions. In JLP, the managers and leaders put more emphasis on
the betterment of employees through providing them rewards and incentives with the hope of
getting maximum contribution towards achieving of desired aims and objectives. In this
respect, the managers and leaders try to motivate them to perform better. For this, X and Y
theory of motivation which was introduced by McGregor in 1960 is taken into consideration.
This theory is classified into two parts which includes following:
Theory X: This theory is used for those employees who feel demotivated and perform
consistently low due to having lack of interest and willingness. To get them motivated,
managers using such theory in which they provides rewards and other monetary benefits for
better performer. This builds motivation among such kind of employees and increases their
interest to perform well so as to achieve good position among their rivals in an organisation.

On the other side, low perform can get punishment too in form of deducting their salary or
other company’s benefits (Chen and Lee, 2018). These both factors positively influence the
employees as they wants to earn rewards not punishment.
Theory Y:This theory is used by the managers and leaders of JLP for those employees
who already perform better but instead of this they work hard to achieve something big in
their career goals. They asked managers to provide them feedbacks according to their
performance so as to eliminate their weak areas. To help them in achieving their desired
goals, the managers and leaders of JLP provides them training and learning programs by
which they can increases their skills and knowledge and perform well for the organisation.
Implemented strategies by the company
Selection of best leadership and management practices is easy but implementation is
difficult due to not having lack of experience and knowledge. JLP is operating at global level
and continuing their success, it requires support from the employees in every stage oof
business process. As mentioned above, the managers and leaders have lots of options to
implement leadership and management styles according to the situations and requirements
exist at workplace. For example, using autocratic style directs the managers and leaders to
deal with the complexities arises due to fluctuations in market situations on their own without
getting support from their employees. It requires self-confidence and belief among managers
to stick on their decisions and assigned work accordingly. Using such style has both benefits
and drawbacks (Church and Waclawski, 2009). Benefit is that it help company in achieve
competitive advantage by grabbing market opportunities without investing time to consult
with their employees.. The Drawback is that it lowers the working behaviour of employees
which causes low retention rate.
On the other hand, using consultative style facilitate JLP in maintaining healthy work
environment through providing important to employees through involving in decision
making process of company. Adoption of such style takes time due to consulting with
employees which increases the chances of losing competitive opportunities arises in market
environment. On the other, if such style adopted then it will increases the working behaviour
and retention rate of employees which in results creating better relations among managers
and employees.
Democratic style can also be adopted by JLP in which the managers and leaders gives right
and authority to their employees to think on their own and took decisions accordingly while
performing allotted work. Lack of participation of managers and leaders in decisions made by
employees may bring low results due to having lack of knowledge and skills of employees

(Conger, 2018). This may bring company backward than their rivals in competitive market.
Whereas using such style builds motivation among employees to generate new and
innovative ideas for completion of allotted work which given them an opportunity to show
their talent and skills towards their managers. This will increases their roles and position
within an organisation.
Strategies used to implement these kind of styles is adoption of X & Y theory of
motivation which encourages employees to increases their skills and knowledge so that
maximum contribution can be given in the decision-making process made by the managers
and leaders. X theory motivates low performer through providing them rewards and
incentives whereas Y theory builds motivation among employees who are more hardworking
through facilitating them with training and learning programs (Zhu, Chew and Spangler,
2010). The management of John Lewis is providing other benefits such as performance
appraisals, appreciation, star performer etc. for motivating their workforce. For motivating
the leaders, management is providing incentives based on executed work which will enhance
the skills of leaders and they perform better in their workplace.
Recommendations for improvement in leadership styles, management practices
John and Lewis is a multinational firm who is operating their business operations in
various countries including United Kingdom, Ireland etc. It is necessary for the managers and
leaders to have necessary skills and knowledge for working hard to achieve the organisational
goals in an effective manner. This is also necessary for the taken organisation i.e. John and
Lewis which is a multinational firm (Hood, 2012). The managers and leaders of the John
Lewis need to follow the effective leadership style such as supportive leadership and
management style. Through this style, both of the leaders and managers can take the
suggestions from the employees in taking their final decision. This is also beneficial for the
these manager and leaders in motivating the employees as their suggestions are considered by
them in the decision making which will also ensure the satisfaction of the employees. Apart
from the style several skills are also necessary in the workforce for handling the workers.
These skills are discussed below:
Communication skills: The leaders and managers of the John Lewis needs to have
these skills so that they can interact or communicate with the entire workforce regarding their
issues, problems, and suggestions. This is also necessary for maintain healthy working
culture at the workplace which will enable the workers in working with the required
efficiency.

Motivational Skills: The leaders and managers of John Lewis should have these skills
too so that they can motivate their workers to achieve their goals and objectives. This can be
done by them through the use of suitable motivational theories. Motivated employees not
only work hard but they also support other colleagues in resolving their issues so that proper
harmony can be maintained.
Decisive Skills: The managers and leaders of the John Lewis need to have these skills for
taking the appropriate decision in the complex situations(Long and et. al., 2012). This is
essential for managers and leaders as they have to take complex situations which ethical
dilemmas can act as barriers while taking the suitable decisions.
Time management skills: These skills are also necessary for the managers and leaders
of John Lewis so that they can manage their time in effective manner for executing their
work. Through this skill, they can remember the deadlines of the work which will leads to the
execution of important work first whose deadline is approaching.
Apart from these skills and supportive style, the managers and leaders also needs to
provide motivation to the employees (Sorenson, 2009). This motivation is does not only
provided by the theories but employees can be motivated by using the rewards system. In this
technique, rewards are provided to the employees on the basis of their performance. This will
motivate employees to perform better for getting these rewards and benefits.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussed report, it has been concluded that organisations should have
effective leaders and managers who can motivates their employees for working hard in
accomplishing the desired organisational goals and objectives. These managers and leaders
needs to several skills and management qualities through which they can perform their role in
organisation. These effective managers and leaders use some leadership styles which enable
them to become effective in anything they do. If the employees of an organisation do not
perform their work effectively then motivation can be provided to them. This motivation can
be provided to them by using several theories such as theory x and y in the organisation.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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