Arden University: People in Organisations - Harrods Case Study Report

This report examines the leadership strategies and team development practices implemented at Harrods, a renowned luxury retailer. The study delves into the role of leadership in managing organizational change, emphasizing the adoption of a democratic leadership style to foster employee participation and engagement. It explores the importance of effective communication, mentoring, and coaching to support employees through transitions and maintain a positive corporate culture. Furthermore, the report analyzes methods for crafting effective teams, including the use of internal employee magazines, performance scoreboards, and recruitment strategies to boost motivation and reduce employee turnover. The case study highlights the significance of aligning organizational structure with employee needs, promoting career growth, and utilizing surveys to improve employee engagement and brand value. Overall, the report provides insights into how Harrods leverages HRM practices to enhance employee satisfaction, foster teamwork, and drive organizational success in a competitive retail environment.

People in organisation

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................1
Question 1. Role of leadership and support of structural and cultural change support
appropriate transitional changes..................................................................................................1
Question 2. Ways which assist in crafting effective team with motivation and team
development attributes................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
People or stakeholders for business are similar in nature where people in working are
called as employees. There are diverse culture and nature individual are working at business firm
which need to understand by HR managers properly although they have differ motivation and
working attribute as well (Anthony and Pa, 2016). This project is based on Harrods which is one
of a famous retail section in the UK. The major values of Harrods stands for the Luxury, service,
innovation etc. They are operating successfully from past 160 years and also provide
employment to more than 3000 employees. In this project there are mainly two things will going
to discuss by considering the case study on Harrods. The first section define and describe about
the Harrods leaders role in working as well as structure and cultural support to manage changes.
The next one will going to depict about motivational consideration through effective team could
be define properly. Although, with appropriate team development attributes business suppose to
become successful in tenure.
TASK
Question 1. Role of leadership and support of structural and cultural change support appropriate
transitional changes
In every organisation leadership plays an vital role in order to accomplish the daily
objectives of organisation. Further leadership means the ways of influencing the behaviour of
individual through their acts and qualities (Barr, 2017). Therefore in Harrods communication
between different employees is essential to perform all the task of organisation in effective
manner which can possible only when leader uses different approaches in order to interact with
their subordinate so they understand all the skills and capability of them easily which they
utilised in future operations.
Company always having some vision and goals which can be accomplished through their
good quality of goods and services. In dynamic environment changes are coming with rapid fast
speed so in order to make organisation structure according to external alterations then they
require to scan all the recent changes coming customers needs, demand and wants and on the
basis of such observation make modification in their products and services in order to maintain
their sustainability. Generally, the internal employees are resistance to change so it is duty of
leader to guide their employees how alterations are vital for the success of organisation and
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beneficial for career growth of workforce. Apart from it in order to motivate the workforce it is
the duty of leader to induce worker for active participation in every decision making which bring
positivity in them at the time of performing task (Broséus and et. al., 2016). Harrods is a
recognised brand known in all over the world having 330 departments globally. The company
known for his luxury services, innovation and sensation and their employees plays essential role
in retaining brand value and goodwill. In retail sector employees has to interact with different
variety of stakeholders which include both the internal and external factors in order to ensure day
to day running of business.
Apart from it company having different rivalry in market so in order to become top most
brand in retail market it is important for leader to adopt that leadership style which suited their
goals and objectives (Chen and Wang, 2018). Their are different types of leadership styles like
autocratic, democratic, bureaucratic and laissez faire style so it is important for business to select
most appropriate method or style which help in accomplishing targets of company. In Harrods
around 4000 employees are working with additional agency of 3500 so in order to manage all
over operation of business and retain their brand image leader adopt democratic leadership style
which is also known as participative leadership style or shared leadership style in which all the
workforce and members has to actively participate in different decision making of organisation.
The main reason behind the adaptation of this style is that company is multinational
brand in retail sector engaged in luxury and designer clothes, handbags so to know all the
demand and requirement of customers at all level they want some experienced and innovative
person who make improvement in their product and services through innovative techniques.
Following are the importance of democratic leadership style are described below:-
1. Members in group are encouraged to share their thoughts, opinion and viewpoints
through which leader can take the final rational decision making.
2. Workforce feels more secured and enthusiasm at the performing daily operation of
company.
3. One of the innovative and creative way through which employees use their hidden skills
and capabilities in complex business situation.
4. Good democratic leaders posses some specific traits which include honesty, ethical moral
values, courage, intelligence and fairness.
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5. Through this leadership style relationship between leader and their subordinate is
maintain and they are also committed towards their goals, projects which bring more
outcomes to company.
6. Encouraged and motivated employees are easily solve all the issues and problems faced
by their clients in respect of products and services which help in satisfy them fully which
leads to long term relationship and trust with them.
7. In democratic leadership leader can easily identifying the talent of employees who give
their utmost contribution to Harrods organisation. Further it is essential to retain such
employees by providing them all monetary and non monetary incentives and provide
them employment opportunities through promotion, participation in decision making.
8. This leadership enhance team spirit among employees and because of which coordination
and cooperation is maintain between them at the time of performing complex task
situations.
Further in order to maintain good corporate culture and managing change in their
organisation structure they need to modify the thinking of employees through their career
advancement and growth (Duffield and Whitty, 2016). Their are different methods and
techniques used for them are following:-
 Mentoring and coaching:- It is important for leaders to organise the coaching class in
which they guide their employees about the changes they needed to make in their
working style so that effective productivity can be obtained (Fuller and McCauley, 2016).
Line managers at Harrods are encouraged to communicate targets and advice to
employees through face to face interaction for better results.
 Support networks. Managers meet regularly with other. Managers to share ideas and
issues. For example the Retail sector manager need to meet with lower and middle level
in order to know all the issues and problems and communicate all the grievances with top
level which maintain network in all departments.
 Recruitment and selection:- It is duty of HR manager to select such source of recruitment
that help them to select the best candidates from available alternatives and then give them
appropriate training so they familiar with working environment of company.
 Scoreboard:- Leaders can enhance the performance of their employees by observing their
daily performance and score them on the basis of their daily task and operations.
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Apart from in order to implement changes in the organisation structure of company it is
essential for leaders of Harrods to formulate such tactics and strategies with the assistance of top
level that allow them to grab all the external opportunities and remove all the riskier factor that
act as hurdle in achieving targets of company (Larsson, 2017). Further transition is a
physiological process that occur at personal level in which changes occurs externally while
transition is done internally. It is very important for leaders to understand employees reaction
regarding changes through their performance and transition is a way of making changes in
organisation in efficient manner. Harrods in order to make possible active participation of
employees different training and development events has been organised through which proper
guidance has been given regarding the importance of employment engagement and it is duty of
HR manager to recruit such types of able and skilled employees that help in bringing new
changes in their products and services through their creativity and innovation. Harrods
management adopt survey procedures in which different strategic plans has been made in order
to improving employment engagement and trust for longer period. Leaders uses four main
elements in order to managing change along with their people which described below:-
 Changing organisational structure:- It is an duty of senior manager and leader to divide
their hierarchy into many different layers so that work can be done in effective manner
(Mayo, 2016). Further new structure adopted by company is flatter in which employees
has to take more responsibilities which further lead to job enrichment through which
employee has many opportunities by taking responsibility which give them fuller
satisfaction.
 Leadership changing:- Creating such type of environment where employees are more
motivated to take decision for themselves. Senior managers has a duty to establishing
vision of company and lower level employees delegated all other work of organisation in
which they have to provide good quality of services to their customers. Under this
transformational leadership is used in which vision build by top level which is
accomplish by middle and lower level.
 Effective communication:- leaders of Harrods must adopt such techniques which
facilitates effective communication in which employees are informed about all the
strategies effectively (Whelan, 2016). Further, both the leader and subordinates has to
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interact in informal manner so that both through mutual discussion accomplish day to
day operations of business and facilitate effective utilisation of resources.
 Retaining brand value:- Harrods one of the branded company known for their luxury
goods and items. In order such image it is utmost duty of employee to carry out the
survey to know the difference between customer experience and employee experience
and Harrods one of the famous organisation that known for tackling all the issues as
matter of urgency and include all the modernisation of staff restaurant and providing
high quality of foods to their customers.
Therefore Harrods must consider the above point in order to implement all the changes in
their organisation structure for better results and productivity in effective manner.
Question 2. Ways which assist in crafting effective team with motivation and team development
attributes
Business used and needs effective and supportive team which facilitate an option to
define and determine better outcome in range. An appropriate and suitable team always used to
get motivated by developing and defining suitable working aspects. At workplace, there is a need
of motivation at each and every field of area so that better and supportive team could be crafted.
There are certain number of steps get determine which used to understand by HR managers
properly which assist them in crafting such teams whom always used to get motivated towards
work and enable in accomplish the targets properly.
Harrods are the one whom providing jobs to more than 3000 employees with additional
3500 agencies and concession employees. From past few days business used to face a serious
problem related with high employee turnover thus, management need to take appropriate steps
for maintain higher employee engagement. Thus, management need to determine and estimated
such steps and working attribute which assist them in preparing appropriate and suitable team
with motivation. Such consideration will lead to include and define about several number of
steps which stated as follow: Internal employee magazines: One of a major consideration which support Harrods to
craft a better and effective team which used to motivate individuals are employee
magazines. This is one of a way in which business used to describe the working of their
teams properly. Such magazine will clearly describes about survey, employees
achievement properly so that it leads to define that their engagement properly. Although,
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each and every person become available and facilitate towards work which further enable
in crafting a better team where goals attainment by groups used to describe properly with
their thoughts and opinion. Business provides a magazine with name “Your Harrods”
under which such stances used to describe and evaluated in better and appropriate
manner. Morning briefing: Another section which enable and motivate the team working is
morning briefing where whole day schedule need to describe by leaders of a company.
This enable in divide the work among individuals or groups properly so that they become
more motivated towards task accomplishment. A morning briefing at Harrods provide
them knowledge about what really lead to take place in whole day. Leaders describe the
each and every group work properly so that unit become more dedicated towards their
target accomplishment which define and enable them to determine better and supportive
outcome. Intranet: Enable each and every single piece of information with diverse number of
employees properly. This used to motivate them towards working although they not used
to push down for working but a information sharing enable them to aware their
importance towards business. Although, while performing this process, business
individuals or employees become more engage towards working and start sharing their
thoughts and views with each other. This will support Harrods to motivate their workers
properly which further enable them to accomplish their targets in better and supportive
manner. Quarterly employee forum: On this aspect of engagement of individual, business
required to create volunteers of their work which used to present the issues of a company
as well as enable them to contribute something in strategy formulation. This used to take
place during every fourth month. Harrods have to disseminate this aspect properly at
workplace so that they would become able to maintain better and effective things. Such
aspect enable them to share their views and aspects with leaders of a company and some
major issues could be identify. This forum not only resolve their issues but also enforce
them to craft a better team which used to motivate each and every individual towards
positive working.
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 Other forms of employees voice: There is a need to understand and determine the aspects
of employees as this lead to contribute in success and sustainability of a firm and
business operations. Harrods already introduce a policy “Bright Ideas” where employees
used to share their innovative and new attribute to the management which facilitate in
order to determine success of a company. This engagement method enable them to
develop a team working spirit among employees where each and every person used to
work in deriving a creative idea with formulation of appropriate groups. This will
motivate them as well towards working and target accomplishment.
Such engagement modes will enable Harrods to develop a team which used to enable
them in order to deal with changes. Although, such aspects will enable them to motivate a team
properly towards their working objectives and target accomplishment. This will assist them in
gaining and deriving better and appropriate outcome for future consideration so that
effectiveness could be maintain and manage their work. This engagement used to reduce their
employee turnover which further work as a major benefit for a company and its working as well.
Team working is a major task which enable business to accomplish their objectives in
better and effective manner. It is really important for a business to develop a team properly and
get it mature by define course of time. Hence, Harrods need to understand and determine about
the team development attributes properly so that their success used to take place in better and
definite manner. Some points which needs to understand by leaders of Harrods while crafting a
team define as follow:
 The first thing which define an appropriate and effective team development is that each
team member need to take active participation in meetings and projects of a company.
This enable them to understand the importance of team as well as diverse range of
sources could be underpin. Harrods success could be estimated only when team members
used to provide their own views and aspects properly so that better and effective
assessment of work could be done which support in accomplishing objectives properly.
 Another attribute and aspect of team development is that each and every individual need
to be creative in tenure which assist in determine the creative solution of each and every
problem. At Harrods, individuals need to be creative in nature so that better and define
solutions could be assess. Thus, business objectives achievement become more possible
in frame while performing this aspect better.
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 An appropriate and effective team is one whom used to take initiative of each and every
aspect. It is really important to consider and determine this attribute because in teams
most of the time it seem that everyone is blaming each and every person. Thus, there is a
need of a leader or person whom used to take charge when anything went wrong. Such
unit used to accept their mistakes and try to identify appropriate and suitable cause to
deal with such problems. This will also contribute in success and sustainability of
Harrods where business suppose to become successful in nature only when things used to
went well as well as team start taking initiative for wrong decisions of any inappropriate
activities as well.
Harrods become successful in nature when there teams used to present and perform their
work in better and appropriate manner. Such team development attributes used to evaluated by
business managers in better and supportive frame of reference. This will assist them in reducing
the employee turnover as well as enhance the engagement of each and every single individual
properly. Such aspect will lead to contribute in better and effective manner of working. Team
attributes and characteristics need to understand and address by leaders of Harrods in better
frame. Such things will directly enable them in generate more profit which further enable them to
grow and diversified their operations as well.
CONCLUSION
It get concluded from the project that business is a composition of various people whom
working and belong to distinct culture and values. There is a need for HR manager to understand
them properly so that better and effective working could be done. Although, leaders need to
utilise better and supportive technique for managing work and any kind of change which arrive
at business world. Although, by developing and determining suitable and appropriate motivation
of team all objectives used to get accomplish in better and definite manner of frame. Thus, it
needs to assess by leaders the team development attribute in better and effective manner.
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REFERENCES
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Online
Characteristics of a good team and team member. 2018. [Online]. Available
through :<http://www.innovativeteambuilding.co.uk/characteristics-of-a-good-team-and-team-
member/>.
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