Analysis of Leadership, Management, and Strategies at Morrisons

This individual report provides a comprehensive analysis of the leadership and management practices employed by Morrisons, a prominent supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. The report begins with an overview of Morrisons' history, vision, and organizational structure. It then delves into the specific leadership style, identified as systems leadership, and explores how this approach influences the company's operations. The core of the report examines various management practices, including worker engagement and the creation of cultural cohesiveness, alongside the strategic frameworks like market penetration, product development, and diversification. The implementation of these practices and strategies is discussed, providing insights into how Morrisons translates its management principles into action. Finally, the report offers recommendations for potential improvements, focusing on diversifying leadership styles, enhancing employee engagement, and refining strategic approaches to maintain competitiveness in the retail sector.

INDIVIDUAL
REPORT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
1. Organization history, summary and rationale.........................................................................1
2. Discussed vision, leadership style, management practices and various strategies..................1
3. Implementation of the management practices and strategies..................................................4
4. Recommendations...................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Today, in this age of globalisation it is important for the organisations across the world to
have a good and supportive leadership and management. The below report is going to discuss the
types of leadership and management used with the environment of Morrisons. Morrisons is the
fourth largest supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Bradford, West
Yorkshire, England. The report is going to explore the leadership and management practices
used within the organisational environment (Jenkins and Williamson, 2015). Along with it, the
report also discusses the strategies which Morrisons makes use of in order to achieve set growth
and development.
MAIN BODY
1. Organization history, summary and rationale
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc, trading as Morrisons, is the fourth largest chain of
supermarkets in the United Kingdom. The organization is headquartered in Bradford, West
Yorkshire, England.
Morrisons was founded in 1899 by William Morrison. The company started its operations
with an egg and butter stall in the Rawson Market of Bradford. The store locations were
primarily focused in the North England until 2004. The organizations' presence started increasing
in the south of England with the takeover of Safeway in the same year. It started picking up the
fame and as of 2016, Morrisons is having 498 superstores across England, Scotland, Wales and
one in Gibraltar.
Since 2019, the organization is employing 110,000 employees and is serving around 11
million customers each and every week. Along with it, it is listed in London Stock Exchange and
is part of the FTSE 100 companies index. The 10% of the company is owned by the Morrisons
family.
2. Discussed vision, leadership style, management practices and various strategies
The vision of the organization is to become the 'Food Specialist for everyone'. From
calling itself a food specialist, Morrisons differentiates itself from its major competitors. The
organization is having its own manufacturing and packing facilities and as compare to other
retailers of United Kingdom, more people are preparing in store food at Morrisons. It is also
having more bakers, butchers, and fishmongers than its competitors such as Tesco, Sainsbury's
and Asda.
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The leadership style used within the organization is systems leadership. This style of
leadership enables the leader of the Morrisons to create such conditions where people at all
levels work productively as per their potential. The style of leadership makes use of sound
principles about the behavior of the human and create models of systems design, organizational
strategy, good leadership and social process (Haleem and Jehangir, 2017). Also, it provides
leaders with tools which helps in prediction of people's behavior in their organizations. Along
with it, the style of leadership builds effective systems which tends to drive behavior which is
productive and leads to a more effective realization of the purpose of the Morrisons.
The management practices used by Morrisons includes worker engagement. The
organization's management tends to keep the workers engaged into performing their jobs as per
their full potential. In order to do this, the organization makes use of various strategies and
provides training and development opportunities to its staff which makes them improve their
involvement in the job role and ensure better individual growth and organizational development
both.
The management of the organization is committed in ensuring that set goals and
developments are being achieved. In order to this, the management of the organization tends to
stay committed in making required strategies and motivate the team to ensure the same. Along
with it, the management constantly understand the needs and requirements of the employees in
order to provides them with required satisfaction.
The other management practices which is used in Morrisons is creating cultural
cohesiveness. Culture here does not refer to ethnicity or socioeconomic status. Rather, it means a
sense of values which are shared with right engagement level, which in terms will lead to the
development of outcomes which are efficient and productive (Eweje and Bathurst, 2017). This
practice allows the business to make new hires on the basis of alignment with the core values of
the company's and its vision.
The focused team effort allows the organization to keep bettering itself in order to ensure
that desired goals and objectives are being achieved. The team efforts of the employees,
management and the leaders working in the organization tends to create an environment which is
growth oriented and is as per the required needs and developments. Along with it, it helps the
organizational to reach new heights of growth and seek required development.
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The strategies which are used within Morrisons include market penetration, market
development, market expansion or development, diversification, and product development.
Below explored in the Ansoff Matrix explaining the strategies used by Morrisons in order to
achieve set market growth and development:
ANSOFF MATRIX
(Source: Ansoff Matrix, Quick MBA, 2017)
Market Development: From the usage of market development strategy, Morrisons tends to seek
growth by targeting its existing products to the new market segments. It helps the organization
to reach new markets as well as to understand what are the core needs and requirements of the
new market. By selling its existing products into the new markets the organization tends to
create awareness about itself in the new markets and to achieve set growth and development.
Diversification: From the help of the diversification strategy, the firm grows by diversifying
itself into new businesses form the development of new products for new markets (Brown and
Wolsey, 2018). From the usage of this strategy, the organization tends to diversify its products
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Illustration 1: Ansoff Matrix

and services in new markets and manufactures new products which helps it to achieve required
growth and development.
Market Penetration: In this strategy, the organization tends to achieve development and growth
by with existing products in the current market segments, aiming to increase the market share of
the organization. It helps the organization to increase its value by making use of the same
market and the same products without changing anything.
Product Development: In product development strategy, the organization tends to develop new
products which are targeted to its existing market segments. In this the organization reaches
new growth prospects and tends to develop products as per the current market needs. It helps
the organization to reach new growth prospects and achieve required set growth and
development.
3. Implementation of the management practices and strategies
The leadership style of Morrisons which is Systems leadership, it is implemented in the
organization by creating conditions where people at all levels are working as per their complete
potential. In order to this, the employees are provided with an environment that is joyful and
positive, they are constantly made to learn new skills and more engagement is brought into them.
It helps the organization to successfully implement the chosen systems style of leadership.
Morrisons tend to implement its business practices such as worker engagement by
providing them with rewards, bettering their salaries and providing them with required training
and development opportunities. It helps the organizations employees to stay motivated to work
hard and achieve work as per their full potential for the organization. The other important aspect
which the organization makes use of in order to implement employee engagement practices
includes better their potential by appreciating them constantly.
To implement the management practice of staying committed, the management of
Morrisons tend to make use of skills such as bettering their own potential to achieve set growth
and development and always keep the organization on track (Brown and Wolsey, 2018). Also,
they tend to keep up with the market trends and work as per the set customer needs and
requirements to gain better growth and advantage.
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To implement cultural cohesiveness, the organization's management tends to create an
environment which is growth oriented, and tend to make the environment positive where its
people are working. It creates a culture where employees are supporting and are helping each
other in order to ensure required growth is being achieved.
In order to implement team effort, the management of Morrisons tends to make use of
strategies such as leading by example, building up respect and trust, encourage socializing within
the employees etc. It helps the organization to reach new set of growth and explore new options
to ensure better team development.
To implement the strategy of market penetration, Morrisons tends to understand where its
current markets are located, and tends to produce its products and services to service in the
existing markets of the organization.
In order to implement product development, the organization develops its new products
after understanding the needs and requirements of its current customers of the existing markets
(Tench and Topić, 2017). As per these needs, Morrisons develop new products and deploys into
the existing markets.
To implement the diversification strategy, Morrisons evaluates the new markets in which
it wants to develop its products and services into and serves them by development of new
products. Also, to ensure and implement market development strategy, the organization
understand the new markets and tends to target it by selling existing products into it.
The above implementations showcase in what manner Morrisons implements its
management practices, leadership styles and strategies of market development.
4. Recommendations
Based on the research done, it is important that Morrisons, instead of just making use of a
single leadership style which is Systems. The organization can make use of other effective
leadership styles as well. In competitive environment, where organizations such as Tesco,
Sainsbury's etc. tend to rule the retail sector, it is important the effective leadership styles are
observed and implemented accordingly.
The organization can make use of leadership styles such situational leadership, in which
the leaders of the organization adjusts their style to fit the development level of its followers. It
will help the organization to make its leadership as per the working environment which is
already set (Wheeler, 2018). Along with it, it won't disturb the any of the employees work
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performance and his working style. It is important that such style of leadership is followed within
the organization to achieve set growth and development and ensure better organizational
performance of the employees.
The other recommendation is to bring the practices of management which can enhance
the working culture of the organizations employees and management as well. In order to do this,
it is important for the organization understand how it employees are feeling in the present
environment of the organization and as per their feelings and feedback what can be changed to
bring a culture which is positive and dedicated towards both growth and development. It is going
to make sure that the organization is growth-oriented and its employees are conscious enough to
ensure required development is being achieved.
In order to manufacture and sell its business commodities to retain and achieve the
highest growth, it is important for the organization to make use of new strategies. Strategies such
as holding regular meetings between the management and the leadership to understand the new
problems and solve them accordingly should be adopted. Also, it is important to make use of
strategies such as communicating with the employees more and more (Vöge, 2017). This is
going to allow the organization to reach new growth and success and ensure better development
with the help of its employees.
Along with it, Morrisons needs to make efforts such as putting its customers first. This
will help the organization to gain a better competitive advantage and reduce the risks related to
the customers (Wheeler, 2018). This is the most important strategy for the organization to deal
with the competitive environment and ensure better growth than its competitors.
CONCLUSION
The above report explores the importance of management and leadership within the
organizational environment. It explains the important leadership practices which revolves around
the organizational environment and in what manner these practices of leadership tends to create
and environment which is supportive and development oriented for the Morrisons. Strategies
such as usage of communication to enhance employee engagement, developing customer
oriented growth are explained in order to make sure the organization is achieving required
growth and success. Along with it, the report develops an understanding of the organizational
culture and in what manner the culture could be made better to achieve required growth and
success.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Brown, H. W. and Wolsey, C., 2018. Sports coaching in a business context?. Managing Sport
Business: An Introduction.
Eweje, G. and Bathurst, R., 2017. CSR, sustainability, and leadership. Routledge.
Haleem, F. and Jehangir, M., 2017. Strategic Management Practices by Morrison PLC, UK.
Analysis, Lessons and Implications. Middle East Journal of Business. 12(3).
Jenkins, W. and Williamson, D., 2015. Strategic management and business analysis. Routledge.
Tench, R. and Topić, M., 2017. Evaluating CSR, Sustainability, and Sourcing Within the UK
Supermarket Industry. In CSR, Sustainability, and Leadership (Vol. 100, No. 123, pp. 100-
123). ROUTLEDGE in association with GSE Research.
Vöge, N., 2017. Critical evaluation of the roles and responsibilities of Human Resource
Managment in organisations.
Wheeler, A., 2018. Crisis Communications Management. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Online
Ansoff Matrix, Quick MBA. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/matrix/ansoff/>
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