Report on Motivation and Leadership Strategies at Argos Limited

This report provides an in-depth analysis of organizational behavior, specifically focusing on motivation and leadership within Argos Limited. The study explores various motivational theories, including Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Herzberg's two-factor theory, and their application within the company. It examines the impact of motivation on employee performance and the significance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. The report also investigates leadership styles, highlighting the practices of Argos Limited's leaders and their influence on employee behavior. Primary research findings, based on a questionnaire administered to Argos Limited employees, are presented and discussed to provide insights into employee perceptions of motivation and leadership. The report concludes with recommendations for Argos Limited's management to enhance employee motivation and leadership effectiveness.

Organisational Behaviour

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The report summarises that in present business environment, organisational behaviour
has wider relevance. Argos Limited is a popular catalogue retailer that have presence at
international level. The company operates from UK and Ireland in order to offer best possible
experience to customers.
The report highlights aspects of Motivation and Leadership in organisational context
through secondary and primary sources.

Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
TOPIC 1: MOTIVATION...............................................................................................................1
TOPIC 2: LEADERSHIP................................................................................................................3
PRIMARY RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION...........................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
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INTRODUCTION
With the help of organisational behaviour, people at workplace are able to understand self as
well as others with the hope of improving interpersonal relations and shaping personalities.
Understanding of organisational behaviour focuses towards enhancing performance, fostering
leadership qualities, improving satisfaction of employee job and promoting innovation (Stewart,
Courtright and Manz, 2019). The report is prepared with purpose of analysing others’ behaviour
at workplace in aspect to Motivation and Leadership. For gaining insights about the concept,
Argos Limited is taken into consideration. It operates in UK and Ireland as catalogue retailer. It
was founded in the year 1972 and at present, it trades through online and physical shops.
The report highlights concepts, models and theories in context to topics that are Motivation
and Leadership within organisational context.
TOPIC 1: MOTIVATION
As per Kapp, Valtchanov and Pastore (2020), motivation is said to a psychic process
which guides, initiates together with maintains behaviour of human (Kapp, Valtchanov and
Pastore (2020). It reflects unique each one of people as well as allows them to gain valued results
in context to improved performance, personal growth, enhanced wellbeing and so on. In a
company, motivation is path to change manners related to thinking, feeling addition to behaving.
In Argos Limited, managers motivate their people through giving employees more responsibility,
making training available to each and every employee, offerings words of encouragement and
organising team development workshops. Employees of Argos Limited work by putting
customers at centre of everything they do as well as committed for providing its channels to offer
shopping experiences in best possible manner.
Impacts of motivation on performance of Argos Limited
With creation of Employee Motivation Day, Argos Limited has identified that
understanding motivators along with implementing effective motivational strategy impacts
positively on way of working of employees as it helps them to perform at best (Argos for
Business Creates the Employee Motivation Day 2016, 2022). It contributes in positive impacts
on efficiency of company and wider economy. Employee motivation drives potential of carrying
out activities that boosts performance in the company. For example, when managers of Argos
Limited keep workforce motivated, determined objectives are achieved without any kind of
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interruption. It further helps the business to achieve greater harmony in entire workflow that
influence productivity and performance positively.
Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation that can assist better performance
In a company, there are distinct kinds of motivation which can assist better performances
of employees. The first is extrinsic motivation which includes those aspects that arise from
outside of a person (Nathawat and Vasudha, 2018). For example, social recognition, trophies,
money and so on assist better performances of employees of Argos Limited. On other hand,
intrinsic motivation includes those which arise from within human resource. For instance,
performing complex tasks, learning new language and many more. When an employee is
intrinsically motivated at Argos Limited, they moved to perform for fun or challenge entailed
despite of some pressures or rewards.
Theories of Motivation
Motivational theories are associated to what drives an individual to act, what channels
actions in certain directions and sustainability in their practices. Some of theories of motivation
in context to Argos Limited are as follows:
Maslow’s need hierarchy theory
It is motivational theory that states five categories of individual needs that dictate
individual’s behaviour (Rayner and Morgan, 2018). Five categories of needs of Maslow’s need
hierarchy theory in association to Argos Limited are mentioned below:
Physiological needs: Needs of this category of Maslow’s need hierarchy theory are vital
to survival of a person. It includes food, water, shelter and sleep. In Argos Limited, employees
are motivated as the establishment gives proper lunch breaks for personnel wherein they can
relax their mind as well as enjoy meals without any stress.
Safety and security needs: Needs associated with safety and security are concerned to
desire of a person to feel safe together with secure in life as well as surroundings. At Argos
Limited, for motivating employees, managers provide them emotional security, social stability,
freedom from fear, health and wellbeing.
Belongingness and love needs: It is human emotional need for affiliating, interpersonal
relationship and connectedness. In aspect to Argos Limited, managers time to time organise
various activities that involves gathering of employees and making workplace relationships, with
this, need for strong relationships, employee bonds and friendships are met promptly.
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Esteem needs: It is also ego driven need as prime component of the need comprises of
self respect addition to self esteem. Through showing employees respect along with
acknowledgement, esteem needs are fulfilled at Argos Limited. Furthermore, esteem needs also
entails gaining recognition, feeling respected and status.
Self-actualisation needs: It is the last category of Maslow's need hierarchy theory that is
related to realisation of full potential of an individual (Prabhu, Rodrigues and Pai, 2019). In
Argos Limited, people at this level strive for becoming best which they possibly could be. Some
of self actualisation needs of employees are seeking happiness, continued education, pursuing
life dreams and obtaining certain skills.
Hertzberg’s model of motivation
Herzberg Two factor theory is also known as two factor theory and states that there are
various factors at workplace which cause job satisfactions as well as have different set of factors
which may cause dissatisfaction. In case of Argos limited, it have different policies which makes
employees satisfied and motivated towards work. It will help employees in gaining job
satisfaction and they can be more productive. It will help company in enhancing overall
performance of company by having satisfiers. It is needed to have foster work environment in
which employees feel valued and work with peak potential by deriving motivation within
employees. Employees must be provided with achievement in order to make them more valued
(Kotni and Karumuri, 2018). Employees who have contributed extraordinary efforts in attaining
company's goals must be recognised and provide with financial or fringe benefits. It will create a
sense of achievement and will give their best next time. They should be provided with
responsibility for which they are accountable for. It will help them in remain independent along
with learning decision making skill. In addition to that, there are various dissatisfiers which may
cause dissatisfaction a6 workplace such as it salary should be appropriate as compare to other
company's employees of same post. The working condition and relation must be healthy or in
case of absence, employee may be dissatisfied.
TOPIC 2: LEADERSHIP
Leadership can be understood as the capabilities of an individual which aids in
influencing as well as guiding the followers in an effective manner (Kurtulmuş, 2020). In a
nutshell, leadership termed as act of providing guidance to a team or an individual which
motivate them to attain specified goals and objectives. Leadership styles can be regarded as
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characteristics, behaviour and attitude of individuals which assist them in guiding as well as
motivating team members in a strategic manner.
In relevance with Argos Limited, it is imperative for their leaders or CEO to adopt such
practices which help them in motivating as well as inspiring their employees in a strategic
manner. Effective leaders of Argos Limited have help in enhancing the capabilities of their
business operations through motivating and inspiring team members in a strategic manner. This
practice has help them to motivate their employees for embracing the changes (Liu and Et. Al.,
2021).
Good leadership skills aid in enhancing customer satisfaction and creating a vision for the
company (Ahmad, 2018). CEO of Argos Limited, Simon Roberts is a resilient as well as
optimistic leader. Through his leadership style, his is followed by his team members in an
effective manner. CEO of Argos Limited has adopted a combination of democratic and coaching
leadership style whereby Simon provides their employees a chance for giving suggestions and
innovative ideas in a strategic manner. Simon believes in sharing the relevant information
regarding their business operations and revenues to their employees in order to gain large
number of suggestions. Whereas while adopting coaching leadership style Simon provides little
direction to its employees in order to attain their full potential in a strategic manner. This practice
has lead Argos Limited to gain success as well as secure competitive advantage.
Through effective leadership style, efficiency of employees can be gain as well as they
can attain their goals in a strategic manner (Öge, Cetin and Top, 2018). Leadership is considered
as important as through this employees gets motivated to accept changes in relations to adoption
of digital technologies in Argos Limited. CEO of Argos Limited has configured their team
members for precising their roles and aligning their value agenda. Through this, employees of
Argos Limited execute their operations through a systematic governance system which allows
managers to make critical decisions with efficiency. Even leaders are also given training in order
to make them understand the behaviour employees which help them to provide relevant
motivations to them.
PRIMARY RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Primary research is said to collecting of data or information directly from respondents,
instead of depending on data that are gathered from some previously performed investigation.
For the research about leadership and motivation at Argos Limited, quantitive research method is
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effective as it emphasis towards obtaining data with the help of close ended along with
conversational communication. In this, questionnaire methods is taken into consideration that
involve obtaining data through close ended questions with multiple choice answer option.
Herein, 40 employees of Argos Limited are taken as sample. For the research on topics that are
leadership and motivation at Argos Limited, questionnaire is as follows:
Questionnaire
Questions Frequency
Q1. What motivates you to work at Argos Limited?
a. Support from superiors 12
b. Compensation and incentives. 17
c. Recognition and status 11
Q2. How often managers and leaders of Argos Limited motivate you?
a. Daily 15
b. Weekly 10
c. Monthly 5
Q3. Are you satisfied with leadership style used at Argos Limited?
a. Yes 22
b. No 8
Q4. How well the leader of Argos Limited influence employees?
a. Very Well 16
b. Somewhat well 7
c. Not at all 7
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From the frequency of primary research, it has been found that employees of Argos
Limited feel motivated mostly through compensation and incentives, while other say that feel
motivated from support from superiors along with recognition and status. On daily basis,
managers of Argos Limited motivate employees so that employees have urge to perform at their
best level. It is also determined that most of workforce of Argos Limited at satisfied with
leadership style that is adopted by leader of the company. In very well manner, leader of Argos
Limited influence employees so that efficiency is improved and determined individual as well as
organisational goals are achieved promptly.
CONCLUSION
From the above project report, it was concluded that motivation plays a crucial role in
promoting development of company and employees. It is most effective tool used by managers
to derive peak potential within individual. It will help company in becoming more productive
and efficient. It is needed to regularly motivate employees so that they can take advantage of
more productive in terms of financial rewards. Leadership helps company in directing and
guiding workforce in order to work towards attainment of goals.
RECOMMENDATIONS
It has been recommended to managers of Argos Limited to adopt effective motivational
strategies in accordance with motivating forces of their employees. It is imperative for them to
understand the needs of employees for formulation of motivation strategies. It is advisable to
CEO and other leaders of Argos Limited to follow transformational leadership style which helps
them to inspire their employees in a more strategic manner. It is imperative for managers of
Argos Limited to evaluate and attitude of employees in order to influence them to follow their
rules. It is advisable to them to adopt a combination of varied leadership styles as per the
circumstances in an effective manner.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Ahmad, S., 2018. Can ethical leadership inhibit workplace bullying across East and West:
Exploring cross-cultural interactional justice as a mediating mechanism. European
Management Journal. 36(2). pp.223-234.
Kapp, K. M., Valtchanov, D. and Pastore, R., 2020. Enhancing motivation in workplace training
with casual games: a twelve month field study of retail employees. Educational
Technology Research and Development. 68(5). pp.2263-2284.
Kotni, V. D. P. and Karumuri, V., 2018. Application of Herzberg two-factor theory model for
motivating retail salesforce. IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior. 17(1). pp.24-42.
Kurtulmuş, B. E., 2020. Toxic leadership and workplace bullying: The role of followers and
possible coping strategies. The Palgrave Handbook of Workplace Well-Being, pp.1-20.
Liu, S. and Et. Al., 2021. Authentic leadership, person-organization fit and collectivistic
orientation: a moderated-mediated model of workplace safety. Leadership &
Organization Development Journal.
Nathawat, S. S. and Vasudha, D., 2018. Appreciative Inquiry as an Intervention Technique for
Enhancing Motivation at Workplace. Recent Advances in Psychology. 5(1). pp.42-46.
Öge, E., Cetin, M. and Top, S., 2018. The effects of paternalistic leadership on workplace
loneliness, work family conflict and work engagement among air traffic controllers in
Turkey. Journal of air transport management. 66. pp.25-35.
Prabhu, K. N., Rodrigues, L. L. and Pai, Y., 2019. Transformational leadership and workplace
spirituality: A structural model of team effectiveness. Prabandhan: Indian Journal of
Management. 12(4). pp.7-22.
Rayner, J. and Morgan, D., 2018. An empirical study of ‘green’workplace behaviours: Ability,
motivation and opportunity. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 56(1), pp.56-78.
Stewart, G. L., Courtright, S. H. and Manz, C. C., 2019. Self-leadership: A paradoxical core of
organizational behavior. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and
Organizational Behavior. 6. pp.47-67.
Online:
Argos for Business Creates the Employee Motivation Day 2016. 2022. [Online]. Avaialble
through: < https://www.openbusinesscouncil.org/argos-for-business-creates-the-
employee-motivation-day-2016/>
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