Tesco's Line Managers: Strategic HRM, Change, and Effectiveness

This report examines the crucial role of line managers and leaders within Tesco, focusing on their impact on strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) and their effectiveness in managing and leading change to enhance organizational efficiency. It explores how line managers contribute to the implementation of HR policies, the management of teams, and the overall success of the organization, particularly in the context of decentralized operations. The report discusses the measures of a line manager's role, the determining factors of Tesco's change initiatives, and the challenges encountered by line managers during organizational change management, including the impact of Brexit. Furthermore, the report analyzes the implementation of change through Lewin's three-step change management model, highlighting the importance of communication, support, and managing resistance. The analysis underscores the need for line managers to possess a range of skills, including effective communication, employee training, and decision-making abilities, to successfully navigate and drive organizational change within Tesco. Desklib provides a platform to explore this document, access past papers, and solved assignments.

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MANAGING AND LEADING PEOPLE
Executive Summary
Line managers have been playing crucial role not only in daily supervision of individuals as well
as operations as well as in realizing HR policies and in supporting operations of their team as
well as organisation. These roles are explicitly essential in organisations, as they show
implication to devolve these actions in the direction of proper line management. It is highly
domineering that appropriate deliberation to the method through which line managers are
designated to guarantee that they are competent to accomplish such imperative role. Line
managers’ part in HRM has been identified in academic examination and has been possibly
affecting the efficiency of HRM, which has continued, reasonably under investigated. Abundant
investigators have explored the importance of line managers in association with HRM. Line
managers or middle managers are positioned below the top executives and are accountable for
administering other administrators. Irrespective of these influences, first line managers (FLM),
lower level line managers, operational administrators have also measured as line executives. In
current times, line organization role has been reorganized in the organisations and they are
presently accountable for core HRM purposes. Thus, line managers serve serious role in
producing the cooperation between physical as well as HRs for division of their assistants.
Additionally, decentralization of the line suggests that line managers must display greater
participation in HRM so that HR employees can take on advanced planned role. The report has
examined line managers and leaders of Tesco in the province of strategic Human Resource
Management as well as their role in handling and leading change for organisational efficiency in
Tesco.

MANAGING AND LEADING PEOPLE
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Discussion........................................................................................................................................4
Measures of role..........................................................................................................................4
Determining Factors of Tesco’s Change.....................................................................................5
Line managers Role in Process of Change Management............................................................6
Implementers of Line Managers in Change Management...........................................................8
Challenges Encountered by Line Managers in Organisational Change Management...............12
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
References......................................................................................................................................16

MANAGING AND LEADING PEOPLE
Introduction
Line managers serve decisive role not only in regular management of people as well as
processes, but likewise in applying HR policies and in auxiliary operations of their team and
organisation. These roles are specifically important in organisations, which tends to decentralize
these actions in the direction of line management. Thus, it is highly imperative that appropriate
consideration to the way line managers are designated supervised and developed on constant
basis in order to safeguard that they are capable to achieve such important role. Line managers’
role in HRM has been identified in academic investigation and has been potentially impacting
the effectiveness of HRM which has remained comparatively under investigated. The role of line
managers in relation to HRM had been investigated by numerous researchers. According to
Brewster and Söderström (2017), LM or middle managers are positioned under the topmost
managers and are responsible for overseeing other executives. Regardless of these factors, first
line managers, lower level line managers, operational managers have also measured as line
managers. In recent times, line supervision role has been rearranged in the organisations and they
are currently accountable for core HRM functions. Thus, line managers serve critical role in
generating the collaboration between physical and HRs for department of their assistants.
Furthermore, devolution of the line implies that line managers must show greater involvement in
HRM so that HR employees can undertake advanced planned role (Noe et al. 2017). The
following report will examine line managers and leaders of Tesco in the domain of strategic
Human Resource Management and their role in managing and leading change for organisational
effectiveness in Tesco.

MANAGING AND LEADING PEOPLE
Discussion
Measures of role
The participation of line managers in HRM suggests that HR personnel can take on
superior strategic role. Number of studies have examined underlying factors related to the
positioning of HRM accountability at the stage of line management. Line managers (LM)
involved in the domain of HRM tends to offer line managers significant avenues to be
unswervingly involved in HRM and shows the propensity to elevate the pace of managerial on
HRM issues. LM must be directly convoluted playing the role of deliverers and drivers of HR
policies. Meanwhile, Brewster (2017) has found evidence of development within Tesco to
change people management processes and activities to the line managers. Harrington, Warren
and Rayner (2015) have specified the role of LM in HRM managerial. On the other hand,
research conducted by Hollenbeck and Jamieson (2015) has posited that HR responsibilities and
activities have been increasingly relocated to line managers along with financial controls, which
have an imperative effect in relation to the participation of line managers in HR happenings.
Former revisions have explored the elevating role of line managers in decision-making in
relation to HRM issues and have shed light on line managers’ role in the dimension of financial
power. These studies further indicated the position in conducting HR tasks. Furthermore, in the
individual HR domains, role and responsibilities of LM and leaders in policymaking and
procedures has been evaluated as well as in increasing line administrators’ participation in
staffing, talent management, self-control, employee training decisions.
As a result, it has been viewed that decision-making, procedures and accounting vis-à-vis
HRM have been considered as primary magnitudes of attention in the part of line managers in
HRM (Albrecht et al. 2015). In the view of Brewster and Söderström (2017), integration has

MANAGING AND LEADING PEOPLE
been cited as the offset to devolvement by guaranteeing that HR approaches have been serving
internally consistent and on the basis of the strategic direction of Tesco in addition to overall
business setting. Moreover, the advanced role of strategic business partners who operates along
with managers to successfully achieve their established agendas and objectives through
individual expertise as well as internal consultancy have been facing certain dilemmas. Brewster
(2017) in his studies has found that business partnering roles have been highly multifaceted,
indefinite and unclear with frequent conflicts arising from the end of HR specialists and line
managers further resulting to fragmented HR provision.
Determining Factors of Tesco’s Change
Currently, Tesco has been encountering substantial levels of organisational change.
Furthermore, reorganisation of Tesco has considerably resulted in organisational, functional as
well as cultural change and has been aiming to bring novel and innovative appearances on types
of services essential and the mechanism by which they have been delivered. The profits of Tesco
have been considered as keystone of initiating change (Wilton 2016). Number of studies has
noted that commercial approaches in Tesco have given rise to an improved clientele focus along
with elevated employee-performance; amplified flexibility of service endowment as well as
significant transparency and responsibility. Furthermore, Lussier and Hendon (2017) have
identified affirmative behavioural changes and developed commitment of employees engaged
especially in Tesco through successful commercialization initiatives. However, despite of
established evidences that Line Manager serve significant role in organisational effectiveness,
specifically in change management, front line managers is yet to be provided the required
attention in research as well as in practice. Tesco has been exploring the role and change
management capabilities of service professionals have principally been attentive on top

MANAGING AND LEADING PEOPLE
managers, senior executives as well as employees (Bratton and Gold 2017). However, since
senior managers do not typically show any proper support to LMs in the performance of their
roles, it has become quite challenging for them to be even recognized as special group of
individuals worthy of attention in Tesco.
.
Line Manager HR involvement Framework
Source: Markoulli et al. (2017)
Line managers Role in Process of Change Management
Change management has been identified as process by which an ideal state of business
enterprise gets distinguished. According to Keating and Heslin (2015), change management
typically initiates by forming vision for change and further empowering individuals to perform
as change agents in order to accomplish the vision. Tesco though has been running as major
retailer supermarket in the UK might encounter the Brexit impact thus creating issues in the form
of affecting the trades with the European. Reports have revealed that as per Tesco CEO Dave
Lewis, the Brexit impact will elevate prices for foods products across the UK. Fernie and Sparks
(2018) have claimed since Brexit will advance to higher import outlays which would make the

MANAGING AND LEADING PEOPLE
customers to pay more to purchase for the foods. Such elevated price would lessen the sales
volume for Tesco as the customers can shift to other competitive brands with lower-priced foods
as well as groceries.
However, considering their roles and responsibilities in companies like Tesco, LMs
would tend to assume more than one of these roles in a change procedure. Their responsibilities
possibly include collaborating information related to the change to frontline workforces;
representing individual support for the proposed change further partaking in the talent
management; employee training, working in collaboration with contemporaries and team
managers in order to implement the change and most importantly recognizing as well as
managing resistance in their domains of responsibility (Grundy 2017). Line managers’
competence to respond efficiently calls for range of skills and capacities. Talents such as
managerial assistances and abilities associated with effective communication and responsiveness,
employee training along with human relations, interacting, and decision-making abilities along
with effective team leadership have been found to be essential. In the view of Jenkins and
Williamson (2015), with other essential skills and competencies, line managers show ability to
execute to the optimal level of their ability considering access of adequate access to
organisational authorisation structures evaluated by staffs’ knowledge of sanctioning and
accepting work conditions such as information, proper assistance as well as resources.

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Conceptual Framework of Line Managers
Source: Keating and Heslin (2015)
Implementers of Line Managers in Change Management
The role of LM has been found to have transformed drastically in recent years. Sullivan
and Gouldson (2016) have speculated that LM have been currently allocated new responsibilities
and held liable for not only budgeting as well as distributing resource but importantly for issues
related to talent management. The three-step change management model of Lewin has been
applied to the current situation of Tesco in order to find relevant solution due to the Brexit
impact.
Three-step Lewin change model can be functional to the case scenario of Tesco for
addressing and seeking relevant solution to the problem acknowledged. The unfreezing stage
would stimulate Tescos’ employees for the proposed changes in the organisational structures,
strategies, marketing mix notions and external processes (Tesco.com 2019). Extensive research
of Sparks (2019) have mentioned that many organisations operating in the United Kingdom have
been undergoing extensive drive to offer LMs greater amount of responsibilities for the

MANAGING AND LEADING PEOPLE
management of their personnel and further to lessen the extent to which employees or HR units
regulate or limit the self-regulation of LMs in Tesco. However, the second stage would initiate
change which would aim to encourage employee base of Tesco for major strategic efforts and
change initiatives with the numerous innovations by means of transition to develop changes for
managing areas of change. Considering the scenario, LMs must interconnect the organisational
mission as well as vision with the organisational personnel by strategically including
stakeholders in the process of propose change and engaging them for supporting the
implemented change in the operations (Beynon‐Davies, Jones and White 2016). However, the
final and most important change known as refreeze has been connected in developing methods of
strategically implementing as well as and sustain change within the Tesco by acquisition of staff
confidence and consensus of various stakeholders for the change.
Lewin’s Change Management Model
Source: Kobus, Westner and Strahringer (2017)

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In the view of Keatin and Heslin (2015), during change management process, employees
tend to expect responsiveness from supervisors not only for direct and unambiguous
communication regarding proposed change, but to assess their degree of support for change
initiative. However, at these junctures, if LMs tend to show submissive support or resistance
towards the proposed change, similar actions might arise from employees’ end which would
eventually reduce effectiveness of change. Consequently, LMs require to efficiently establishing
their support in dynamic and evident methods to successfully accomplish organisational
effectiveness. Research conducted by Jenkins and Williamson (2015) have highlighted
constructive role of LMs in change management within the context of the UK. Grundy (2017) in
his studies have found extensive range of HR responsibilities being conducted by unit managers
in the process of recruitment and selection. In contrast, LMs typically did not designate
recruitment as part of their vital roles and responsibilities. Thus, it has been apparent to
understand that managers do not necessarily mention staffing as imperative part of change
management responsibilities. Meanwhile, by illustrating theoretical understanding of role of
middle management in service innovation implementation, Sparks (2019) has claimed that
information dissemination and selling innovation implementation equivalent to change advocacy
role have been seen as part of the fundamental roles executed by middle managers. LMs
typically show greater inclination towards these roles. Likewise, other academic scholars have
asserted that managerial accountabilities get disseminated with LM executing few of the roles
and responsibilities, which have been previously accomplished by middle managers.
Furthermore, Tesco must use ADKAR Change Model to seek relevant solutions proposed
change. At the first stage of Awareness, an effective change programme would be reinforced by
effective Communications Plan. Furthermore, it would focus on supplying affirmative awareness

MANAGING AND LEADING PEOPLE
to all shareholders by including employees in the change. Furthermore, companies like Tesco
intending for change at this juncture must utilize current communication networks in order
promote awareness such as printed publications and internal events. However, at the stage of
‘desire’, Tesco must express development and types of changes which company will bring. On
the other hand, Tesco must engage all stakeholders in areas where possible by using techniques
counting reviews and card sorts (Kobus, Westner and Strahringer 2017). In addition to this,
Tesco must keep stakeholders updated on things which would already be attained and changes
which are on the timeline. Furthermore, Tesco must use physical media such as posters around
the office in order to increase digital networks to distribute information. At the second last stage
of ADKAR model, Tesco must offer appropriate training before change implementation.
Furthermore, Tesco must utilize tools for example Yammer in order to develop internal support
community concerning the new solution (Paris, Bahari and Iahad 2016). Also, Tesco by using
ADKAR model must set up helpdesk function in order to support users with concerns and any
type of queries. Lastly, at the final stage of reinforcement, Tesco must establish new standards
which should incorporate retiring and de-commissioning explanations and ways of working as
well as reassuring users to endure seeking out the new solution as the ultimate foundation.
Phases of Change Project
Source: Beynon‐Davies, Jones and White (2016)