M&S Case Study: Impact of ICT on Workforce Management Post-COVID

This case study evaluates the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on workforce management within Marks and Spencer (M&S) following the COVID-19 pandemic. It assesses the role of ICT in decision-making, communication, and organizational efficiency, highlighting the shift towards online operations. The study discusses existing policies related to talent acquisition, learning and development, and change management, emphasizing the importance of adapting to the evolving business landscape. It also examines the role of leadership in implementing new initiatives and provides recommendations for M&S to enhance its competitiveness, including developing drone delivery services and robotic cashiers. The report concludes that ICT plays a vital role in enabling effective operations and enhancing brand value, urging organizations to embrace new technologies for innovation and market competitiveness. Desklib provides access to similar case studies and solved assignments for students.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................3
Evaluate role and impact of the information and communication technology on management of
the workforce within organization.................................................................................................3
Evaluate and discuss the existing policies related to learning, development and talent
acquisition to compete with COVID 19........................................................................................4
Role of the leader in organization in term of the implementing initiatives...................................5
Give relevant recommendations that should be adopted by the organization .............................5
CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Digital technology in business is essential to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of
its functioning through the dramatic changes in management quality of both the decision making
and technological processes at all level of the management. It is determined that due to pandemic,
many business are facing the difficulties in their working system. Due to this, they are adopting
use of digital technology that not just help them in performing their task, but also bring innovation
in their creativity (Abduallah, and et. al., 2022). Organization chosen is Mark and Spencer which
is leading retailer firm and situated in UK. This report will cover that how information and
communication technology impact the workforce, management, existing polices in context of the
learning, development and talent acquisition, role of leader in term of the implementing new
initiatives and recommendation on these new initiatives for the business organization.
Evaluate role and impact of the information and communication technology on management of the
workforce within organization
There are several aspect in which role and impact of the information and communication
technology can be defined. information and communication technology help the business to make
effective decision making and also assist them t have prominent way of the communication in
market place. In context of the information and communication technology, its role and impacts
are mentioned below:
 Technology make the organisational transactions secure by protecting them with harmful
elements which has been held within business (Clearfield, 2022).
 Information system related to the management support the business to work in an efficient
and effective manner so that they can accomplish their target timely.
 Information and communication technology make the business more efficient and
promptly respond to the customer's needs and acquirement.
 After pandemic, use of the technology has been increased as it is used by organisation in
the formation of several business practices. In relation to Mark and Spencer, information
and communication impact its working system after COVID 19 as they start to work
through online. It is essential for the management that they develop the communication
strategies that impact the organizational management in order to attain the business goals.

Evaluate and discuss the existing policies related to learning, development and talent acquisition
to compete with COVID 19
In relation to Mark and Spencer, there are several policies related to the talent acquisition,
change management process and learning and development. These polices are mentioned below:
Talent acquisition
Most common approach of the talent acquisition is adopted by the organization is rational
approaches to recruitment employee. It is base don the the ground of selecting most suitable
applicant in company (Estellés-Arolas, 2022). Mark and Spencer mainly focus on hiring
applicants on the basis of several phases and focus on hiring a right talent for the company to
attain their objectives.
Learning and development
Mark and Spencer is concerned with the several strategies related to the learning and
development of organizational workforce to achieve their objectives. It is identified that pandemic
has impacted individuals and their lives vastly (Monaco and et. al., 2022). Therefore, it is very
significant for its management that they facilitate learning sessions for their employee that help
them to enhance their work efficiency and effectiveness.
Change management process
It is another important aspect that need to be regulated by organization after pandemic as
business are mainly dependent on their information technology to remain competitive in the
industry (Vaidian and et. al., 2022). In change management process, various strategies are
included that help the employees to perform their task. to work effectively, there is need to
develop the communication and various software. In context to Mark and Spencer, it focus on
various strategies to analyses its preference and start perform to accomplish them. Mark and
Spencer is concern towards its change management process that include the adoption of ADKAR
model that support the firm to maintain an effective and strong platform. Organizations uses this
model to identify different aspect of production and sales that is required within organization.
After post pandemic, business are modifying their working model for producing goods as per their
preferences that help them to r main competitive in market place.

Role of the leader in organization in term of the implementing initiatives
In organization, leader play various role that help company to develop their new initiatives
that motivate employees. After pandemic, it become difficult for leaders to play Tehran role
efficiently that need to be managed in order to accomplish business goals. Leader's role are
mentioned below:
 As after pandemic, people has started to work for from their home that need to be managed
by organizational leaders (Silva and et. al., 2022).
 Communication in organizations is very significant that impacted by COVID 19 and it
need to be managed by company Mark and Spencer ny's leader so that workers can
communicate with other team members effectively.
 Leader play vital role in making the workers more effective and also make then enable to
learn different aspect of technology that need to be adopted.
 Leaders are responsible to implement new initiatives in organization as it make the
employees comfortable with new technology used in business organization.
Give relevant recommendations that should be adopted by the organization
In relation to Mark and Spencer, there are many suggestion that help the firm to become
more competitive after COVID 19. there are some recommendation which are given to the
respective company. These recommendation are mentioned below:
 As due to the COVID 19, people can not interact with each other, therefore, respective
company should mainly focus on the development to its drone delivery services to the
customers. It will be beneficial for the company, as it help them to attract more customer.
 Company also should focus on the development of robotic cashier that help the firm in
removing personal contacts. Through this method, the company can also follow the rule of
social distancing. This method of working will be helpful to satisfy customer's
requirement. Technology play major role in the development of organizational efficiency
and effectiveness.
 At last in order to implement initiatives efficiently, company should create an
implementation plan with the subsequent programs evaluation. They should build and
maintain a support for innovation.

CONCLUSION
From the above report, it is find out that every business organisation need to take some
initiatives in order to become more competitive in market after pandemic. Information and
communication technology play vital role in in the organisation as it make enable the company to
work effectively that lead to enhance the brand value. In every organisation, leader play essential
role as they help the company to implement new initiatives efficiently. Therefore, it is suggested
that every business organisation should uses different type of net technology so that the can bring
some innovation in their working. It will help the firms to remain competitive in market
efficiently.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Abduallah, E.A.. and et. al., 2022. Proposed Framework for Implementing Cloud Computing in
Yemeni Hospitals. In Proceedings of Sixth International Congress on Information and
Communication Technology (pp. 261-270). Springer, Singapore.
Clearfield, C., 2022. Leading Change With a Culture of Experimentation. MIT Sloan Management
Review, 63(2), pp.1-4.
Estellés-Arolas, E., 2022. Law enforcement crowdsourcing initiatives: a Systematic Literature
Review to identify key design elements.
Monaco, L. and et. al., 2022. Research on rare diseases: ten years of progress and challenges at
IRDiRC. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery.
Silva, A.S. and et. al., 2022. A framework for action to improve patient and public involvement in
health technology assessment. International Journal of Technology Assessment in
Health Care, 38(1).
Vaidian, I. and et. al., 2022. Challenging Digital Innovation Through the OMiLAB Community of
Practice. In Domain-Specific Conceptual Modeling (pp. 41-64). Springer, Cham.