Marks and Spencer: Organizational Culture, Communication and Success

This report provides an in-depth analysis of organizational behavior within Marks and Spencer (M&S), exploring how culture influences employee motivation, communication, and overall business success. It begins with an executive summary and introduction, followed by a main body that delves into secondary research, examining various theories like Classical, Contingency, and System theories, as well as Handy's Model of organizational culture. The report also investigates how communication impacts organizational effectiveness and the role of culture in employee motivation, referencing Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Equity Theory. Primary research, including interviews with managers, is incorporated to illustrate how M&S can leverage its culture for continued growth. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of a strong organizational culture for achieving business goals and maintaining a positive work environment. The report highlights the importance of communication, employee motivation, and leadership in fostering a successful organizational culture within M&S.

Report
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Executive Summary
It has been summarised that Organizational behaviour useful in the business to identify the
behaviour of human and how they can interface towards the business goals. Many researchers
are doing study the individual behaviour in their organizational roles. It will understand the
culture in the line by using theories, models and concept for identifying the behaviour of human
at workplace. It should be analysed the culture and how can improve in the organizational
effectiveness. It can be identified the specific role of culture on the employee motivations. It has
recommended to maintain the good relationship between employee because it directly impact on
culture for further growth and success.
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Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................4
Secondary Research.........................................................................................................................4
Determine the culture in the line by using different theories, models and concepts which
related to the human behaviour in Marks and Spencer................................................................4
Understand the culture and how can improve the organizational effectiveness with the focus
on communication.......................................................................................................................6
Understand the role of culture on the employee motivation........................................................7
Primary Research.............................................................................................................................8
Describe that how Marks and Spencer could use the culture in the organization for further
success.........................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12
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INTRODUCTION
Organizational behaviour is basically the study about the behaviour of human in the
organization and how they can interface towards the business goals. Many researchers are doing
study the individual behaviour in their organizational roles. It always influenced the people by
maintaining the disciplines that include experience of practitioners. Marks &Spencer is a based
on the British multinational retail company that specialise in the selling the better quality of
products and services. The organization was founded in 1884 by Thomas spencer and Michael
Marks. It also began to sell their branded items in marketplace.
This report will discuss about the culture in the line by using theories, models and concept
for identifying the behaviour of human at workplace. Furthermore, it will describe the culture
and how can improve in the organizational effectiveness. It also determines the role of culture on
the employee motivations. Moreover, this report will discuss about the organization that can use
the culture for further growth and success.
MAIN BODY
Secondary Research
Determine the culture in the line by using different theories, models and concepts which related
to the human behaviour in Marks and Spencer.
Organizational culture may be defined as underlying the assumptions, beliefs and value
that can interact with the contribute towards the unique social and psychological environment at
workplace. In Marks and Spencer, it can be applied the theory that help for identifying the
problem and resolve them. It is useful for increasing the productivity and profitability of
organization in global marketplace (Chattopadhyay, 2019). There are different types of theories
applicable in the culture at workplace such as Classical, Contingency and system theory.
Classical organizational theory
This type of theory is designed for the purpose of business revolution that mainly focused
on the productivity and efficiency. Marks and Spencer is used the classical organizational theory
and combined with the different aspects of scientific management. It can obtain the personnel,
equipment that carefully scrutinizing each element during the production.
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Contingency theory
This theory is mainly accepting all things and doesn’t depended on the idea about
leadership style because M&S is mainly focus on the different circumstances externally and
internally. According to theory, Managers of M&S adopts the changes in the environment and
culture. It allows the other employees to make decision based on the condition and situation.
System theory
This theory is defined that all the components of organizational are related to each other
because one change may be affect on the entire process. It is based on the open system that will
continually adapting and changing the culture or environment (De Clercq and Belausteguigoitia,
2019).
Marks and Spencer is adopting the contingency theory in their business culture because
this theory will help for adopting the changes according to the demand and requirement.
Handy’s Model of organizational culture
A Handy’s Model is a type of culture model that can determine the leading authority in
the organization. It is to be considered the multiple types of culture: Power, Task, Person and
Role. Marks & Spencer uses this model for understanding the overall task of business effectively
and efficiently.
Power
In M&S, Power culture is developed by individuals those who were influenced through
the organization. It is based on the rules and regulations. Employees usually judged by their
behaviour and how they act. Power culture is helping the employee to make right decision
regarding the business development.
Figure 1 Handy's Model
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(Source: Handy’s Model of organizational culture. 2018)
Role
This type of culture is based on the rules whereas employees are controlled by managers.
Marks and spencer understand about every employee and determine their unique responsibilities
at workplace. Role culture are mainly built based on business structure which are typically long
and follow specific chain (Inglis, 2019).
Task
This type of culture formed by group of people in the M&S that can perform task on
specific problems. In this way, task culture will help for determined by the dynamic team and
working together. It will help for increasing the productive and creative in the M&S enterprise
operations.
Person
It is based on the individual person to simply do their task in proper manner. In order for
employee working on particular project. M&S also doing working with the person culture and
based on the collection of individuals those who belongs for same company.
Understand the culture and how can improve the organizational effectiveness with the focus on
communication.
The organizational culture is the simplest ways to interact with the different employees
those who are working for specific time intervals in the firm. A good employee relation always
promotes the positive and effective culture that help for maintaining the conflict or
disagreements. In this way, communication is important concept that plays important role for
increasing the healthy culture and environment.
In Marks and Spencer, Communication between the top authority and staff members
requires to build an effective work culture. Management always trying to provide the necessary
information to their employee regarding business development (Derakhshan, Mancini and
Turner, 2019). M&S will help for employee to understand their specific role and responsibilities
area for deliver the best level.
Each employee should have equal right and liberty to share their own idea or concept for
business development. It has requirement for acceptable the alternative method for maintaining
the healthy environment and culture at workplace. Discussion is an essential before
implementing the new innovative idea. On other hand, it can be maintaining the consistent
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performance and efficiency for making strategy because there are different types activities go
towards the motivational of employees and developing an effective environment. There are
different types of communication models:
Harold Lasswell Model of communication
It is a type of communication model that can describe those who say somethings, use the
different channels to convey messages from one place to other. This model is basically used for
the M&S that can follow the specific way to show interest towards business task (Marques and
et.al., 2019). The communication model always influences the people for sharing their own idea
and view point towards growth and development of Marks & spencer.
Figure 2 Harold Lasswell Model
(Source: Harold Lasswell Model of Communication. 2018)
It was developed for analysing the mass communication that can occur in the organization. it
useful for interpersonal communication between group of employees to share the information
other manager in different situations.
Understand the role of culture on the employee motivation.
According to the requirement of employee motivation that willingness to exert the high
level of efforts towards business goals and objectives. Marks and Spencer is adopted the
motivational theory that always influence the employee towards the enterprises task.
Maslow Hierarchy need of theory
This type of theory is mainly depended on the basic requirement of human being and also
satisfy from bottom to top level. It should be applied on the situation and conditions of work
which implies that manager have responsibilities to maintain the level of needs. It also creating
the healthy climate, environment so that employee can built their own potential because
sometimes, it has increased the frustration level due to stress.
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Figure 3 Maslow Hierarchy
(Source: Maslow Hierarchy need of theory. 2018)
For Example- As per Maslow’s theory, Job security and layoff threats are the important needs of
people which requires for maintaining and controlling in proper manner. It might work harder to
get secure their job but without fullfilling other type of requirements.
Equity Theory
According to this theory, it help for descrive the conditions which determine the
motivations. This type of theory must be giving the person promotion and also increases their
pay scale (Halliday, 2019). In this way, many people feel free to enjoy their work and also
motivated in proper manner. Employee always maintain equity among the input because they
belief equity theory give value and fair treatment. It directly positive impact on the
organizational culture to create healthy environment.
Primary Research
Describe that how Marks and Spencer could use the culture in the organization for further
success.
In Marks and Spencer, the healthy environment and culture may always have influenced
the employee to do their task effectively and efficiently. It is a key idea to the successful business
that have strongly maintained their culture. They always belief that environment helps for
supporting the entire business structure. If the firm has a strong culture so that they know about
the decision and response at any situations. In marks and Spencer, it should provide the reward
for increasing the values of employees.
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Human resource play important role in Marks and Spencer to create strong culture that
start with the selecting and recruiting process those people will share their beliefs towards the
culture or environment. They always try to develop the training and performance management
session that reinforce the core values of organization (Heydari and Lai, 2019).
A strong culture is the most common aspects of business to achieve the goal and
achievements. It has consensus at the top level related the culture priorities and it will not focus
on the values of individual but also towards the business goals. Leaders are important part of
successful enterprises because they always create an effective culture and maintain the good
relationship between staff members.
Marks and Spencer use Maslow Hierarchy need of theory for purpose to motivate or
inspire the employee towards their goals and achievement. This type of theory is directly related
to the culture of organization where it will provide better facilities and services. It should be
required to understand about the motivational theories where it will create an healthy
environment at workplace. In this way, employee feel free to fulfill their needs and achieve their
goals.
It has been conducting the interview of managers to identify their view point and opinion
regarding the culture of Marks and Spencer.
Interviewing
Q1. How can identify that organizational culture effect on the business growth and
development ?
M1: He was said that organizational culture always effects on the business growth and
development because employees are not feel free to make decision regarding improvement.
M2: He was said that organizational culture may depend on the behaviour of employee when
how they act during task performance. In this way, it has required to identify the nature of
employee towards business goals and achievements.
M3: He was said that culture may differ in any situation and condition because it cannot same at
every time. it directly impacts on the both positive and negative ways.
Q2. What are advantages of communication in the business culture and environment
development?
M1: He was said that there is no doubt that effective communication always improves the culture
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and environment because each employee is sharing their own idea which useful for building an
effective environment at workplace.
M2: He was said that business communication with the customers and employees should do
more efforts for making successful deals of product and services. This communication will offer
the better quality of services to potential consumers.
M3: He was said that communication is medium that can share the information from one person
to another so that it is necessary in the business culture to give innovative idea. It is helping for
improve the team morale and build a good relationship.
Q3. What are different types of policies and procedures help for M&S to maintain culture
or environment?
M1: He was said that Human resource policies help for maintaining the strong culture and
environment because they provide reasonableness, proper structure, consistency etc. it directly
impacts on the business culture for consistently maintained in proper manner.
M2: He was said that there are some policies such as equal treatment of employees at workplace
which help for providing the rights but sometimes, some employee can use their right to claim
business. in this way, it has been affected the culture or environment of organization.
M3: He was said that there are different types of policies and procedures follows by organization
such as complaint policy, honesty policy, door policy etc.
Q4. What are advantage of communication channel in marks and Spencer?
M1: He was said that communication channel may play important role in the organization that
help for sharing information from one department to another. It should be established the
connection between them.
M2: He was said that electric communication channel such as email that help for sending file
and information to other. It is the fastest transmission channel to maintain security and privacy
during data sharing.
M3: He was said that communication channel the improve the performance and efficiency of
enterprises. It can improve coordination between management and customer to provide the
accurate detail about the product by using communication channel.
Q5. What are main criteria of communication that help for maintaining the relationship
between employee in Marks and Spencer?
M1: He was said that communication can help for understanding the overall work and also
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emphasis towards the development. It should help for build the strong relationship within
meeting and discussion.
M2: He was said that Employee can share their feedback through past experiences and also
promote more involvement of employee in development, planning and organizing activities.
M3: He was said that communication always ensures all services of employees are sending
through messages and also build the critical understanding for explaining the criteria. It should
also maintain good relationship between them.
In Marks and Spencer, it should be including the Harold Lasswell Model of
communication that provide the actual reason of communication with the managers. They also
giving their own reason according to situation and conditions of business. As per model, it can be
identified where it should be required to the involvement of both managers and management in
Marks and Spencer because they are participating for sharing their own innovative idea, opinion
regarding the business development. In this way, it easily identified that communication is
important role play in the organization for maintaining the good relationship between them. It
directly impacts on the culture or environment of organization.
CONCLUSION
As per discussion, it concluded that Organizational behaviour is study about the behaviour
of human in the organization and how they can interface towards the business goals. Many
researchers are doing study the individual behaviour in their organizational roles. It always
influenced the people by maintaining the disciplines that include experience of practitioners. It
summarised that the culture in the line by using theories, models and concept for identifying the
behaviour of human at workplace. It also understands the culture and how can improve in the
organizational effectiveness. It also determines the role of culture on the employee motivations
and business can use the culture for further growth and success.
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REFERENCES
Book and Journals
Chattopadhyay, R., 2019. Impact of forced distribution system of performance evaluation on
organizational citizenship behaviour. Global Business Review. 20(3). pp.826-837.
De Clercq, D. and Belausteguigoitia, I., 2019. Political skill and organizational identification:
Preventing role ambiguity from hindering organizational citizenship behaviour. Journal
of Management & Organization. pp.1-20.
Derakhshan, R., Mancini, M. and Turner, J.R., 2019. Community’s evaluation of organizational
legitimacy: Formation and reconsideration. International Journal of Project
Management. 37(1). pp.73-86.
Halliday, A.J., 2019. Bridging music and organizational psychology: Everyday music uses and
preferences and the prediction of organizational behaviour. Personality and Individual
Differences. 139. pp.263-276.
Heydari, M. and Lai, K.K., 2019. The Effect Employee Commitment on Service Performance
through a Mediating Function of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour Using Servqual
and Collaborative Filtering Modeling: Evidence From Chinaâ   s Hospitality
Industry. Journal of Tourism & Hospitality. 8(2). pp.1-10.
Inglis, J., 2019. Development and evaluation of an organizational citizenship behaviour and
counterproductive work behaviour structural model.
Marques, J.M.R. and et.al., 2019. The relationship between organizational commitment,
knowledge transfer and knowledge management maturity. Journal of Knowledge
Management. 23(3). pp.489-507.
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