Leadership, Change, and Organizational Behavior: M&S and Wal-Mart

This report examines the impact of change drivers on Marks & Spencer (M&S) and Wal-Mart, focusing on internal and external factors affecting leadership, teams, and individuals. It explores drivers like commoditization, digital revolution, social mediaization, and globalization, evaluating their influence on organizational behavior. The report analyzes how internal drivers such as capabilities, resources, and innovations, and external drivers including customer demands, technological advancements, and government regulations, affect the companies. It also evaluates measures to minimize the negative impacts of change, including the application of Kurt Lewin's Change Model (unfreezing, changing, refreezing), and discusses various barriers to change, such as limited knowledge, poor communication, negative attitudes, and lack of resources, and how these influence leadership decision-making. The report aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of change management within the retail sector, offering insights into leadership strategies and organizational adaptation.

Business

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
PART A...........................................................................................................................................1
P1 Explaining the different drivers for change that affect M&S and Wal-Mart over the recent
years........................................................................................................................................1
P2 Evaluate the ways in which internal or external drivers of change affect leadership, team or
individual within organisation................................................................................................3
P3 Evaluating the measures that can be taken to minimise negative impacts of change on
organisational behaviour........................................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
P4 Explaining different barriers for change and determine how they influence leadership
decision making......................................................................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
P5 Explaining the different leadership approaches to change and how they affect decision
making process.......................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Understanding and leading change is the management activity that helps to adopt changes
within the organisation. It helps to create the most challenging opportunities and task for the
company to make more profit. This leading change program, employees examine the changes
and their possible consequences on management. Than company adopts measures and techniques
to manage those changes within the company environment. Present study based on Marks &
Spencer and Wal-Mart to determine the changes and evaluate their impact on company
environment. Following report will explain about internal and external drivers of change which
affect leadership, team and individual behaviour. Study also discuss measure to minimise
negative impact of changes. Therefore, report consist different barriers for change and determine
how they influence leadership decision making. For that, report also explained different models
or approaches of leadership to deal with changes in a range of organisation.
TASK 1
PART A
P1 Explaining the different drivers for change that affect M&S and Wal-Mart over the recent
years.
Drivers of change Marks & Spencer Wal-Mart
Commoditization This is the first driver of
change that effect on prices
and get decreased (Burke
2017). M&S is the leading
brand in fashion and clothing,
groceries and home ware.
From past three years,
company has been facing low
clothing sales. This change can
affect the operation department
in terms of managing the
company cost.
Wal-Mart accompanying
outsourcing of manufacturing
to Asia in order to upheaval in
the retail business. That
directly affect the company
operational cost (Santamaría
and Santamaría, 2015).
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Digital Revolution This is the another change that
could affect overall retail
industry. It leverages new
trend towards large scale
commoditization. This change
gives positive impact on the
retail sector companies
(Dahlander, O'Mahony and
Gann, 2016). M&S adopt new
digital technology to open
online outlet.
If company fails to adopt new
changes it would definitely
impact on the company image.
This driver can increase the
cost of company. Wal-Mart
introduce new mobile app with
some excited features to
minimise consumer time,
money and improving
shopping experience.
Social mediaization
throughout society.
This is the another factor that
can create change for the
companies. Social media
platform can also make
changes for the companies in
terms of introducing new trend
for the society.
M&S adopt this change and
provide information on the
social media channels for
direct communication with
customers.
Social media platform
encourage the concept of
socialization or to promote the
culture and society. This factor
also influence other politics,
play and religion. This new
change can help company to
maintained good impact on the
customers. Also, it is very
usefull for operational
department to keep tracking as
well.
Globalization Globalization is the major
change driver that change
company policies, procedures
and culture as well. To adopt
globalization changes
company follows all ethical
policies of different countries
Wal-Mart adopt this change
driver and introduce E-
commerce system for buyers to
overcome from this changes
(Doppelt, 2017). Now Wal-
Mart having 3800 stores in the
United States.
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where they sold product or
services.
P2 Evaluate the ways in which internal or external drivers of change affect leadership, team or
individual within organisation.
Internal Drivers
Capabilities : Capabilities creates new opportunity and growth for the better company
development growth. M&S having good market growth and good customer satisfaction that can
be more helpful for the company to adopt for leading changes (Rossi, Lipsey and Henry, 2018).
Capabilities can make individual behaviour more positive towards company goals. Capabilities
makes company more effective and make the level of new managing successful business
environment.
Resources: Resources is the another internal changing driver that can affect in both
positive and negative manner. In case company having sufficient resources, they can easily meet
the needs of customers. Insufficient resources may increase the tension and burden for leaders to
manage the workplace environment and accomplish the aims of the company. In this case
individual employees get frustrated and confused.
Inventions : Change make new innovation for the company through which individual
can increase their potential growth and motivated (Emanuel and et.al., 2015). On the other hand,
it helps to improve leadership styles and growth in the form of different new ways to perform a
better growth. Innovation can also help M&S employees to perform task into more efficient
manner.
Dissatisfaction: Sometimes due to sudden changes in the working environment can lead
dissatisfaction among employees due to which individual perform work in less productive
manner. This particular situation can create the complication for leadership and team goals.
External Driver forces
Customers : Customers are the biggest changing factor which influenced by market
changes, demand, income alterations or due to demographic changes (Wylie and et.al., 2017). In
order to adopt those changes Wal-Mart leaders, implement different leadership styles to reduce
the negative impact.
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Technological : Technological changes increase the burden for leaders to adopt those
changes and guide employees to work on new technology. This change sometimes reduces the
motivation level of low skilled employees and change their behaviour in negative terms. This
change can affect both the employees of Wal -Mart and M&S.
Government : Government factor affect the company structural overall task and
implementation process in order to meet out the best dealing performing goals. Due to changes in
legislative changes and policy initiatives that can impact on the business and affect the all over
task implementation process (Glass and Cook, 2016).
P3 Evaluating the measures that can be taken to minimise negative impacts of change on
organisational behaviour.
New changes create opportunity to think new ways to perform a task. Adopt change with
applying techniques and tools to minimise negative consequences of changes. It impacts on the
overall development process to keep maintained the proper effective attraction level. In order to
reduce resistance to change, company should be performing task on time, the need for change,
the past, watch for staff reaction, etc.
Kurt Lewin's Change model
As per the Kurt Lewin's model of change can help both the firm to develop good
understanding and make new effective outcomes (Ward, 2016). M&S adopt this approach to deal
with new changes in order to perform the company functions into systematic manner. Change-
management is very important for the company to make new changes and effective management
task. New changes make employees more productive and efficient.
Unfreezing : In this first level or stage where company unfreezing before change the
process or introducing new changes in within the company environment. In this stage, company
needs to make everyone aware about the new changes. This level make everyone accept those
new changes (Nelson-Brantley and et.al., 2018). Communication process is very much required
for this unfreezing process of change. This level can easily help to let employees know about the
consequences or effect of new changes. In this process company leaders well communicate to
employees about positive and negative impact of new changes and scope so that employees can
easily understand the importance of new changes.
Changing : In this second stage of change people unfrozen so that company can easily
move further for a change. This stage is also known as transitioning or moving is market by the
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implementation of the change (Adoption of change, 2016). This new change can help employees
or an individual to adopt new learning, adopt new behaviour, process and way to think. It can
help to motivate further employees to work in more energetic manner. The new change can also
bring new education, communication, and support new advancement for employees as they
become familiar with the change. The process of change is very much carefully planned and
executed for the change and how it will benefit them once fully implemented.
Refreezing : In this third or final level of stage is called refreezing where change has
been placed and implemented in this process new changes has been occurred into more efficient
manner and goals. Refreezing is the level to ensure that people do not revert back to the previous
level to the implementation of the change. In this process company also need to reward and
recognize those people who invest hard efforts to adopt those changes. In this process employee
needs to motivate others in order to perform a best task for the implementation process and
goals. Changes help to motivate brand-new different approaches and market opportunity to deal
with leading changes and developed market (Salman and Broten, 2017). Both M&S and Wal-
Mart has to adopt changes in order to innovate technology and make process more qualitative
and leading. This can help to motivate new effective changes and more effective learning
material task.
It is not necessary that every change has given positive impact. Sometimes changes can
become fails to implement properly. Such as Wal-Mart fails to adopt new leading changes and
new emerging goals. Changes sometimes also reduce the motivation level of the employees and
feel pressurised between the work level. Wal-Mart can adopt new product or services to make
some new changes in within the company organisation (Sekaran and Bougie, 2016). Moreover, it
helps to make new opportunity and growth for the company that makes company more popular
and effective. It helps to make new development growth and target market performance.
TASK 2
P4 Explaining different barriers for change and determine how they influence leadership decision
making.
In order to develop the effective learning growth and organisation success company
change is very much required (Thorne and et.al., 2018). Change is an unavoidable element that
always comes with new opportunities or risks. On the other hand, change has also impact on the
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behaviour of employees, because they could not resist change and get panic at certain level of
situations. M&S has facing both internal or external barriers of changes in order to meet out the
best developing results and growth.
Barriers to change
 First and foremost barriers to change that directly affect the leadership decision making
approach that is limited knowing of the change and its impacts.
 Lack of communication is the foremost barrier to change that affect employee on-going
process and regular routine work (Wise, Stutchbury and Cooke, 2016).
 Due to lack of understanding another barrier for leaders is to handle the employees
negative attitudes. This is the barrier to change that enhance challenges for leaders.
 Poor or inefficient communication is one of the another barrier to changes that affect new
technologies and growth. For which leaders has to deal with huge problems and cannot
handle the situations.
 Another barrier to change might be lack of resources due to which company fails to reach
the target of change. This affect the leadership decision making in terms of arranging new
knowledge based area for employees (Binci, Cerruti and Braganza, 2016). Due to lack of management support or enough time also give negative impact on the
company that create more challenges for leadership decision making approach.
Force field Change (FFA)
This model has been given by Lewin's which has contributed to the change management.
This model help M&S to deal with the changes and develop high strategies to implement. The
benefit of this force field model is to identify the key stakeholder on the issues, to maintained the
balance of power involved in the change or also helps to measure the target groups.
The main purpose of force field analysis is to adopt change and make this present into
possible action growth. It includes two factors Driving forces and Restraining forces. Driving
forces are the those forces those seeking changes and on other other hand, Resisting forces are
those who seeking to maintain the status quo (Santamaría and Santamaría, 2015).
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Driving forces
Driving forces are the factors which influence environment towards new direction by
applying some new changes in the environment. They are usually seen as positive forces that
facilitate change for some new advancement. For example: M&S adopts new technology for
better customer experience, that helps employees to learn some new methods and cutting manual
cost and time. Might be this change gives negative impact on low skilled employees and get their
morale down (Klempin and Karp, 2018). Or in contrast, this will motivate employees as well.
Some other examples of driving forces would be new personal, changing market, increases
pressure by management, high competition etc. This changes influenced by public relation,
government, politics etc.
This change factor could increases the productivity performance of M&S employees.
Driving forces supported to the company aims and objectives. This is the continuous process that
company should needs to adopt to enhance the effective control process. Therefore, this
increases the pressure of leaders or managers to handle the negative and positive attitudes of
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Illustration 1: Force Filed Model
(Source : Lewin's Force Field Model, 2018)

employees (Marshall, Coleman and Reason, 2017). In this situation leaders needs to apply
different styles and practices to make employees satisfied and happy with the new changes such
as training and development, make them know what are the positive effects of change and their
opportunities for future development growth. This drivers of change also improves the work
quality, pressure from a supervisor, incentive earnings and competition etc.
Restraining forces within the FFA (Force Field Analysis)
In this FFA model another force is restraining forces that helps to keep sustain the new
changes adopted by the organisations in order to minimize the impact of driving forces (Lewin's
Force Field Model, 2018). In this section, model wants to described why change is resisted for
which reasons includes:
Parochial self interest
In this section individual are concerned with the implications for themselves, their laws
view is biased by their perception of a particular situation.
Habit
Habit is the term that can be provides comfort or at the same level of time security as
well. Good habits make person responsible or liable, In the contrast these habits can also
established and difficult to change (Hechanova, Caringal-Go and Magsaysay, 2018). It is
necessary for M&S to encourage employee motivation and develop good habits among
employees.
Misunderstanding of the need for or purpose of change
 Resistance to change may happened due to miss communication between employees.
 Due to lack of knowledge among employees could create resistance to change.
On the basis of above explained FFS model helps to implement new changes within the
M&S environment. That helps to accomplish the set aims and objectives of the company to
increases profitability growth.
TASK 3
P5 Explaining the different leadership approaches to change and how they affect decision
making process.
Leadership is the most effective style to managing the work at organisation. Marks &
Spencer hire most productive and creative leaders who always ready to adopt changes for a good
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change. There different leadership styles or approaches which differently useful for the company
success. Some approaches of leadership given effective results on the decision making process or
some of them are ineffective.
Traits or Qualities Approach
Qualities or traits depends on the leader it has been said by different authors that leaders
are borne not made. Generally this kinds of leaders has very innovative and very good at solving
the problems (Hechanova, Caringal-Go and Magsaysay, 2018). In other words, this leadership
approach has been given good impact on the company decision making approach.
Functional or Group Approach
Leadership skill can be developed or learned, individual only need to focused on their
work, responsibilities or the functions for which they belongs. In order to measure the leader
behaviour, this can be measured by Adair's Action Centred Leadership. Overall, this leadership
approach can helpful in decision making process of M&S.
Behavioural style approach
This approach of leadership can be evaluated by two factors first is concern for
production and concern for people. This approach of leadership is helpful for the company to
develop motivational factor among employees that helps in decision making process. This
approach is different from personality and trait approach which based on intrinsic characteristics
of people (Thorne and et.al., 2018).
Transactional and transformational
This approach of leadership is majorly based on two factors Transactional or
Transformational leadership.
Transactional : This factor reflect the self interest of employees that helps to achieve
company objectives that will also based on the leaders position as well.
Transformational Leadership : This is the another leadership style that helps company
to develop vision for transforming the performance of company. This approach of leadership is
very helpful to make new changes in within the company environment. In this leaders are make
new plans and get employees ready to make it happen. In this situation, people are motivated to
put extra efforts in order to accomplish set standards (Hechanova, Caringal-Go and Magsaysay, J
2018).
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