Report: Analyzing Poor Performance in Nedbank Ltd's Sales Team

This report analyzes the poor performance of the sales team at Nedbank Ltd., attributing it to a lack of motivation stemming from talent management issues. The report examines the organizational context, highlighting the demotivation caused by limited advancement opportunities, which led to a decline in performance. It utilizes four key theories: the Maturity Model, Talent Management in Organizations, the Performance Management Cycle, and the Job Characteristics Model, to analyze the issue and its impact on the company. The analysis reveals the need for improved talent management practices to enhance employee motivation and performance. The report recommends implementing the Job Characteristics Model, focusing on task-oriented approaches to increase employee engagement and motivation. The report suggests that by following a performance management cycle, Nedbank Ltd. can improve the performance of the sales team, which will automatically improve the performance of this financial organization.

Running head: MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION
MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION
Introduction
The main aim of this paper will be to discuss about the poor performances by the sales
team of Nedbank Ltd., which has been seen due to lack of motivation between the employees
of the organization mainly due to talent management. Evidences showed that the team is
demotivated to the lack of moving up or advancing in the organisation which has led good
performers to eventually become poor performers. The discussion will involve 4 theories
which will help to analyse the organizational context which will help to show about the
process or way from where the issue has arisen along with the impact it possessed on the
organization of Nedbank Ltd. along with providing recommendations to the management of
this financial institution. The selected 4 theories will be Maturity Model, Talent Management
in Organization’s, Performance Management Cycle and The Job Characteristics Model.
About the Organization
Among the four main largest banks of South Africa, the Nedbank Group is one. One
of its chief banking subsidiaries is Nedbank Limited. They are gradually spreading too many
other parts of Africa. They offer several solutions through their frontline clusters, namely:
Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking,
Nedbank Retail and Business Banking,
Nedbank Wealth and the Rest of Africa
a. A large number of retail as well as wholesale banking services.
b. Offers on wealth and asset management and growing insurance.

2MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION
The total estimated market capitalization of Nedbank group accounts to be around
R126 billion while the total assets is worth R1.1 trillion. More than 30 thousand individuals
are employed under this organization throughout Africa (Anon 2020). Nedbank's history
dates back to the early nineteenth century, during 1831, when the Cape of Good Hope Bank
was established. After going through several changes in the structure and successive
promotions, the Nedbank Group was finally received its name in the year 2003. In the present
day they have achieved success in having strategic alliances across the world. They have also
received the reputation as the most transformed bank in South Africa (Nedbank.co.za 2020).
Issue and Its Analysis
It can be stated in this context that financial and banking sector from where the
organization of Nedbank belongs is one of the most competitive business sectors among all
other sector that prevails in the global business world. Every business house is competing
against each other in order to enjoy the competitive advantage over others and maintain the
sustainability through their performances. But, to enjoy this competitive advantage along
with a smooth flow of business operations, one of the major factor, probably the most
important among all other factors that are required to enjoy the success rate, is the
performance of the employees in all the departments. And this is the area which is creating
issues in Nedbank Ltd. Lack of motivation between the sales team due to talent management
has resulted in downfall of the overall performance of this business entity. It has been also
found by the researchers that the team is demotivated to the lack of moving up or advancing
in the organisation which has led good performers to eventually become poor performers
(Cappelli and Keller 2014).
As discussed, the lack of motivation is the identified issue for this bank and it can be
stated in this context that lack of motivation between the employees hampers the productivity

3MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION
level of any organization. Low morale, low self-esteem and low energy are also created by
this low motivational level and it is the human resource department of the company who need
to look after this matter through the process of talent management. The theory of talent
management described by Armstrong in the year 2012 will be taken into account here.
Advancement on the area of technology is increasing on daily basis and this is further
increasing the level of competition as well as the expectancy level of the people associated
with this global business world (Palmatier et al 2013). People from different background and
culture are working in the organizations like Nedbank Ltd. and it is very much essential for
the human resource development of these financial institutions to upgrade their talent
management process and manage the employees accordingly. It has been seen that the human
resource department of Nedbank Ltd. has failed to manage the overall talent management
procedure and has failed to evaluate the performances of the sales team and promote them to
upper levels according to the basis of their performances. This resulted in their individual as
well as performances of the organization. This led to reduction in capture of new customers,
as sales team were unable to sale various financial products to their customers (Anon 2020).
Performance Management Cycle
It has been already stated that advancement on the field of technology has increased
the overall competition among all the business industries that prevail in the global business
world, where business houses from different sectors are fighting against each other to gain
the competitive advantage. The requirements of the employees from their organizations are
changing due to this advancement, and similarly the tastes and preferences of the customers
of financial institutions are always changing, mainly due to this advancement of technology.
In order to maintain this, a performance management cycle needs to be followed by the
human resource management of Nedbank Ltd., which will help in the performance evaluation

4MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION
of the employees from sales team (Oladapo 2014). It can be said in this context this system
will help to assess the overall performances of the sales team who and will help in to promote
them according to their performances. It can be noted in this context that promotion acts as a
motivational factor among the employees of a company and the failure of this in Nedbank
Ltd. has led them to such poor performance.
Maturity Model
This can be described as a tool which helps to assess and evaluate the present
effectiveness of an individual or a group of people that aids to identify their performances
and motivate them in order to make better their performances. Again, it has been seen that the
market share of this financial institution has decreased due to the poor performance of the
sales team. This model has been described by Martin Fowler in the year 2015. It has been
seen that the incapability of the human resource department of Nedbank Ltd. to use this tool
efficiently and effectively, which ultimately resulted in lack of motivation among the
employees from sales team as they were unable to promote some employees and due to this,
the competitive advantage has been lost to the competitor that are present in the market place
of South Africa. Customers were unable to get the financial services that they were used to
get and have started to move to other financial institutes within the South African market
place (Oliva 2014).
Recommendations
From the above discussion, it can be seen that the sales team were unable to perform
according to their expectations due to lack of promotional facilities. In this case, one major
recommendation that can be provided to the human resource department of Nedbank Ltd. is
to follow the Job Characteristics Model. This is a theory which is fully based on the approach

5MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION
and idea related to a specific task, which is regarded as the key to the motivational level of a
particular employee. Various kinds of techniques can be used which will include versatile and
challenging roles to the sales team, so that they feel excited to their allotted task and will feel
motivated by themselves and perform better. This will automatically improve the overall
performance of the organization of Nedbank Ltd., and they will again be able to enjoy the
competitive advantage against its rival institutions like FNB, Standard Bank Group, Capitec
Bank, OMAM, AMG and others (Noe et al 2017).
The very first advantage that the management of this company will enjoy if the above
mentioned model is followed by the human resource department is improving the
performance of the sales team by adjusting the job according to the ability and performing
capacity of individual employees. This will satisfy the employee and promotions will be done
according to fulfilling the requirement by that employee. It can be stated here that proper
promotional activities need to be followed by the human resource department of Nedbank
Ltd., so that sales team can work harder as they will ultimately fight for higher positions and
in order to achieve that, they must work hard and give their best (Gillet and Vandenberghe
2014).
So, from the above discussion, it can be concluded that job characteristics model
along with an efficient performance management system need to be followed by the human
resource department of Nedbank Ltd., which will help to improve the performance of the
sales team, which will automatically improve the performance of this financial organization
from the region of South Africa. From all the above theories that have been discussed, it will
help to maintain a healthy organizational culture as well as effectively measure the individual
performances of the sales team of Nedbank Ltd. But, all these theories, frameworks or
business models need to be followed efficiently, so that the issues can be identified properly
and necessary actions can be taken against the identified issue only.

6MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION

7MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION
References
Anon, (2020). [ebook] Available at: https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1810/1810.02615.pdf
[Accessed 13 Jan. 2020].
Anon, (2020). [ebook] Available at: https://www.nedbank.co.za/content/dam/nedbank/site-
assets/AboutUs/Information%20Hub/Integrated%20Report/
2012/2012_Nedbank_Group_Sustainable_Development_Performance_Information.pdf
[Accessed 13 Jan. 2020].
Cappelli, P. and Keller, J.R., 2014. Talent management: Conceptual approaches and practical
challenges. Annu. Rev. Organ. Psychol. Organ. Behav., 1(1), pp.305-331.
Gillet, N. and Vandenberghe, C., 2014. Transformational leadership and organizational
commitment: The mediating role of job characteristics. Human Resource Development
Quarterly, 25(3), pp.321-347.
Nedbank.co.za. (2020). About Us. [online] Available at:
https://www.nedbank.co.za/content/nedbank/desktop/gt/en/aboutus.html [Accessed 13 Jan.
2020].
Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B. and Wright, P.M., 2017. Human resource
management: Gaining a competitive advantage. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Oladapo, V., 2014. The impact of talent management on retention. Journal of business
studies quarterly, 5(3), p.19.
Oliva, F.L., 2014. Knowledge management barriers, practices and maturity model. Journal of
Knowledge Management.

8MANAGING PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATION
Palmatier, R.W., Houston, M.B., Dant, R.P. and Grewal, D., 2013. Relationship velocity:
toward a theory of relationship dynamics. Journal of Marketing, 77(1), pp.13-30.