MG411: Introduction to People Management Report - Sainsbury Analysis

This report, focusing on MG411 Introduction to People Management, examines contemporary issues in human resource management within the retail sector, specifically using Sainsbury as a case study. It addresses challenges such as innovation, automation, compliance changes, and talent retention. The report outlines essential knowledge, skills, and behaviors for effective people management, including team building and motivational theories like Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It further explores HR processes, such as performance management reviews and 360-degree appraisals, and offers recommendations for developing employee handbooks and performance evaluation methods. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of effective people management practices for organizational success. The report covers leadership development theories, specifically contingency theory, and provides insights into Sainsbury's strategies for managing and motivating its workforce, including the use of 360-degree feedback for employee development. The report provides a comprehensive overview of people management strategies and challenges in a real-world business context.

MG411 Introduction to
People Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Main Body.......................................................................................................................................3
Discuss contemporary issues witness by line management regarding people management.......3
Knowledge skills and behaviours for effective people management..........................................4
HR process and support management for effective performance management..........................7
Recommendations ......................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Human resources are crucial part of an organisation who significantly contribute towards
the goal and objectives of an organisation. It is essential to manage people within company in an
effective manner to maintain positive environment at work place (Aswathanarayna, 2018).
Human resource department of an entity play a major role in managing employees for the
success and growth of organisation. In the present report Sainsbury is taken into consideration
that is a renowned company of retail sector that provides a range of groceries and general items
within UK. It owns nearly 16% share of overall supermarket sector within country. The present
report comprises several contemporary issues that are faced by managers while managing human
resources in organisation. It also includes numerous knowledge, skills and behaviours that is
required for effective people management. In addition, effective HR process for people
management is also discussed in current report. Moreover, it renders an overall prospective
regarding efficient people management that is essential to attain predefined goals and objectives
of entity.
Main Body
Discuss contemporary issues witness by line management regarding people management
Nowadays, it is analyse that there are several challenges faced by HR managers in order
to manage human resources within company. These challenges are required to address in proper
manner. Different constraints that are witnessed by managers of Sainsbury are discussed as
under:
Innovation and automation: As per the current trend, now companies adopt more
enhanced and advance approaches to perform organisational task in an efficient manner. It is
analysed that employees do not adopt changes quickly rather they oppose modifications adopt by
entity (Bogart and Dunn, 2019). They wish to stick with predefined methods of work thus
managers are required to motivate to get their support. Most of the organisations are adopting
automations due to this employees are loosing their jobs. Here, managers are required to arrange
necessary training programs with an aim to improve in the skills and potential of employees. In
context of Sainsbury, managers are facing numerous challenges related to automation and
innovation. They are providing necessary training to work force so that they can coordinate with

evolution within company. Therefore, innovation is crucial but has become a great challenges for
HR managers.
Change in compliances: There are several laws and legislations that are imposed on
companies by higher authorities to run business in an efficient manner. These laws are not
constant and change overtime thus managers are also required to make necessary changes in their
policies to avoid any kind of legal disputes and issues (Grandy, 2017). It is analysed that
government of country makes several modifications in existing laws thus managers need to
analyse these laws on regular basis. It is a challenging task for managers that requires higher
time and involvement. Here, managers or Sainsbury are facing this challenges. For this, they
analyse existing policies on constant basis and adopt necessary changes to make necessary
improvements.
Recruiting and retaining talented employees: Nowadays, it is not easy to recruit as well
as retain efficient employees. For recruitment purpose, managers arrange multiple round of
interviews, execute screening in order to hire a potential candidate. It is analysed that employees
can easily switch to another company if they get any better opportunity (Rossberg, 2019) . Thus
manager are required to adopt effective strategies to retain work force for longer run. In context
of Sainsbury, they conduct several rounds of interview to select most suitable applicant. In
addition, they also provide numerous benefits to subordinates such as incentives, rewards and
more to retain them with organisation for longer run.
Leadership development: There are some theories that are used by Sainsbury with an aim
to develop effective leaders within organisation. These theories are given as under:
Contingency theory: Here, leadership is not based on a predefined situation rather they
behave as per the situation occur at work place. In this, leaders do not only focus on a particular
leadership style and adopt different approaches as per variables of different situations. As per
this theory, there should be effective balance between need, context and behaviour.
Knowledge skills and behaviours for effective people management
Here, some specific skills, behaviour and knowledge are required to present in human
resource managers to manage people within company in better manner. In context of Sainsbury,
certain skills, behaviour are discussed as under:

TEAM building: It is an essentials skill which need to acquire by an HR manager in
order to handle work force effectively (Sakurai 2019). In context of Sainsbury, manager adopt
Tuckman's team development theory which comprise below mentioned stages of team formation.
Stage 1: Forming:
At this stage, leaders provide proper guidance, directions to staff member in order to
bring clarity so that they can perform their roles & responsibilities in effective manner.
Stage 2: storming:
In this stage, team members try to adjust themselves in team with other team members
and leaders. Here, leader act as a coach for team alike situational leadership.
Stage 3: Norming:
Here, agreements are formulated among team members and they have more clarity about
their roles and responsibilities within team. There is higher coordination is witnessed among
team that is essentials to attain predefined objectives.
Stage 4: Performing:
At this stage individuals within team start to work as an independent person and not
required guidance of leader any more. Here, it is essential to maintain higher coordination
among team members to ensure attainment of organisational goals and objectives.
Motivational theories
Motivation is a process to inspire employees so that they work towards organisational
goals and objectives. It is essential to get their support and contribution for overall growth of
company. Motivated employees tend to work in more effective manner and stay with entity for
longer run (Smith and Rees, 2017). So, it is the responsibility of HR manager of Sainsbury to
ensure that workforce remain highly motivated. For this purpose, they use Maslow's motivation
theory to satisfy the needs and requirements of work force in better manner.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs
As per this theory, there are five stages through which individuals are motivated. These
stage are mentioned below:
Physiological needs refers to the basic needs of a human being such as cloth, shelter, food and
more. It is essentials for an individual to fulfil these needs for survival. Here, manager of
Sainsbury ensure that all employees are able to meet with these requirements.

Safety needs are also crucial to ensure long term survival of a person. It provides protection,
safety that is crucial for longer life. Here, financial stability of employees is also consider as an
important aspect (Sulphey and Safeer, 2017). In context of Sainsbury, they provide higher
protection to employees at work place and also provide several benefits to cover the risk of life
so that they stay motivated.
Social or belongingness needs are related with the sense of belongingness, association and
friendship with peers and other persons within society. In context of Sainsbury, managers
provide opportunities to employees to interact with each other in order to meet with social needs.
(Source: Motivation Theories, 2020)
Self esteem needs are related to respect, recognition that an individual wish to get in society. It is
an important need which occurs after fulfilment of above stated needs. Here, managers of
Sainsbury provide acknowledgement and recognition to work force for their better performance
at work place.

Self-actualisation refers to opportunities of personal development, learning and enhancement. It
is analysed that respective company motivates staff members to learn new skills for personal
enrichment.
Above stated theory is crucial and plays a major role in motivating employees at work
place that is crucial to get their significant contribution towards overall organisational growth &
success. Under this requirements of workforce is identified and they are motivated in order to
fulfil their needs and requirements which occur at different levels.
HR process and support management for effective performance management
Performance management review: It refers to a concept that is used by managers in
order to manage the performance of employees within company in an effective manner (Thaler,
Löschner and Hartmann, 2017) . Here, continuous assessment and evaluation of subordinates are
done by managers which make them enable to provide appropriate feedbacks for further
improvements. This is consider as an essentials approach under which performance of work
force is examine as well as evaluated on continuous basis. Here, it is also called as performance
evaluations and appraisals. It is analysed that HR managers of Sainsbury assess the performance
of work force by comparing actual outcomes with predefined targets. It makes them enable to
prepare appropriate strategies to ensure further enhancements.
360 degree appraisal: It is a techniques of appraisals that has been developed in the year
of 1940. Here, different stakeholders such as customers, peers, managers all provide feedback to
employees that is essentials for overall development (Zhou and Xiaomei, 2017). It is an
assessment process that is used in several companies to make improvements in the existing
performance of subordinates. In this, employee get an opportunity to receive feedback from
different parties that will further help to make make necessary improvements in order to attain
predefined goals and objectives. With this, employees can analyse the need of training and
development and undertake necessary activities with an aim to improve future performance. It is
depend on four crucial components such as self evaluation, superior, peers and subordinates
evaluation. In regards of Sainsbury, company uses 360 degree tool to undertake detailed
assessment of the performance of work force that is essentials to ensure organisational growth
and success. Here, outcomes of this assessment are used in given manner:

Self appraisal: Here, employees get an opportunity to monitor their own strengths and
weaknesses that is crucial to prepare appropriate strategies for career growth. It is consider as a
traditional approach where subordinates give rate to themselves based on actual performance.
Subordinates appraisal: In this, subordinates judge their superiors on different
parameters such as delegation for work, leadership qualities and more(Turturean, 2017). This
feedback is really essentials and play a major role in undertaking necessary improvements.
It is analysed that in Sainsbury managers use 360 degree approach as it helps to track the
performance of employees on regular basis. It is vital to undertake necessary improvements
according to the perception of other relevant parties about employees. Here, a comprehensive
assessment of employee's performance is provided that further helps to enhance their credibility
and capabilities at work place.
Recommendations
It is analysed that there is a requirement to develop employee handbook as per the
compliances of HR practices. It need to be develop in co-ordination of human resource and
management approaches to meet with the requirements of company.
Here, proper job descriptions need to prepare by human resource managers of Sainsbury.
This description should comprise several information regarding job roles, responsibilities,
joining date and many more. This need to sign by employees it demonstrates that they are agree

with terms and conditions of organisation. This practice is essential to avoid any kind of legal
disputes and ambiguity at work place.
It is monitored that organisation is required to adopt proper method to evaluate the
performance of employees on regular basis. Here, actual performance should evaluate in respect
of set targets that is crucial to take necessary corrective actions.

CONCLUSION
With above discussion, it is concluded that it is essential to manage individuals within
company in better manner. For this, there are several practices are used by HR managers in order
to manage work force of organisation in an effective manner. Discussion has been carried out
about contemporary issues that are being faced by HR managers in managing individuals at in
company. Further, there are several skills, behaviours are required to adopt by managers for
effective people management.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aswathanarayna, U., 2018. Geoenvironment, an introduction. Routledge.
Bogart, K.R. and Dunn, D.S., 2019. Ableism special issue introduction. Journal of Social
Issues. 75(3). pp.650-664.
Grandy, G., 2017. An introduction to constructionism for qualitative researchers in business and
management. The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Business and Management Research
Methods, pp.173-184.
Rossberg, J., 2019. Introduction to Application Life Cycle Management. In Agile Project
Management with Azure DevOps (pp. 1-36). Apress, Berkeley, CA.
Sakurai, R., 2019. Introduction: New Perspectives of Wildlife Management. In Human
Dimensions of Wildlife Management in Japan (pp. 1-4). Springer, Singapore.
Smith, P.E. and Rees, G., 2017. An introduction to the organization, its environment and human
resource management. Strategic human resource management: an international
perspective, 3.
Sulphey, M.M. and Safeer, M.M., 2017. Introduction to environment management. PHI Learning
Pvt. Ltd..
Thaler, T., Löschner, L. and Hartmann, T., 2017. The introduction of catchment-wide co-
operations: Scalar reconstructions and transformation in Austria in flood risk
management. Land Use Policy. 68. pp.563-573.
Turturean, M.A., 2017. Theory of Human Resources Management-A Short
Introduction. Available at SSRN 3139518.
Zhou, M. and Xiaomei, W., 2017. Introduction: Understanding language management and
multilingualism in Malaysia. International Journal of the Sociology of
Language, 2017(244), pp.1-16.