LSC UoS BA Business: Impact of Pandemic on HR at Sports Direct

This report examines the changes in Human Resource (HR) strategies at Sports Direct following the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyses the impact of environmental factors on the company's culture and HR plans, utilizing an HR model to demonstrate value creation. The report differentiates between Human Resource Management and Personnel Management based on Storey's 27 points, explores job design strategies, and evaluates hiring and firing strategies implemented during the pandemic. Examples of good HR practices used by corporate firms are provided, along with recommendations for building high performance within the organization. The analysis includes the Harvard Model of HRM, focusing on situational factors, stakeholder interests, HRM policies, outcomes, and long-term consequences, highlighting improvements in commitment, competence, congruence, and cost-effectiveness. The report concludes with insights into how Sports Direct aims to enhance organizational effectiveness through HRM practices.

Sports Direct — Change of HR Practices
and Strategies as the Effect of the
Pandemic.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK...............................................................................................................................................3
A. Examining HR strategies changed by firm after COVID.......................................................3
B. Analysing the impact of environmental factors on culture and HR plan................................4
C. Using HR model stating how value being created,.................................................................5
D. Difference between HRM and Personnel Management on Storey's 27 points as benchmark.
......................................................................................................................................................7
E. Analysing job designing strategies,.........................................................................................9
F. Hiring and firing strategies chosen by the firm during pandemic.........................................10
G. Examples of the Good HR practices used by corporate firms .............................................11
H. Recommendations which helps the organisation for building in high performance.............12
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................17

INTRODUCTION
Human Resource strategies is defined as the methods used by various companies for
integrating and maintaining all the available human resources for goal achievement of
organization. It aims to set a way for main areas of HR including recruitment of employees,
compensations, performance appraisal and many more. A necessary method used by firm for
getting high employee engagement, performance evaluation and management and increase
corporate image in market for firm. The report focus on Sports Direct Company 'Frasers' which
falls under the category of multi-retailer company based in U.K. And about their HR practices
being in consider post pandemic. Analysis showcase about various strategies changed by firm
after the COVID, also about analysis of impact of various environmental factors on culture and
method. Further, report shows about firm's HR model and value created with that also, difference
between HRM and Personnel management. Moreover, analysis also focus on job design
strategies chosen by firm along with hiring and firing strategies chosen by company during the
period of pandemic. Lastly, the report highlights corporate examples of firm while using human
resource practices and recommendation given to employers in regarding strategies used for
ensuring high organizational performance.
TASK
A. Examining HR strategies changed by firm after COVID
With the outburst of COVID may puts a huge negative impact on the working conditions
of the company. The firm find hard to cope up with new guidelines provided by government of
U.K. with regard to working and maintaining of their warehouses (Karami, Farokhzadian and
Foroughameri, 2017). Sports direct may founded on a business model that enable in majority of
workers being 'treated without dignity and respect'. Apart from that company face a huge
backlash in regarding their treatment to employees. Being disrespectful with their workers result
in huge employee retention rate and working environment being struggling to enforce both
covid-19 rules and requirements of workforce.
After the pandemic the business my also have started in managing and bring all the
various store directors and managers along with regional directors into regularly monthly
executive meetings (Soltis, Brass and Lepak, 2018). With the recent use of consultation process
for managing store closures as company tends to seeking various representative form the most
affected covid areas and stores. Post covid firm also tends to change their earlier policies and

ways into new one by taking some corrective measures by closely listening to voice of their
colleagues and getting to know more about their needs and requirements for improving the
working conditions of brand.
Being implementing of mew method of specific firm keeps a push and get to value about
different aspects of human resource management (Steffensen Jr and et.al., 2019). Another
revamp over the post Pandemic is enterprise won't loose momentum in respect of their
performance management, as company may moved towards “more discursive, less structured
approach”. On the other brand also started initial analysis for having a deep check towards all the
policies implemented along with making significant changes in relation to encouraging flexible
working for their employees (Boselie, Van Harten and Veld, 2021). Also, with providing their
managers and employees with the things according to new and regulations of government like
proper sanitization of them, giving and keeping social distancing, usage of gloves and masks for
prevention and taking care for them aids comp-any in getting better in market also allowing them
for increasing their market value and improving brand reputation in between customers.
B. Analysing the impact of environmental factors on culture and HR plan
When it comes about Human Resource plans many factors do affect the daily working of
operations (Boon and et.al., 2018). Many environmental factors affect the working conditions of
'Frasers' adapting in field is important for getting to know more about surroundings as the
minutes over new laws and legislation may be passed with providing an immediate effect on the
workings of company. Major factors affecting strategy are
Government Regulations: The introduction of new laws and legislation hr department
may constantly under the pressure of following the norms (Harvey and Turnbull, 2020). These
types of various laws impact the methods in all ways including hiring of personnels, training,
management and many more. With the new laws being implemented by UK government,
company may find quite hard to manage and deal with each and every aspect about that law
regarding providing safety towards workers, their day to day caring and much in-needed.
Economic Conditions: As one of the biggest environmental factors may shape current
economy and resulting enterprise economy. With the new economic conditions post pandemic
firm finds vary hard for getting back the accessibility and that affect in ability and working
conditions (Anisimov and et.al., 2017). Not only does affect the talent pool or working
conditions, but also might affect the ability to hire new people for job. Such current situations

and economy's instability ends in industry for hire new people as firm already facing downgrade
in market value and hard laws for keeping up.
Workforce: Another major impact in working personnels for the firm to have and keep
up, as old generations retire and new generations enters into the workforce HR departments
required to look for directions and ways for attracting new employees (Mensah, 2019). With new
rules into considerations and company's bad reputation in regarding their workforce firm may
tend to find quite difficult in recruiting new members for team. Industry already facing large
employee turnover because of their old strategies new workforce finds difficulty and hesitation
in joining 'Frasers'. Firm requires to find and implement new and different ways and offering
new and improved packages and compensations for their new workforce.
C. Using HR model stating how value being created,
Human Resource Management model is a framework designed by mangers having major
work of aiding administrators and coordinators in managing business functions (Demirkesen and
Ozorhon, 2017). Providing advantages of granting full efficient control on each and every
transaction of business.
The Harvard Model is one of the most useful, significant and influential model used by
firm for improving the efficiency (Harvard Framework for Human Resource Management,
2021). Model aims to operate with five major component keeping in mind consists of situational
factors, stakeholders interest, HRM policies, with HRM outcomes and long term consequences.
Apart from this also helps in maintaining co-operations and empowers managers for getting into
basic aspects of business.

Situational Factors: As under this while operating model business tends to know and
react in accordingly towards various situations (Wuryanti and Setiawan, 2017). After and at the
time of COVID 'Frasers' needs to face various upcoming external factors like new rules and
regulations by government, world level lock down and different internal factors like employees
turnover, lowering of workers for firm.
Stakeholders Interest: With using model showcase about all stakeholders interest
towards company (Amran, Mohamed and Bahry, 2018). After the implementation of post covid
legislation and sports direct company's degraded reputation many of stakeholders lose their
interest in firm.
HRM Policies: These include policies related towards employee influence, knowing
about how human resource flow in an organization, reward system for their workers on their
capabilities and lastly about work systems in brand.
Illustration : Havard Model of Human Resource Management
(Source:)

HRM Outcomes: Outcomes shows about how management deals with company's issues
using commitment, competence, congruence and cost-effectiveness (Botter, Rosa and Lima,
2018). With the proper usage of these methods firm may able to gain efficiency and gain
competitive advantages.
Long term consequences: Terms delivers about individual well-being while operating,
organizational effectiveness in working and societal well beings as their environmental
sustainability.
With the implementation of model 'Frasers' able to create value with improving the main
four C's commitment, competence, congruence and cost-effectiveness (Lee, 2019). Along with
that company may able to get significant higher competitive advantages. As well as aids in
increasing output whenever required, increase standardization and centralization with proving
more authority and control towards mangers. The models also helps in creating and increasing
value with improving company's reputation and brand value in market.
D. Difference between HRM and Personnel Management on Storey's 27 points as benchmark.
Storey's 27 points of difference is defined as the theory which distinguish between
Human Resource Management and Personnel Management on the basis of 27 major points
(Maresova and et.al., 2018).
Basis/Dimension HRM Personnel Management
1. Contract Not works on contract basis Works on contract
2. Rules Does not follow Important to be followed
3. Management
action
Actions in accordance to business
need
Actions in accordance to procedures
4. Behaviour
referent
Mission and values in use Norms and customs needs to use
5. Managerial task Nurturing of employees Monitoring of personnel
6. Nature of
relations
Single authority More than one authority
7. Conflicts De-Emphasised Institutional
8. Key relations In regard to customer Labour management regarding

9. Initiatives Integrated Separated
10. Corporate plan Central marginal
11. Speed of
decision
Fast Slow
12. Management
role
Leadership Management
13. Key managers General/business managers Personnels experts or specialists
14.
Communication
Direct way Indirect way
15. Standardisation Low high-level
16. Prized
management skills
Facilitate Negotiation
17. Selection Key task and integrated work Marginal task and separated work
18. Pay Performance based Job evaluation
19. Conditions Harmonised Negotiation
20. Labour
management
Individual contracts is there Collective bargaining of contracts
21. Thrust of
relations with
stewards
Marginalised used for change
models
Regularised used for training
22. Job categories
and grades
Few Many
23. Flow of
communication
Increased flow with others Restricted flow
24. Job design Team working Division of labour

25. Conflict
handling
Managing according to environment Temporary truces
26. Training and
development
Learning companies Controlled accessibility
27. Foci of
attention for
interventions
Structural and personnel strategies Personnel procedures
With considering the 27 Storey's points of differences the 'Frasers' aims to practising the
Human Resource Management techniques which leads organization in gaining more
effectiveness (Hitka, and et.al., 2017). As HRM aids in providing more efficiency for firm than
individual or Personnel management does. The human management also helps company in
providing more employee satisfaction, with less too few employee retention rate along with
providing training and development for workers (Cheng, and Hackett, 2021). Regardless of how
improved of workers may be in current times they required to learn new skills on daily basis for
more enhancement.
E. Analysing job designing strategies,
Job design strategies refers to as the processes used by any organization for job design or
co-ordinate and improve the working processes aids in creating and evaluation of value with
maximization of firm's peak performance (Bogićević-Milikić and Čučković, 2019). Under this
enterprises uses systematic procedures for providing workers with specific job roles and
responsibilities. Methods may important for brands in aspect of increasing productivity and
quality of goods with work. Also, aids in lowering employee turnover ratio and providing
workers with higher job satisfaction. Majorly four types job design strategies being present
including Job rotation, Job enlargement, Job enrichment and Job simplification.
While being many job design methods 'Frasers' implements, Job Enlargement as their
primary source of strategy. As it the process or way of increasing scope of working or job with
adding more of similar tasks into it with related task being combined as one. It involves
increasing or expanding the number of tasks assigned to single worker (Siaw, Gitau and
Agbenyeke, 2019). With the use of this strategy may result in making work more complicated

than ever. Company aims to use strategy for reducing boredom and monotony with increase
interest in work and efficiency but ends up being hazardous to firm. The firm focus on increase
their working capacity and effectiveness by giving more task to limited workers on the other
hands ends in getting problematic. Apart from that also being called as enterprise won't worthing
or respecting employees.
Another strategy being implemented by industry of Job Rotation this method implies
about the shifting of workers from one job to another (Dahling and Lauricella, 2017). With usage
of this method company may tends to gain more access and profitability but ends up with
increased cost as company requires training and develop every new recruited worker. Because of
this method brand also may face decrease productivity as workforce being moved to other places
and towards new positions before realization of their maximum and full potential and capacity.
Firm also tends to give their workers with zero hours contract as with that company faces huge
negative response from workers along with decrease in value.
F. Hiring and firing strategies chosen by the firm during pandemic
The hiring strategies adopted by the company includes:
Creating the Job Posts which reflect the Company Profile: the job post is considered
best impression for the candidate which will wok for the company. So creating the job post for
Fraser in an organized and the professional manner will embrace the company. Make the job post
in the proper manner, also according to the company if it is funny or serious type or the corporate
or private organization (Sestito and Viviano, 2018). This will helps in acquiring more and more
applicants which will fit the Fraser for the post and the culture. Job posts by Hiring with the
social media , through the mobile apps, through job boards, and mainly presenting job openings
through the particular website of the Fraser company.
Conducting Good Interview process : Conducting a good interview process will be
conduced by the company HR for hiring. It is very important to create the good and motivation
interview and improvising the old process for conducting the interview. The character while
interviewing will portray the company picture, so for this being formalized and conducting in the
friendly manner and also gamifying the process a bit will be mostly used by the Fraser (John,
2019). Internal recruitment is done for hiring for the internal job posting.
Firing strategies being adopted by the company are:

Creating the Transition Plan: This plan is made by the HR of Fraser by Choosing the
day and the time for termination. Firing does not include only removing the person from the job
as because they are not performing the assigned duties prescribed by the manager, contract. In
this contract everything will be overviewed by the HR putting the company interest first
(Santana, Valle and Galan, 2017). Plan is made with the view that it should give the least
damage to the company and the co-workers.
Taking the Decisive action and consulting with the jury: Taking decisive action is By
letting go of the sub-standard employees of the company. It must be carried out with the dignity,
respect. The main reasons of this strategy of terminating the workforce in Fraser is because of
the poor performance, violence, dishonesty, theft, criminal activity, discrimination, harassment
In the company (Cheng, Kalenkoski and Gibson , 2019). Furthermore, it also helps in retaining
the people dignity after knowing the nuts and bolts for firing the employee.
G. Examples of the Good HR practices used by corporate firms
HR practices are designed for the formation and guidance in managing the company and
coordinating the business. These practices include Fair evaluation system in a corporate
organization, HR develops the fair evaluation system which links the individual performance to
the corporate business goals (Jaiswal and Dhar , 2017). The HR practices also helps in
Prioritizing and providing the work safety, with the recent times facing the pandemic COVID-19
has forced all the workplaces and the industries for greater emphasizing the safety of the
employees (Albert, Da Silva and Aggarwal, 2019). With this regard the HR limit the number of
employees, providing air circulation, purifying the air, regular spraying the desks of all the area,
and placing the hand sanitizers throughout the offices.
Various examples of corporate firms mainly are, Adobe is the multinational software
company. The company is investing time in the right candidate by the panel balanced view
(Kooij and Boon , 2018). They are using the multiple HR practices for adobe by hiring consisting
of the aptitude test, technical rounds, and pay-offs acquiring the best talent.
Furthermore, Google, well-known company the HR practices used in the people
operations. These are the inventive practices made by the HR department, which builds the
strong employer and employee relationships. The company is performing truly the human
resource innovation at its best (OUDDA and Jallal , 2021). By continuously adapting and

changing the practices. Google mainly include a good working environment, providing meaning
full work, and promoting the employee freedom.
Accenture's company primary focuses on the reinvention of the performance, mainly
based on passion (Boon, Den Hartog and Lepak , 2019). The company focuses their interest in
one employee at a time. It continuous collects feedback, for adapt the talent management
process.
Sales force, is cloud computing service software, specializes in CRM. The company is
adaptive and hanging the HR practices fulfilling the needs for the new wave of the employees.
the company empowers to become the philanthropic citizens (Gupta, 2018). With the
empowerment it encourages the employees spirit and excitement which further focuses on the
string modals, flexibility, and provides sale force employee benefit.
H. Recommendations which helps the organisation for building in high performance.
 Human resource management does not have the limited role in the organization, it
supports the goals and objectives in the organization. The Hr practices and procedures
and strategies are always aligned toward very employee of the workforce and promoting
the motivation and satisfaction for growing the organization and becoming productive.
 Human resource strategies and practices should be designed in such a way which helps
to present the organization with the competitive advantage and provide the environment
for achieving the set target.
 The HR should design the strategy for particular job and collect the jobs which are aimed
at the best performance possible for meeting the organizational goals and objective.
 The strategy for promoting the well-being of the employees should be designed by the
HR of the company.
 The commitment and motivation through good strategy Will leads toward the hard work
and also improving the performance of the employees.
 The main HR practices should be designed and adopted in the company which includes
the standard, helps in establish the operational team for continuous improvement,
rationalize the application in HRM practice, measures the performance against
benchmark, also the strategy should be adopted which enhances the communication in
the company.