Organisational Culture and Strategic Change: A Woolworths Analysis

This essay examines strategic change management within Woolworths, focusing on how the organisation's culture shapes employee attitudes and behaviours during periods of transition. It identifies the importance of organisational culture, defined as the shared values, practices, and expectations that guide employee actions, and how it influences the success of strategic changes. The essay highlights Woolworths' culture of openness, honesty, and a commitment to transformation, and how this culture impacts employee engagement and performance. It discusses challenges faced during the implementation of new technologies and innovations, such as employee resistance and insecurity, and how Woolworths addresses these challenges through training, open communication, and fostering a supportive work environment. The analysis draws on various perspectives on organisational culture, emphasising the role of effective culture in motivating employees to adopt changes, improving job satisfaction, and retaining talent, ultimately contributing to the organisation's competitive advantage.

Managing Strategic
Change

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................3
Problem identification............................................................................................................3
Critical discussion..................................................................................................................5
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCE...................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Strategic change management is defined as the process of managing changes that are
happened in organisation in structured manner in order to attain determined organisational goals,
objectives and missions. Changes are necessary for organisation to improve business conditions
and meet the exceed competition of industry competitors. Strategic changes is the execution of
changes in business that are important characteristics of business that enable business to response
new market threats as well as opportunities (Ruck, 2017). Organisational managers plays
essential role in implementing strategic changes in organisation. Strategic changes are the certain
strategies that help business to make changes and attain competitive advantages. Business uses
various strategies to attain organisational long-term objectives in efficient manner. Regular
strategic changes are important for organisation to sustain in competitive environment for long
period of time. Organisations analyses that are used to take advantages of opportunities and
minimise the level of threats. Business uses various change management models to implement
changes in efficient manner and influence employees to adopt these changes and perform in right
direction to attain determined objectives.
In this report chosen organisation Woolworth which is Australian supermarket chain as
well as grocery store owned by Woolworths Group. Respective organisation founded in 1924
and headquarter situated in New South Wales, Australia. Woolworth organisation specialises in
vegetables, meat, fruits, packaged food products and various others. Apart from that organisation
deals in magazines, health and beauty products, pet and baby suppliers, household products and
stationery items. This report covers perspective and the extant through which organisational
culture shapes employees attitude as well as behaviour during organisational changes.
TASK
Problem identification
Organisational culture: Organisational culture is defined as the collection of business
values, practices and expectations that guide as well as inform actions and performance of all
team members in right direction to attain determined business goals and objectives. Great
business culture exemplifies positive traits on employees and overall business that improve
organisational performance on the other hand dis-functioning of business culture bring out the
quality that create hinder for the success of organisation (Anderson-Wallace and Blantern, 2017).

Business priorities the business culture in organisational difficult time or in the condition of
change in business environment that enable business to come out stronger.
Woolworth organisation culture is open, honest, fair and transparent in all dealings.
Respective organisation take care its own customers, team members, manufacturer and producers
that make the organisation culture more supportive. Woolworth believes on transformation or
adopt regular changes that provides sustainable competitive advantages to organisation over
other competitors. Respective organisation is the solid foundation of hard work and integrity
(Szymańska, 2020). Organisation adopts down to earth culture and celebrates family-friendly
values and organisation governed by three simple idea such as collaboration, fairness and source
locally that create mutual trust in among employees and organisation.
Woolworth change: Woolworth organisation is the Australia's largest supermarket chain
that provides fresh food to people. Respective organisation bring changes in business through
making big investment in set up in-house innovation lab. Woolworth organisation working on
involved rapid prototyping techniques that helps business to trail new ideas with customers and
seeking their real time feedbacks. The working prototype technique featured the recipes on an
iPad that enable its customers to chose the ingredients that are needed in selected meal that are
clearly illuminated by in LED lighting (How an experimental in-store innovation lab led to a
truly illuminated solution, 2021). Apart from that organisation also adopt online shopping and
home delivery concept which is the big change in organisation that enable customers to reduce
their shopping time significantly.
Organisational culture shapes employees attitude as well as behaviour during organisational
changes: Woolworth organisation's culture is the extant that shape business employees
behaviour and attitude at the time of organisational changes. Respective organisation faces
various problems and issues at the time of implementing changes reading technology and new
innovation lab in business such as employees resist new changes in organisation that impacts
their performance and productivity level (Chernikova and Zvyagintseva, 2017). Employees
behaviour and attitude is getting affected by the organisational change process because changes
enhances insecurity among employees and it enhances their fair regarding loosing job or their
positioning.
Organisational culture of respected organisation is the collection of rules, hierarchy,
communication system, procedures and other aspects (Eseleni, 2017). As employees are the

important assets of organisation. Woolworth organisation provides training and smooth working
environment to employees that enable them to use their skills, abilities and knowledge in attain
business goals and objectives as well as adopt changes in efficient manner that lead business
towards success. Organisational culture is the powerful aspect that shapes employees work
engagement, relationship, employee work enjoyment that enable them to perform in well-defined
manner. Culture is the physical manifestation at workplace that provide ease to employees and
improve their working performance. Woolworth organisation's system control employee
behaviour in right direction through adopting formal as well as informal culture at work place.
Culture is ongoing process that provides defined pattern of understanding and reality
construction that helps employees to interpret event and give meaning to their work. Respective
organisation adopts open communication through which managers of organisation convey all
information to employees regarding changes in organisation working procedure as well as
provide them training to work in efficient manner on new technologies that facilitates employees
to adopt changes and perform defined operations in efficient manner (Hosking and Anderson,
eds., 2018). It shapes positive attitude and behaviour of employees towards changes and
organisation and improve their working performance and efficiency.
Woolworth organisation's culture supports continuous improvement, improves
employees style of performing their defined work and develop their quality awareness. Culture
of organisation influence on employees work behaviour that enable them to adopt different jobs
in business in efficient manner and adopt changes properly. Culture is the most important
element of organisational employee efficiency and effectiveness that help them to carry their
work in best possible manner. Efficient culture of organisation provides relaxed working
environment and develop harmonious interpersonal relationship that enable them to give full pay
of their abilities.
Critical discussion
According to the views of Kellie Wong, (2020) organisational culture is the set of
important understanding that re shared by the members of community in common. Culture
consist various basic set of ideas, values, preferences, perceptions, code of conduct, concept of
morality and various others that create a distinctiveness among human groups. Effective
organisational culture enhance positive traits as well as improve employee performance on the
other hand, ineffective culture of business hinder the business success and impacts on employees

engagement. In the process of implementing change in business working process and activities, it
is essential for organisation to adopt efficient business culture that motivates employees to adopt
changes and perform defined operations in efficient manner. Organisational norms and values
guide organisational members as well as their attitude and provide clear guidance regarding how
to perform in organisation for attain determined goals and objectives in efficient manner.
Woolworth organisation provides autonomy, freedom and support to employees that help them
to adopt changes and perform defined operations in efficient manner.
According to perspective of Johnson, (2019)Respective organisation create clear
objectives as well as performance expectations that controls employee behaviour. Organisation
ensures that it maintains clear communication and provide assistance to subordinates that make
feel employees that are valuable for organisational success and leading change in efficient
manner. In business culture, respected organisation provides rewards to employees who adopt
changes efficiently in terms of salary, promotion. When business implement any changes in
organisation than various conflicts and issues are raised at workplace that impacts employees
performance and productivity, Woolworth organisation maintains strong relationship with
employees and solve their conflicts enhance employees motivation to perform in efficient
manner.
According to Edgar Schein, organisational culture is the pattern of basic assumption-
invented which is developed by specific group and learnt for the purpose of cope up certain
problems that are raised due to external adoption and internal integration. Organisational culture
plays important role in shaping employee attitude and behaviour that impacts on overall business
performance and efficiency. Positive and effective organisational culture promotes healthy
development of employees and organisation as well as motivates employees to perform with
more enthusiasm that improve their production efficiency and retain with organisation for longer
period of time (Organisational culture and employee behaviour, 2019). If, organisation so not
have efficient business culture than it impacts employees engagement and performance
negatively. Thus, business culture affects employees attitude and behaviour.
As per the views of Kaspersen, (2019)Organisational culture is the set of different values
working style as well as relationships that differentiate organisation from others. It is related to
employees job satisfaction, their commitment towards organisation work and turnover intentions.
Organisational culture is depends on psychological affects that help to analyse how employees

are thinking about organisation as well as how culture affect business decision-making process.
It is analyses that strong business culture impacts employee performance positively through
developing the orientation on outcome, people, team, innovation and risk taking. Woolworth
organisation maintaining effective and positive and supportive working environment at
workplace and communicate all information regarding changes that are implemented in business
working process and activities that improves employees job satisfaction and retain them with
organisations for longer period of time. Apart from that, if business fails to create effective
organisational culture them it negatively impacts on employees commitment, job satisfaction,
engagement, performance as well as reduce their retention rate with organisation and impact
overall business performance (Mirsad, 2020). During conducting changes in business, culture is
the most important aspect that influence employees to adopt changes and perform in efficient
manner and shape their attitude and behaviour positively towards organisation.
CONCLUSION
As per the above report, it can be concluded that in business various changes are take
place then improve business performance and help it to gain competitive advantages over other
competitors. It is important for organisation to communicate all changes and provide them
training that enable them to perform defined operations in efficient manner. Each and every
employee work in organisation has their own norms and vales as well as different beliefs towards
business. Sometimes organisational culture can be different from employees values and beliefs
that impact whole business performance. Culture of organisation has deep and strong impacts on
employee performance that improve their satisfaction and engagement with organisation.
Positive and strong organisational culture facilitates to improve employee commitment, their
retention and satisfaction with defined job roles. Culture of business is the core element that
impacts these variables in positive as well as negative manner. If culture of organisation is
positive than it facilitates business to improve employee commitment, hob satisfaction and
reduce employee's retention that automatically improve business performance. Effective
organisation culture helps business to attain competitive advantages and influence employees to
adopt changes and perform defined operations on efficient manner. On the other hand,
ineffective and weak business culture reduce employee commitment, job satisfaction and
increase the employee turnover rate. It is important for organisation to develop clear policies
regarding business culture that lead business performance in right direction. Employees attitude

and behaviour towards work as well as organisation is getting affected by the business policies
and culture.

REFERENCE
Book and journal
Anderson-Wallace, M. and Blantern, C., 2017. Working with culture. In Organisational
Development in Healthcare (pp. 187-204). CRC Press.
Chernikova, L. and Zvyagintseva, O., 2017. The role of organizational culture in personnel
management. Экономические исследования и разработки, (4), pp.143-148.
Eseleni, M.M., 2017. Developing a framework to improve employee engagement leveraging by
organisational culture in banks for developing countries: a case study from Libya
(Tripoli banks) (Doctoral dissertation).
Hosking, D.M. and Anderson, N. eds., 2018. Organizational change and innovation:
Psychological perspectives and practices in Europe. Routledge.
Johnson, M., 2019. Managing change. Future Schools: Innovative Design for Existing and New
Buildings, p.76.
Kaspersen, S., 2019. Understanding compliance behaviour in an organisational culture
context (Master's thesis, University of Stavanger, Norway).
Mirsad, L.R., 2020. A bibliometric analysis deconstructing research on understanding and
managing Industry 4.0(Master's thesis, OsloMet–Oslo Metropolitan University).
Ruck, K., 2017. Organisational Culture. In Exploring Internal Communication (pp. 37-46).
Routledge.
Szymańska, K., 2020. Organisational Culture in the Industry 4.0 Era: Introduction to Research.
In Contemporary Challenges in Cooperation and Coopetition in the Age of Industry
4.0 (pp. 123-136). Springer, Cham.
Online:
How an experimental in-store innovation lab led to a truly illuminated solution.2021 [Online]
available through :<https://www.thoughtworks.com/en-in/clients/woolworths>
Kellie Wong, 2020 [Online] available through :<https://www.achievers.com/blog/organizational-
culture-definition/>
Organisational culture and employee behaviour. 2019 [Online] available
through:<https://www.ispatguru.com/organizational-culture-and-employee-behaviour/>