Case Study: Tesco's ICT, Workforce Management, & Covid-19 Adaptation

This case study evaluates Tesco's response to the Covid-19 pandemic through the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives in workforce management. It assesses the impact of technology on efficiency, remote work capabilities, and training programs within Tesco. The analysis covers Tesco's talent acquisition, learning and development, and change management policies, highlighting adaptations made to compete effectively during and after the pandemic. The role of Tesco's leadership in implementing these new initiatives, including virtual training, digital transformation, and customer feedback mechanisms, is discussed. Recommendations are provided for Tesco to enhance its organizational intranet, employee interaction, and automation processes to thrive in the 'new normal'. The study concludes that change management, digital transformation, and strategic leadership are crucial for organizations like Tesco to navigate the challenges posed by Covid-19 and achieve their objectives.

Case Study

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................3
Using relevant theories and models, critically evaluate the role and impact of information and
communication technology on the management of workforces in organisations.......................3
Evaluation of existing policies in context with talent acquisition , learning and development
and change management process to compete with Covid19 effectively ....................................4
Discuss the role of leaders of Tesco in terms of implementing the new initiatives....................5
Recommendations to Tesco regarding new initiatives to survive in New Normal.....................6
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Covid 19 has left a great impact on every business sector. To respond effectively to the
pandemic, many businesses have brought digital transformation in the execution of their work.
They are introducing new technology initiatives by information and communication technology
to be back to the normal position. Businesses are introducing new pattern of working after
Covid19 to formulate the HR strategies and manage the workforce in the organization (Nguyen
and et. al., 2022). The following report will cover the response of Tesco (a UK based
multinational public limited company in retail sector dealing in clothing, grocery, home and food
products) to Covid19 by bringing new technology initiatives in the business. It will also cover its
policies of talent acquisition, learning & development and change management process to
compete with Covid19. Further , the report will also cover the role of leaders in implementing
new initiatives and recommendations regarding the same to survive after covid19.
TASK
Using relevant theories and models, critically evaluate the role and impact of information and
communication technology on the management of workforces in organisations
In the business organizations, when routine operations are automated , they help to
increase efficiency and productivity in the work of workforce. Technology initiation also
provides the workforce to work from home like it did in Covid19 pandemic. Technology helps in
file management, generation of reports and measuring the growth to improve productivity.
Organizations use computer driven tools to bring efficiency in the organizations. And
communication technology such as virtual meetings, email communication also helps in
discussing business projects. The following points explain the impact of technology on
workforce management of Tesco :
 Technology assists in providing training and development to the workforce. In big and
multinational organisations like Tesco, it becomes difficult to manage the diversified
workforce for skill development at different locations. Tesco uses inter-networking for
its stores to provide training and skills development to it workers.
 When company uses online training portal for the workers, it becomes expensive for the
big companies like Tesco. So, they use compact disc devices containing tutorials for

training and skill development for the workers that does not need internet connection. It
will be helpful for the large workforce of Tesco (Pinho, Franco and Mendes, 2022).
 Tesco organizes web Conferences to train its employees. This saves cost for organising
individual training sessions for the large workforce of the organization. This mechanism
includes all the employees for discussions and learnings. To support the learning process,
it uses audio, video and text contents.
 Organizations use Online forums to discuss the issues of employees and solve them by
providing them with skill development by including all the employees at a single place.
As Tesco has large workforce on international basis, it can use this method for improving
efficiency in its multinational business.
 Email communication and electronic mailing lists also support the role of information
and communication technology in the organization. It provides the trainers and trainees
convenience in communicating with one another by virtual interaction in an effective
manner. Tesco can use this technology for better communicational support in managing
the international workforce (Cosenz, 2022).
Evaluation of existing policies in context with talent acquisition , learning and development and
change management process to compete with Covid19 effectively
For better human resource management, organizations are required to bring change
management process through digital transformation in learning and development and in
recruiting talented and skilful employees. Companies are striving to be back to the normal
position to compete with covid19 impact by engaging the talented workforce for increasing the
productivity. In context with Tesco, its policies of talent acquisition are as under -
 Due to Covid19, there has been a significant increase in online sales because of which
Tesco has also recruited more than 15000 employees to face competition after the
pandemic. As there has been a big shift in the demand of customers, it has to hire more
employees to respond to the customers demand as well as the pandemic.
 Tesco mainly focuses on the policy of customers value as well as safety in this pandemic
time. While focusing on this, it is also emphasizing on creating value for all its other
stakeholders (Beheshti, 2022).

Although they are facing lack of customers in physical stores, but there is a rise in online
shopping due to covid19, and it is increasing the demand of customers that the companies are
struggling to fulfil to respond effectively to the pandemic.
Learning and Development
The HR department of Tesco is having the optimum advantage of technology by sharing
the data in an efficient manner across the multinational organization. Its HR functions like
recruitment, hiring, training , learning and development and disengagement bas well are all
supported by effective technological process for better talent management. And after the
pandemic, it has enhanced the use of computerized system to manage its large workforce and
their learning and development to cope with the pandemic.
Change Management Process
To compete with the Covid19 pandemic, it has changed the opening hours for some of its
stores to provide convenience to the customers that they can find by accessing the website of the
company. It has enhanced its grocery home shopping by more than double to serve the customers
effectively and efficiently. As a part of change management process, it has introduced digital
transformation in the organization (Troise and et. al., 2022). It has also made policies regarding
sick pay to the workers with covid19 symptoms. It is having technological advantage for
implementing the policies for change management process to cope up with covid19 impact.
Discuss the role of leaders of Tesco in terms of implementing the new initiatives
The leaders have a key role in the success of every organization as they have the
responsibility of implementation of policies , motivating the employees for contributing more to
the organizational objectives by increasing their productivity level. In Tesco's Learning and
development, Change management process and policies to compete with covid19, leaders have
played a major role in implementing all these initiatives. Tesco's CEO Jason Tarry took the
initiatives with its leadership team to keep going with the rapidly changing environment. They
took the initiatives regarding safety for all and support for the colleagues (Kluch and Rentner,
2022). The leaders at Tesco provided virtual training to the employees and appointed trainers for
learning and development process. They also introduced digital transformation in the
organization for effective communication across all its stores in international market.
Tesco's Marketing manager Bellini used YouGov's brand index tool to obtain customers'
as well as employees' feedback to adapt with the changing demands of employees and customers

due to Covid19. Their main strategies are aimed at serving the customers and creating value for
them. The leaders at Tesco introduced different technologies for its workforce such as online
forums, web conferencing, training portal to enhance their skills. This was adopted to manage
the workforce of this multinational company across all countries. They have responded to
Covid19 very effectively by having technological advantage with the help of digital
transformation in the organization. Tesco' CEO has increased the number of grocery stores in
UK to compete with covid19 by providing its customers convenience for safe shopping by
changing the opening hours of the stores (Rifai and Sa'd, 2022). They have undertaken the
implementation of effective policies to mitigate the negative impact of Covid19 on workforce
management or customer base. They enhanced the use of technology after observing shifts in
demands of customers and rise in online shopping.
Recommendations to Tesco regarding new initiatives to survive in New Normal
After observing its existing policies regarding change management process and learning
& development ; it is recommended to Tesco to use tutorial training tool of computerized
training sessions but without the use of internet that includes huge investments. But it should
have sufficient funds for introducing an organizational intranet to form an inter networking
across all its branches and employees. To make the strong corporate culture in the organization,
it is required to develop employee interaction through various online tools to mitigate the
negative impact of covid19 on employee interaction. It will facilitate their training process as
well. The HR department of Tesco is recommended to adopt computerized systems in managing
the workforce and their training. It should enhance the automation process in the organization to
be able to cope with the advance technology. The leaders of Tesco must frequently organize the
virtual workshops and seminars to improve efficiency in the work of employees and to increase
their productivity.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it has been concluded that to be able to face the impact of
Covid19, organizations must introduce Change management process in the business and provide
learning and development to the employees. They should introduce digital transformation in the
organization to manage the workforce. With the use of information and communication
technology, the employees should be managed by various mechanisms such as web conferences,

online forums, email communication etc. There is a great role of leaders in bringing change
management process in the organization as they are responsible for increasing the productivity of
business by motivating and directing the employees towards the interests of organization and
achievement of its desired objectives. So, organizations must ensure optimum use of technology
to compete with the impact of covid19 to be back to the new normal position.

REFERENCES
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Kluch, Y. and Rentner, T.L., 2022. “As Falcons, We Are One Team!” Launching a Grassroots
Institutional Change Initiative to Promote Diversity and Inclusion Through Sport at an
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