Case Study: Leadership Challenges and Strategies at Tesco During COVID

This case study examines Tesco's leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the challenges and strategies employed in response to the crisis. It explores the impact of the pandemic on the retail industry and the crucial role of leadership in navigating economic, social, and political factors. The report highlights leadership perspectives, challenges faced by leaders, and the characteristics of effective leadership, such as articulating goals, communication, and empathy. It emphasizes the importance of responsible leadership in maintaining employee well-being, adapting to remote work, and ensuring business continuity. The study also discusses the implementation of strategies like network teams, communication protocols, and decision-making processes to maintain productivity and manage workforce morale. It also underlines the importance of adaptability, communication, and maintaining an optimistic outlook in times of crisis. The study concludes by highlighting the importance of empathy and transparency in maintaining employee motivation and handling the complexities of the pandemic. The study provides an analysis of various issues that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of leadership skills in overcoming those challenges.

Case Study

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
1 TASK............................................................................................................................................3
1. Leadership Perspective during Pandemic................................................................................3
2. Challenges faced by Leaders...................................................................................................4
3. Characteristics of Leadership...................................................................................................5
4. Importance of demonstrating responsible leadership..............................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Leadership refer to as set of skills and knowledge of the person e that acquired with time
and use it at workplace. Tesco is rising retail company in Britain and it provides different kind of
product such as grocery, electronic etc. Report emphasizes the way in which COVID has highly
impacted on retail firms and leadership of the senior change in it. Leader has to take strict
decision in pandemic which are influence from economic, social and political factors of the
country as explain in report. It also describes various challenges associated with it. Report
demonstrates characteristic of leadership and importance at work-station.
1 TASK
1. Leadership Perspective during Pandemic.
Leadership attitude plays important role in time of pandemic, After COVID perspective
of leadership change to deal with employees, customer's, investor etc. Tesco is of the rising retail
industry but in current situation facing various kinds of challenges (Bove and Benoit, 2020).
Organization executive creating or created various plans to manage in this worst situation and it
will impact on macro factors such as economic, social and political.
Economic:
Organisation facing various kind of challenges in terms of economy for example during
lock down country didn't earn anything and on the other side GDP of the country become
negative. Leaders of Tesco plan a series of task that can be executed to maintain growth of the
firm or overcome from difficult situation and also motivate employees and train them.Travel ban
and other restriction become one of the serious concern for leaders as tourist are source of
income and on the other hand local avoid walking out from the homen (Hacioglu, Känzig and
Surico, 2020). Leaders has to work hard to engage and monitor employees and setting simple
goals rather than complicated to overcome from this pandemic. They have to continuously
motivate workforce so that they cannot come intro stress , isolation and depression.
Social:
COVID increases fear among workers and customer's future of the organization and work
for example lost in jobs because of post pandemic effect and company is already facing
challenges in terms of falling GDP. Tesco's leaders motivate workers and creating bond so that
they do not scared from this problem and can tackle the situation. Work from home culture in

pandemic increases and hence to coordinate and communicate properly, network team in the
organization established which focuses on work related issues. Every team has different task
with autonomy for example one team identify error and other make changes into it. Executive
also look into psychological safety so that they cannot demotivated and hence remain charged
with the work. Giving autonomy also support in increase in innovation and creativity which is
necessary for company's growth (Suprapti, 2020).
Political
COVID highly impacted on political situation of the country and other external situation
also leads to increase in cost of raw material. Pandemic has numerous effect on political situation
for example mask culture, unemployed, rising price of products increase government against
environment. Tesco's leaders are planning and make plan to deal with such kind of situation.
Predefine plans and strategy by executives are supporting in overcoming from the worst
situations in the country and also they ensure workers that firm is able to handle any situation in
worst to the worst scenario. Effective communication and detail information sharing also help in
managing workforce. Government restriction decrease revenue of the firm but leaders focused on
supply chain management and customers & workers safety which help in overcoming for these
situations. Rules of government has to strictly follow by the leaders, and they continuously has to
change their leadership style. Proper social distancing norms again become challenging task for
the leaders to be implemented in the firm.
2. Challenges faced by Leaders.
There are multiple challenges faced by the leaders in pandemic for example managing
workforce and planning for future goals while become difficult as pandemic form cannot predict
such then the goal plans cannot execute.
It becomes difficult to implement plans in this situation as number of cases rises and
fixed plan cannot help in achieving goal. Distributing the work and its execution is another
challenge that the leaders of Tesco facing for example company give work from home but
workforce coordination is major challenge and also internet connectivity and other issue also
effected planning. Rapid response team for solving and execution can help in dealing the
situation but effectiveness depends on leaders control and monitor and if the superior fail to
tackle it then it creates high-stress and chaotic conditions. Decision-making by executive plays
important role but unpredicted situation can negative effect on targets of the firm and hence it

becomes difficult to take and implementation in such scenario. Transferring power and
autonomy is increase innovation creativity and increase productivity of the workers but
workforce outside but proper look coordination become difficult for leaders as most of the
workers in firm working from home and hence opposite consequence which negatively effect
growth of the firm. Leaders over confidence can also effect on various kinds of problems such as
they can lose credibility (Kramer and Kramer, 2020). To remain optimistic through all stages of
work is another challenge for the firm and it becomes difficult for company's leaders remain
optimistic in all situations. Waiting for difference kinds of facts and later on implementation on it
is another mistakes that leaders often do and also a crisis has various parameters and proper
evaluations need to consider all. Leaders need to take quick decision on various situations within
the time frame and hence has to show experience and knowledge which is needful for changing
scenario. Communication is another problem that occur in work from home situation and to
tackle it needs special measures which becomes difficult for the leaders. Executive has to focus
on different kind of issue that arise in workers and motivate them for workers. However,
pandemic highly impacted on level of thinking and dealing the problems by employees and it
increases problems of superiors to make them calm and restored for work and decrease their
attention from the pandemic scenario. Government rules and regulation to monitor and handle
the situation also effected company's progress and as the customers are less outed then company
unable to generate profit. Tesco's management stress increases to create a proper supply chain
management and ensuring safety of workers and customers but unpredicted spreading and less
knowledge on virus spreading capacity become barrier and sometimes company has to close
many stores which decreases its revenue and profit. Overconfidence of leaders in this kind of
such situation increase suspicions of stakeholder and hence they will not like to hear and
understand the seniority.
3. Characteristics of Leadership.
Leader is one of the person who is able to take the company to next stage in any
situations. There are various kind of characteristic that are associated with leaders such as
Trustworthy, articulates purpose and goals, Exemplifies the culture, Recognizes
accomplishments, Empathetic, Admits when they don’t have all the answers etc.
Articulates purpose and goals:

Tesco leaders is clearly defined the goals objective of the firm and the way in which it
will accomplish. During COVID executives construct network team to look into all matters
associated with different goals and way in which it will be executed. Leaders distribute task
stages among different employee’s with the autonomy. In the end leader check if the task is
successfully accomplished or not (Dey, Al-Karaghouli and Muhammad, 2020). It increases
innovation, creativity and many associated skills. Company seniority also helps employee's in
adjusting work from home culture and give them relaxation in work so that they fully understand
and follow it strictly.
Communication:
Communication is another major problem that become barrier in execution and
assessment of the work. Leaders analyse all form problem such as improper structure of work
and not properly define criteria etc. this increase stress among workforce and effect on their
performance It is duty of leader to communicate effectively and resolve problems of employees
quickly. Overconfidence increase suspicions towards leaders and hence they have to properly
address and tackle the situation so that any problem can be neutralized in work culture.
Knowledgeable:
Higher authority must address difference problems on time with experience. Tesco's
leaders use their skills in work station during pandemic for example they create a network team
for proper implementation of work from home culture. Decision-making skills is another
important characteristic that comes from experience and organization leaders has a vast
knowledge which help in easily handling and monitoring in the worst situation.
Empathetic
Leader have to aware about common cause associated with workstation and resolve quickly. It
also duty of seniors to be supportive towards mental and physical health and try to help them
from overcoming from these situations (Prapha, Wilshaw and Ivanhoe, 2020). Tough discussion
need important involvement and coordination by leaders.
4. Importance of demonstrating responsible leadership.
Leadership play important role in growth of the firm, Tesco's leaders during pandemic
has taken various measure for example allotting task according to capacity and skills of the
workers. If the superiors distribute task unequally then it increases pressure and become difficult
to increase efficiency, quality and productivity of the workers (EDWIN, 2020). During pandemic

executive create a network team which deals with various kinds of task and hence able to achieve
higher goals on the time and also decrease high-stress, chaotic conditions in work culture in the
firm. In this implementation, observation, execution and checking helps in identifying the
problems and resolve quickly. Information are detailed in comprehensive way so that chances of
misunderstanding is reduced and leaders able to take proper output from the workforce.
Psychological safety of employees by leaders in pandemic again contribute in dealing emotional
and tense environment at workplace (Jones and Comfort, 2020). Tesco CEO gives autonomy at
the workplace which enhance creativity and innovation in the process of work and highly impact
on quality, efficiency and productivity of the workforce. Participation and empowering right
person in decision-making again by management plays important role in managing workforce far
from the work-station and hence organization is able to gain proper output timely. It also
increases quality of workers in terms of leadership and increase their knowledge for particular
decision. Experience and character of the seniors also improve skills such as handling difficult
task at workplace and motivate workers for it. Calmness and optimistic nature of the superiors
and decision-makers positively impact employee's in supporting workforce in pandemic as most
of become depressed and isolated (Harari, 2020). There are large numbers of facts and
information associated during crisis and reading all become difficult, so they have to use
required details rather than investing time in all and it helps them in achieving higher goals on
time. Leaders should try to maintain discipline in the organization by addressing all question
associated for future of the firm and way tit will deal with present pandemic situation so that
workforce remain motivate towards work and hence productivity can be enhanced. Leaders
should be empathetic towards workers which help in tacking such a difficult situation. Investing
time in well-being will help enable seniority to increase effectiveness throughout the pandemic.
Communication is another problem associated in COVID as most of the employees working
from home and it becomes important for management to monitor and control the workers.
Transparency of work is another thing that need to be implemented in work culture so that any
problem can easily be handled. Feedback and suggestion from the juniors can also help in
improving work structure at workplace (Iacobucci, 2020).

CONCLUSION
From the case study shows influence of leadership in organization during pandemic.
Perspective of it highly impact on dealing situation that arise from economic, political and social
situation of the country for example employee's work from home culture increase in Tesco and
dealing it with proper leader skill is important. There are various kinds of challenges face by
Tesco leaders in pandemic such as monitoring and controlling workforce. Characteristic of
executive also plays important role in overcoming from pandemic situation such as they have to
be empathetic. Leadership plays important role in dealing the work culture situation for example
in the case study leaders give autonomy to employee's which increase their innovation and
creativity.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Bove, L.L. and Benoit, S., 2020. Restrict, clean and protect: signaling consumer safety during the
pandemic and beyond. Journal of Service Management.
Dey, B.L., Al-Karaghouli, W. and Muhammad, S.S., 2020. Adoption, Adaptation, Use and
Impact of Information Systems during Pandemic Time and Beyond: Research and
Managerial Implications. Information Systems Management.pp.1-5.
Hacioglu, S., Känzig, D. and Surico, P., 2020. The distributional impact of the pandemic.
Harari, Y.N., 2020. The world after coronavirus. Financial Times, 20.
Iacobucci, G., 2020. Dido Harding: the former business leader now heading up England’s covid-
19 response. Bmj, 370.
Jones, P. and Comfort, D., 2020. SUSTAINABILTY IN RETAIL SUPPLY CHAINS. www.
ijsrm. com ISSN 2045-810X.p.51.
Kramer, A. and Kramer, K.Z., 2020. The potential impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on
occupational status, work from home, and occupational mobility.
Prapha, A., Wilshaw, R. and Ivanhoe, H., 2020. From Risk to Resilience: A good practice guide
for food retailers addressing human rights in their supply chains.
Suprapti, S., and et.al 2020. LEADERSHIP STYLE, ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND
INNOVATIVE BEHAVIOR ON PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER PERFORMANCE
DURING PANDEMIC COVID-19. Journal of Industrial Engineering & Management
Research, 1(2), pp.76-88.
Online refrence
Leadership in the time of a pandemic. EDWIN MACHARIA, 2020. Available through
<https://dalberg.com/our-ideas/leadership-time-pandemic/>

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Online
[Online]. Available through: <>
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