Tesco's Restructuring: Employee Behavior and Social Cognitive Theory

This essay examines the impact of job cuts at Tesco on employee behavior, drawing upon Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory. The introduction provides an overview of the theory, highlighting the interaction between cognitive, behavioral, and environmental determinants. The main body presents a case study of Tesco's restructuring, including job cuts, and analyzes the impact on employee motivation, satisfaction, and overall behavior. The essay discusses how the job cuts, aimed at remaining competitive in the retail market, led to reduced confidence and dissatisfaction among employees. It applies Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, focusing on personal, environmental, and behavioral factors to understand how these elements influenced employee responses to the changes. Personal factors, such as employee expectations and beliefs, are considered alongside environmental factors, including the working environment and organizational activities. The essay explores how behavioral changes, such as reduced motivation and job satisfaction, resulted from job losses and the shift towards customer-oriented strategies. The conclusion summarizes the key findings, emphasizing the role of social cognitive theory in understanding the complex interplay of factors affecting employee behavior during organizational changes. References to academic journals and books support the analysis.

Research Skills
1

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory model..................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8
2

INTRODUCTION
Social cognitive theory is a theory of Bandura that consist of four main processes that are self-
reflection, self-evaluation, self-observation and self-efficacy (Schunk and Usher, 2019). This
theory clearly explains influence an individual’s actions, behaviour upon others and on others
overall behaviour. In this essay focus upon explanation of human behaviour through social
cognitive theory in terms of continuous interaction between cognitive, behavioural, and
environmental determinants. In this essay focuses upon case study of Tesco have been discussed
and ways in which job loss or job cut impacted overall motivation, satisfaction and behaviour of
employees and ways in which it brought changes within working environment of employees. In
this examination of different factors that impact employees have been discussed using social
cognitive theory.
MAIN BODY
Overview of case study of Tesco
This case study is about Tesco who is focusing upon cutting jobs within their superstores.
In order to maintain their overall sales and remain competitive in the market as per the changing
retail market they had cut down approximately 4500 jobs which helped them to cut down their
overall cost base by approximately £1.5 bn. They redeployed most of their customer service roles
so that they can focus upon making their stores for convenience shopping. Due to job cut, or
losing jobs most of the staff members of Tesco are losing their confidence most of the stores of
Tesco are engaging themselves into restructuring themselves in order to survive within the
market. This case study also explains that most of the employees working in Tesco are not really
satisfied and haply while working in the store. Most of them said that their job in Tesco Super
market were really boring, customer made lots of mess and they had to clean that mess after
customers leave the mart. Most of the employees were not happy with their job as they had to
pretend that they are happy and did not get affected because of overall behaviour of employees.
3

Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory model
It is based on the social cognitive theory that start with social learning in 1960s by Albert
Bandura. It was developed into SCT in 1986 and posits that learning occurs in term of social
with representing the dynamic or reciprocal interaction of person, behavior and environment.
This type of theory is mainly consider as unique features which emphasis on the social influence
on the both internal as well as external social reinforcement. According to this theory, it should
consider unique way in which individual person acquire and maintain the better behavior while
considering the social environment (Schunk and DiBenedetto, 2020). Typically, it takes into
account an individual’s experience and identifying own perception on the basis of behavioral
action. Through this theory, past experience always influencing the person with full of
expectations. Thus, it will engage with person in specific behavior and reason for identifying
perception of people.
For Example- A healthy relationship program has been implemented by healthcare
system in which identifying the intervention for people living. This type of program will support
on the basis of social cognitive theory. It is mainly used skills building exercise to increase the
independence as well as behaviors among different participants. In this way, it can be identified
that social theory help to influence personal, environmental and behavior aspects of individual
person. These are not only identifying the experience of individual but also developing
understanding to implement suitable strategies. According to the given Tesco Case study, it has
been determined the various kind of issue or problem that will increase a lot of complex situation
or condition within organization (Beauchamp, Crawford and Jackson, 2019).
Usually, it involves not supportive for women employee, lack of discussion and
communication between employees. These are considered the important common problem which
arise during task execution. Sometimes, it would be increasing and directly affecting on the
overall business processes. At that time, it should focus on the Social cognitive theory which is
always supports for giving the importance of each and every staff members. In order to identify
their specific need or requirement. By using social cognitive theory, it would be considered three
4

essential factors such as Personal, environmental and behavioral. As adopting the social
cognitive theory, it has been determined human actions and consideration of theory where how
will consumer personal factors improved.
Personal Factor
It has been explained the human behaviour in term of three different ways and reciprocal
model in which personal factors (Torkan and et. al., 2018). This type of factor encompasses with
biological properties of organism. Physical structure, neural system affecting the behaviours
which impose constraints on capabilities. By using Social cognitive theory, personal factor can
be established the interactive relation with personal characteristics of individual person. It must
include all essential expectations, beliefs, emotions and cognitive competencies are development
through social influences.
As per case study, TESCO as retailer must have focused on the personal need or
requirement of their staff members. It can possible due to personal factor which is always
influencing towards ability, capability to handle the different business tasks. It is very important
for enterprise to interact with employee so that they can fulfill all essential need or requirement
(Fifolt, Richardson and Motl, 2020). As per given scenario, it has been already identified that
there will be lack of communication or interaction between manager and other team members.
So as improving that kind of problem so as require to focus on the preference of individual
people and fulfill their personal needs in the workplace.
Environmental Factor
The cognitive factors partly identify which environment factor will be observed, whether
they leave any lasting effects, what emotional impacts and inspiring the power of motivation
(Rubenstein and et. al., 2018). According to case study, Tesco is based on the multinational
retailer that has already expanding their business within different nations. It has been identified
the poor working environment that will effect on the individuals behavior, attitude, sometimes,
employee have not concerned about the different organizational activities. It became difficult for
enterprise to identify need or requirement of potential consumers. Environmental factor
5

influences the individual people who have limited participation during discussion meetings,
showing a lack of interest within current business project. This can possible because of
environment factors which needs to be improved on regular basis. Furthermore, identifying the
suitable need or requirement of people so that they can easily fulfill all essential demand. On
regular basis, it would be conducting better interaction program whereas each and every
members will be establishing connection with each other. By using social cognitive theory, it
must include environmental factors that bring more assessment of business and changing into
sustainable development.
Behavioural factor
This theory can help in understanding behavioural changes within an individual. One of
the main factors because of which overall behaviour of employees had been affected is due to
increasing chances of job loss (Rubenstein and et. al., 2018). Tesco cut down approximately
4500 jobs at 153 high street Tesco Metro supermarkets. Due to tough competition Tesco was
majorly focusing upon becoming customer oriented rather than becoming employee oriented.
This job cut directly impacted overall motivational and satisfaction level of employees and other
staff members because of which overall behaviour of employees weas getting impacted directly.
Most of them weren’t happy with their job profile or task they were required to complete. Some
of them said when they use to visit storeroom for searching for a product, they would actually
wouldn’t search for the product and some of them took rest when they visit storeroom. Some of
the said that they had to pretend that they do not hate customers and their overall behaviour.
Most of them were not at all happy with the organization and struggled to complete all the
supermarket work. In order to sustain within the competitive environment and gain competitive
advantage over Aldi and Lidl and for this they are focusing upon becoming customer oriented by
becoming convenience shopping. Due to this many employees have lost their jobs which had
directly impacted their overall satisfaction level. This change has brought changes which overall
behaviour of employees, most of the employees are only thinking of sustaining within the
environment.
6

CONCLUSION
From the above essay it has been summarized that there are many different kinds of
factors that can directly impact an individual and their behaviour in both positive and negative
manner. There are many different kinds of theories and models that can be used for evaluation
and analysis of factors because of which changes within an individual’s behaviour occur. One of
the theory that can be used to understand changes within overall behaviour of a person is social
cognitive theory. It is a kind of psychological theory that can be directly used to understand an
individual’s experience, change within their behaviour, factors that focused an individual to
bring changes. In this essay this theory has helped in understanding ways in which aspects of
personal, environmental, and behavioural factors of this they impact overall behaviour of
employees.
7

REFERENCES
Book and Journals
Beauchamp, M.R., Crawford, K.L. and Jackson, B., 2019. Social cognitive theory and physical
activity: Mechanisms of behavior change, critique, and legacy. Psychology of Sport and
Exercise. 42. pp.110-117.
Fifolt, M., Richardson, E.V. and Motl, R.W., 2020. Exercise behaviors of persons with multiple
sclerosis through the stepwise implementation lens of social cognitive theory. Disability
and rehabilitation. 42(7). pp.948-956.
Rubenstein, L.D., and et. al., 2018. How teachers perceive factors that influence creativity
development: Applying a Social Cognitive Theory perspective. Teaching and Teacher
Education. 70. pp.100-110.
Schunk, D.H. and DiBenedetto, M.K., 2020. Motivation and social cognitive
theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology. 60. p.101832.
Schunk, D.H. and Usher, E.L., 2019. Social cognitive theory and motivation. The Oxford
handbook of human motivation, p.11.
Torkan, N., and et. al., 2018. Relationship of social cognitive theory concepts to dietary habits of
pregnant women. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research. 23(2). p.125.
8

9