Unilever: Value and Contribution to Organisational Performance

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Unilever's organizational structure and its contribution to the company's overall performance. It begins with an introduction to Unilever, its global operations, and its diverse product portfolio, including brands like Omo and Axe. The report then delves into the importance of organizational design and structure, highlighting how Unilever utilizes a line and staff structure to achieve its goals. It examines the significance of organizational design in influencing individuals and leadership styles, emphasizing the need for a positive and strong image among employees. The report also explores the impact of the external business environment, including technological and legal factors, on organizational design. It further analyzes the McKinsey 7S model, highlighting the importance of strategy, structure, systems, style, staff, skills, and shared values. The report also addresses the need to develop motivated, knowledgeable, and experienced individuals and teams, discussing various recruitment methods, such as interviews, LinkedIn, internal recruitment, and aptitude tests. It emphasizes the importance of providing a positive working environment, recognizing and rewarding the right behavior, involving and engaging employees, and developing their skills and potential to create a dedicated workforce. The report also covers critical analysis of approaches and techniques to motivation, human capital and knowledge management, and provides recommendations with justifications to improve delivery of sustainable performance.

Value and Contribution to
Organisational

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
PART 1............................................................................................................................................2
Introduction.................................................................................................................................2
Organisation structure.................................................................................................................2
Importance of organisational design...........................................................................................3
2. Need to develop motivated, knowledgeable and experienced individuals and teams............5
Critical analysis of approaches and techniques to motivation, human capital and knowledge
management................................................................................................................................7
Recommendations with justifications to improve delivery of sustainable performance............7
Knowledge and research for supporting emerging HR developments........................................8
PART 2..........................................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Human resource is one of the essential part for organisation as it contribute in achieving
organisational goals and objectives to achieve high success in market or industry. Their are
various functions are performed by management and employee's that leads organisation to gain
competitive advantage in market. Investment made in human body add more value in the
performance of organisation. This report is written based on the Unilever which is operating their
business at global level. Omo, Axe etc. are some of the brands that are under the Unilever.
Moreover, the report highlights on importance of organisational design and structure by utilising
specific example (Tung, Baird and Schoch, 2014). Different approach and techniques will also
be focused for attracting and developing human resources towards a skilled and dedicated
workforce. An effective research will also be conducted in the context of organisation by
utilising knowledge and evidence for the development of human resources.
PART 1
Introduction
Unilever is an organisation that is globally well-known for their high quality consumer
goods. Its headquarters is situated in London. Unilever is manufacturing large variety of goods
such as food & beverage, cosmetic items, personal care, beauty products and many more. Due to
which it is easy for management to earn high amount of income. Management of Unilever is
operating their business from than century and in more than 180 countries. So with such a huge
experience it is for organisation to manage more than 400 brands and to enhance their sale at
global level. Moreover, it was founded on 2nd September in the year 1929 and slowly
organisation expanded their four different division that are personal care, home décor,
refreshment and food products. Unilever introduced their business at global level by introduced
their producing its goods at a common level among all the countries (Saint-Clair, 2018).
Organisation structure
The term organisation structure refers to all actions and activities that includes roles and
responsibilities of all departments and levels. So the objective of the organisation is achieved in
appropriate manner. Matrix, line staff, divisional etc. are some type of structure that are
implemented by organisation to complete their work. In the context of Unilever management
follow staff and line structure.

Organisation design
Organisation design is considered as the intersection that is used by management to
formulate business strategies, functions and operations, goals etc. This is also essential for the
organisation to follow all design in order to accomplish their objectives, aims and goals in
effective manner. In the context of Unilever organisational structure helps the management to
develop positive relationship between the employee's of an organisation. With this form of
hierarchy Unilever focuses on developing relations between all levels of a company (Mir and
Pinnington, 2014). Example- with an effective organisation design employee's and individuals of
a company is boosting their performance for longer period.
Importance of organisational design
 Organisation design work as an effective tool that leads individual for influencing
individuals and leadership style of respective organisation. Unilever is performing their
work at global level. Therefore, it is important for management to develop an positive
and strong image in the mind of employee's due to which they complete their work with
high motivation.
 Top management or authorities are responsible to build positive culture and structure in
the Unilever. It determines that there are various task are performed by management that
leads individuals to manage task for achieving long term benefits such as sustainability
and profitability for the organisation.
Contemporary design for organisation
The contemporary design is defined as a procedures and structure to develop and
empower employee's for longer period. It leads organisation to make better decisions in order to
formulate right changes to make approval from all authorities of organisation. The main motive
to implement organisation design is to make milestones that decides and improves the quality of
goods (Mendes and Jesus, 2018). Moreover, it is also beneficial for employee's to make their
own decisions due to which better ideas and decisions are performed in effective manner.
On the other side, this is also essential for organisation to make better results as per needs
and management that develop structure for accomplishing organisational goals and objectives.
Moreover, organisational design refer to the process for designing activities, authorities and
information to formulate better decisions. Unilever formulates various roles, responsibilities to
accomplish its aims for making better decisions in organisation.

Considering the impact of the external business environment on OD.
External environment impacts on various factors of the organisation due to which its
design and development is directly impacted. It is mandatory for Unilever to develop their policy
according to the external environment, so management is able to achieve better success in
market. The major impact on organisation design is as follow: Technological factor– From the last several years, technology is impacting on all parts of
organisation. This governs that majority of the functions and operations are performed
with the help of technology. So with the implement of technology in exact manner it is
easy for management to complete its functions in short intervals (Mafabi, Munene and
Ahiauzu, 2015).
 Legal and ethics– Unilever is performing their business at global level, therefore it is
mandatory for management to complete by considering all legal and ethical factors.
Unilever is performing their role as per the management to make smooth functional
possibilities as per results for policy factor.
Some theories which are implemented by management is to perform their work and
influence employee's to make better results. Unilever follow the Mckinsey's 7s model which is
mention as below:
Mckinsey's 7's model
It is mandatory for the organisation to develop an effective tool that is used by
organisation for designing effective structure that is mention as below:
Hard S are as follow:
 Strategy- The main motive of strategy is to arrange resource for organisation and to lead
them to accomplish their objective in effective manner.
 Structure- Structures are the another important for organisation which helps the
organisation for generating better communication among teams.
 System- In the present scenario, system is one of the most essential part for organisation
that leads management to accomplish its goals for making better procedure to perform
their daily activities (Johnsen, Ennals and Holtskog, 2017).
Soft S are as follow:

 Style- It is defined as the method by which organisation perform their business activities
in effective way. This leads an individual for performing all work in appropriate manner
for retaining business at top level.
 Staff- Employee's or human workforce are most important part for organisation. They
perform effective roles and responsibilities according to their skills and abilities so better
results are achieved by management.
 Skills- Skills are most important part for organisation because with better skills it is easy
for management to conduct their task in effective manner (Jiménez, Martos and Jiménez,
2015).
 Shared Values- Standard, norms, value and belief are some aspects of shared value. This
leads management and employee's to complete their activities in exact manner.
2. Need to develop motivated, knowledgeable and experienced individuals and teams
In an organisation the human resources play an important role in achieving its goals and
objectives by applying their knowledge and skills so that all the other resources of the company
can be efficiently utilized. This helps in generating the products and services that company aims
to offer to its customers for achieving customer satisfaction by analysing their needs and wants
and providing them with products accordingly. Human capital of Unilever helps it in achieving a
competitive advantage in the market as they help in satisfying the customer needs and building
strong and long-term relations with them. It is important for Unilever to employ the right of
employees having the appropriate qualities, skills and talents which are required to meet the job
requirements (Jayawardane, 2016). Right employees help in efficiently utilizing their skills so
that the company can achieve its timely goals and to attract the right kind of employees
following approaches can be used: Interviews : This refers to a structured conversation in which the candidates are asked
questions which helps the interviewer to evaluate the capability and skills of the
candidate so that their suitability for a job vacancy can be measured. This also helps in
evaluating if the candidate can help the company to achieve its goals and objectives by
the use of their skills, academic background, intelligence etc. Unilever use this method
when highly skilled and efficient workforce is required by the company. Linked In for recruitment and selection : By posting a job directly on LinkedIn a
company can approach to a large number of qualified candidates who are seeking a job

and whose capabilities match the job requirements. This can help the company to attract a
large pool of employees having desired skills which can help the company to achieve its
goals on time (runewald and Kohler, 2016). Unilever can attract a large number of right
candidates having required skills and knowledge which can help it in satisfying the
customers in an appropriate manner. Internal recruitment : In this the company tries to fill a job vacancy from within the
existing workforce. This helps the company to save the costs of recruitment, improving
the morale of employees, selection of the best performing candidate etc. Unilever use this
method when it has a job vacancy at the senior level where it requires highly skilled,
trustworthy and experienced employee who can help in managing the company
operations and management so that the company objectives are timely achieved.
 Aptitude tests : This method helps the company in evaluating the abilities of candidates to
perform a specific task which is then compared to all the test takers so that selection of
the best candidate is possible which will help the company in completing its tasks in an
efficient manner.
Apart from attracting skilled employees it is also important for the company to maintain,
develop and reward them so that they can become dedicated to the company and can give their
best performance in the company (Gains, F., 2015). Following are the methods that can be used
by Unilever in order to have a dedicated workforce in the company : Provide a positive working environment : It is important to maintain a positive working
environment at the workplace so that the employees can remain motivated which will
help them in better utilizing their skills and abilities to perform their roles and
responsibilities in the company. Unilever maintains a friendly environment at the
workplace which helps in better coordination of work of all the employees along with
boosting their morale. This helps the company in achieving its targets within the time
frame. Recognise, reward and reinforce right behaviour : It is the basic human need to get
recognized for the efforts they have made to complete their work which helps in boosting
their morale. Rewards and reinforcement of right behaviour can also help Unilever in
retaining its employees as high value is associated with their work which helps them in
giving their best and they perform their task in an efficient manner.

 Involve and engage : Employee engagement means involving employees in decision-
making which helps in increasing their confidence that the company values their views
and opinions (Debono, Robertson and Travaglia, 2019). This helps them in being
enthusiastic to work efficiently for achieving company objectives. Develop skills and potential : It is important to train and develop the employees so that
the essential skills that are required by Unilever can be developed in the employees so
that they can perform their work efficiently. Also these programs help employees to
acquire specific knowledge and skills so that their performance gets better and also all the
employees can be brought at the same level.
 Evaluate and measure : It means that the performance of the employees is regularly
evaluated and measured which helps the company in giving appraisals to them based on
their behaviour. This helps in employee retention and also helps in building their morale.
Unilever can retain its highly talented and skilled workforce by measuring the employee
performance and rewarding them accordingly.
Critical analysis of approaches and techniques to motivation, human capital and knowledge
management
Various approaches and techniques that are used in Unilever can help the company in
retaining its employees along with boosting their morale which can help in motivating them so
that the company goals are achieved on time. These approaches are important to be used so that
the company can achieve a competitive advantage in the market by utilizing the complete
potential of its employees. However, these methods must be appropriately used so that conflicts
among employees and biasses of managers towards some employees can be avoided (Datry,
Bonada and Heino, 2016).
Recommendations with justifications to improve delivery of sustainable performance
The performance of employees at the workplace in Unilever can be improved by the
following methods :
 Sharing information : It means that the employees must be aware about organisational
goals and how their efforts help in achieving these goals. This will help in performing
their work efficiently so that the company performance can improve.

 Delegate decision-making authority : It means that the employees must be involved in
decision-making which will help in boosting employee morale and they can use their
analytical skills to find the best possible solution.
 Check rude behaviour : The managers of company must check hostile behaviour of
themselves and the employees towards each other so that a friendly working environment
can be established (Chabane, Tsoukias and Daniell, 2019).
 Offering performance feedback : This will help in improving their performance and
also they can become efficient with their roles.
Knowledge and research for supporting emerging HR developments
Human resources refers to the sector that is improving from day to day and it is also
important for Unilever to develop their HR practices. The organisation is focused to conduct
market research by analysing all trends through which market area and its performance is
impacted. Humans are one of the crucial part for the organisation and it is helping comoanies to
conduct market research by analysing all essential aspects for organisation through which
management performance is impacted. This is important for the organisation to conduct
knowledge and to emerge the better relations for conducting HR practices in appropriate manner.
Some emerging HR developments of organisation are mention as below:
Acceleration Performance Management- Performance management is known as the
job satisfaction and performance that leads organisation to make better results in the market. The
major chance in exploring in generating creativity in turns to both job satisfaction and
performance. Speeding with growth to result for managing and measuring employee's
performance. The main motive of them is to gain competitive advantage as compare to rivalry
organisation.
Reviewing culture and giving continuous feedback- The most popular trends which are
related with HR for considering as culture and reviews in the organisation. HR manager focuses
to improve the work performance of employee's effectively in the management. This is achieved
by employee's to get continues results and to keep their feedback done by reviewing them as a
senior. The continues performance not only help management but also leads employee's to know
them for generating long term benefits that must be improved on regular basis.
Fitness Apps to increase employee engagement-Most organizations are expected to
follow the trend of introducing fitness and wellness apps to create work-life balance. For

employees to be more productive and to be able to build a sustainable workforce, a balance
between work and life is important. The apps help in creating a balance between both. For
example- employees can have access to yoga, life counselling etc.
Application to improve employee's performance- Most of the organisation are
performing their work at global level. They are introducing innovative application through which
the fitness of individual are managed to generate more productive results from them.
Sustainability of the workforce is also increased because employee's are healthy and fit by doing
exercise, yoga etc. on regular basis.
Artificial Intelligence in HR- HR not only destruct the human activities but also
transform and help to analyse the data, information etc. related with employee's and workforce of
organisation. The access of the candidates based to their actual requirements and avoiding them
to make partial decisions (Battistella, 2014). Unilever will get benefited from this by generating
relations between teams rather than to waste them from unexciting task.
To invest in human- To promote talent development, more and more number of
organizations are investing to satisfy the employees and making them happy. Happy employees
are more focused towards their goals and show a growth in their performance. As a result, they
have a higher retention rate and a strong sense of ownership.
The talent development is one of the major key factor for organisation that leads management to
make better results.
Introducing Learning Management Systems- Management system is one of the major
part for organisation that helps management to enhance the learning skills of employee's. Age
factor is not included in this, it determines the to enhance learning facilities management is able
to track employee's and check there learning on continue process. Therefore, with the proper
implement of learning management system it is easy to track employee's process on regular and
monitor basis.
Work life balance
With the proper work life balance it is easy for organisation to state that employee's are
able to perform and manage their work equally with proper life balance. The main motive of
them is to generate results at personal level as well as professional level. In the present scenario,
the demand of work life balance is increasing on constant basis. Some ways to manage work life
balance is as follow:

Cross–culture engagement in the organisation and its impact on globalisation.
Cross culture engagement impacts on the organisation as well as it also helps to enhance
business performance at global level. Unilever is performing their work at global level it
determines that there are various business activities are performed by management among
different parts of world. This is also useful for organisation to get impact as well as to develop
positive image of company in the business environment (Arifin, 2015).
PART 2
Covered in Poster presentation
CONCLUSION
In the last, by considering aspects from above report it is concluded that an organisation
must add value in its services or products. So it is easy for management to enhance their work
possibilities as well as to achieve their goals and objectives in easy manner. On the other side,
organisational design is also appropriate for generating positive results from their operations.
Further, with the motivational techniques management increases the sustainability of human
workforce. It assist organisation to gain competitive edge by enhancing their work performance
and productivity. In the last, by managing the changes an organisation retain in the market for
longer period by formulating strategies according to market environment.

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