Unit 12 Organisational Behaviour: Walmart Case Study Report

This report analyzes organisational behaviour within Walmart, examining the influence of organisational culture, power, and politics on individual and team behaviour. It evaluates content and process theories of motivation, focusing on Maslow's hierarchy of needs and McGregor's X and Y theories, and explores the dynamics of effective and ineffective teams, applying Tuckman's team development theory. The report also discusses the application of different leadership styles in Walmart, using the path-goal theory to assess their impact on organisational and individual performance. The analysis covers legitimate, expert, and reward power, and their effect on employee motivation and overall organisational effectiveness.

Organisational
Behaviour

Table of Content
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Organisation culture, power and politics and their influence on individual and team behaviour. .3
TASK 2.................................................................................................................................................6
P2 Evaluation of content and process theories of motivation in context of Walmart.........................6
TASK 3.................................................................................................................................................9
P3 Understanding of effective and ineffective team and their comparison........................................9
TASK 4...............................................................................................................................................11
P4 Application of philosophies of organisational behaviour in Walmart.........................................11
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES....................................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Organisational behaviour is defined or refers to the study of behaviour of human
beings for people associated with the organisation. Organisational behaviour analyse and
evaluate the behaviour of individuals and their performance in relation with the achievement
of company's goals and objective in a specific manner. It is basically a process which
empowers managers and leaders of entity to direct business and its operations towards
building a relationship in between different functions existing in the company attaining
sustainable growth and success (Intezari and McKenna, 2018). This Assignment is based on
Walmart is an American multinational retail corporation which deals with the chain of
hypermarkets grocery stores and discount department. Walmart was founded in 1962 by Sam
Walton and it is headquartered in Arkansas, U.S. Walmart deals in many products and
product types through its retail stores. It is a multinational which service to numerous
customers from its several number of physical stores present worldwide. Walmart is a large
organisation which holds its operations in varied countries around the globe implying that the
employee base of the company is huge along with its customer base. The report covers the
influence of organisational culture, power and politics over the behaviour of different
individuals their performances and motivation level. Moreover different motivational theories
are evaluated which are best suitable for Walmart. For the more the concept of effective and
ineffective team is evaluated and Tuckman's team development theory is applied for
developing an effective team. At the end, impact of leadership styles and approaches on the
organisational and individual behaviour is evaluated with the help of path goal theory which
holds four different styles of leadership.
TASK 1
P1 Organisation culture, power and politics and their influence on individual
and team behaviour
Organizational Culture
This culture enhanced the values, attitude and behavior which contributes towards the
development of psychological of business environment. The Organizational culture influence
the people’s reaction, the way they represent themselves in terms of Knowledges and certain

behavior. There is organizational culture having a Handy’s model which emphasis the
characteristics regarding power, role, task and person. These are the explaining below:
 Power culture: In organization there is power culture having the impact on a major
individual who’s the influence spreads towards the organization premises.
 Role culture: In organizational having a role culture based on the role of the
individuals as well as group which is highly potential and controlled through the
roles and responsibilities (McShane and et.al., 2018).
 Task culture: This is form with the only motive of to attain the specific addresses
the objective which having provides the organizational task.
 Person Culture: In organization there is certainty of particular person’s culture
which confined the influence in the organization premises through effective
workforce, skills and performances.
As for the company which is based on the retail industry Walmart they having the task and
power culture where these both are generates the productivity of positive working
environment on that the employees work and deliver the better outcomes and also it leads to
guidance about the right strategy implementation of responsibilities.
Organizational Politics
The organizational politics derives the procedure of human behavior in the context of
power and authority which can controlled the work environment of organizational premises,
where now the organizational politic is a technique which it helps to balanced the work and
employees behavior with the work culture. There are four quadrants Metaphors
organizational politics which influence the power as well as maintain the organization
activities within the premises, So there are following major highlight point of organizational
politics are given:
 The Weeds: According to this quadrant it basically derives the informally activities
which are uncontrolled and flexible by which the organization not having any
maintenance, where the regulatory having the controlled by other party (Miao and et.
al., 2019).
 The Rocks: The rock word is emphasis the power where it implies on an individuals
one to one interaction in a formal way in context of providing the title, Job role,
expertise or to optimum utilization of resources by the leader etc.

 The High Grounds: The high ground enhanced about the formally activation of
higher authority implementation within the organization in context of making
policies, rules and regulation with proper guidelines and the procedures which can
influences the political workforce.
 The Woods: By applies the formal procedure and guidelines which can affect the
organization compliances related to norms and policies towards the development of
the safety measures within the work culture.
About the Walmart the suitable Organizational Politics will be the Rock where it would
generate the suitable job roles and responsibilities with providing the guidance about the
workforce culture premises.
Organizational Power
The organizational power is having the abilities to create the influencing environment
which can affect the behavior and attitude towards the stakeholder by which it can controlled
all activities and undertake authority of all compliances decision within the organization.
There is a type of power which influenced the organization decision making are as follows:
 Legitimate Power: This power is basically hold the position power where a particular
person holds in the context of delivering the suitable job roles and responsibilities
within the organization (Balwant, 2018).
 Expert Power: This power is emphasis about the knowledge having with experts
where they can utilize to implement the improvisation in the workforce as well in the
organization culture activity.
 Reward power: Reward Power is comprises from the ability of a person by which it
influence the allocation of appraising the incentives within the organization, these
incentives are related with the bonus, increment in the salary, promotional activities
and gaining the positive performance appraisal.
For the company of Walmart they having the reward power system from by which they
concerned the workforce productivity improvisation in terms of task accomplishment,
positive feedback which are favorable towards the organization, the main motive of reward
power is that it influence the employees for served the better workforce by which they can
enhanced the better performance of employees.

The above theories of Culture, politics and Power is having their different categories by
which they can influence the positive enhance work environment towards the organization
workforce as well as employees performance where the organizational culture focuses the
compliances oriented work which has to follow by employees, organization politics derives
the identification of potential ability which can handle the effective workforce in context of
group as well as individual activity and Organizational Power consists about the authority
influencing in the organization who can controlled all the activities and decision making for
the betterment of the company perspective (Barbaranelli and et. al., 2019).
TASK 2
P2 Evaluation of content and process theories of motivation in context of
Walmart
Motivation: It consists is the experience of the specific desire or objective to
accomplish with the some particular motive, a motivation has a both objective as well as
subjective aspect. There is theory of motivation which is compiled abk by McGregor where it
described about the role of motivation in managerial aspects such as in leadership,
coordination etc (Jacobs and Manzi, 2019).
Motivation has consists the two theories which explains about the function and key role in the
management aspects and business aspects:
Content Theory: It applies on those factors which can motivate to the people from
where they seek their goals and desire to satisfy their needs, content theory are also known as
theory needs theories because they are basically generates and reconnected on the importance
about motivates objectives or they help to provide the guidance to fin the right needs which
can related the objective and for that motivation helps to reach to meet up the expectation.
The role of content theory in organization helps to leads the satisfaction of the needs
where the Maslow Hierarchy Needs is considered towards the basic essential factors which
can fulfill the needs in right approach ways.
Maslow Hierarchy theory: This theory is emphasis about the best approaches of
attaining all the needs which are aspect into person’motive which includes the observation
and curiosity of human’s specific needs.

 Phycological Need: It is a concept of the major basic needs of human which is
necessary presence of human life to survival, where the psychological need
comprises about the focuses towards the internal motivation. It enhanced the needs
like food, shelter, water, clothes etc (Muchiri, Shahid and Ayoko, 2019).
 Safety needs: In the Maslow’s Hierarchy needs this is the major essential
productivity of security measures where every human being want in his or her life
weather it related to personal or professional life such as insurance, health measures,
allowances or other benefits which derives the long term satisfaction.
 Love and Belongings: This theory is also known as social belonging where after
the basic and safety needs the particular person having a desire to attaining love
from family, friends or at workplace by which it creates the self satisfaction but it
also derives about to self loving where a individual come across by the acceptance
of love and social welfare activities.
 Self Esteem: This is comprises about the self ego which satisfied the presence of
leadership or sense of accomplishment, the self esteem generates the image and
value of an individual person in the society as well as at workplace such as
achievements, getting appraised by someone who has power of authority etc.
 Self Actualization: This level of theory of Maslow’s is derives about the
achievement of the satisfactory position with realization of one’s full potential,
individual person having the unwanted desire which can not fulfilled until unless
that person not achieve his or her desirable goals where as it generates the
temptation of achieving more aims in the life.
As for above Maslow’s Hiearchy theory has play an important role in organization such
as in Walmart plc is retailer company where the employees having some sort of needs
where this company applies and fulfill the needs of particular workforce such as
Psychological needs help to allocating the basic needs which requires at workplace
proper hospitality, optimum resources and positive environment. Safety needs helps to
provide the assurance of employee at workplace in terms of ESIC, Provident fund,
insurance and allowances (Waterson, 2018). Social Needs are emphasis about the
loving and coordination of better environment within the workplace which can make
flexible the work culture. Self Esteem will provides the appraisal, rewards and other
factor which gives sense of accomplishment, similarly Self Actualization generates the

sense of achievements but as far it also allows to increase of temptation within the
organization.
Process Theory:
The process theory is an idea where it represent the influence power which can
change as well as improvised the entity where it only considered as theories in those on how
the work is happen, what strategies applies towards completion of task, while process
theories focuses on right approach of work completion with no errors to be evaluate.
There is a theory of process which is reacted to motivation theory as it emphasis about the
work attain in the right form of strategic approach the theory of and the theory of X and Y
where it consists about the effective motivation role influence in the workplace and
demotivation influence at workplace which is given below:
 Theory X: This theory describes about the significance of work which derives the
supervision, external rewards with the fines and heavy penalties where it focuses on
the lacking of work responsibilities and it implies towards the individuals goal
oriented not for group oriented such it highlight the less effective workforce at work
place (Alblas, Wijsman and van Noort, 2019).
 Theory Y: This theory emphasis about the hard worker employees and managers
those who are internally motivated as they satisfied with their job role and
responsibility by which these workforce are most valuable assets and effective
productivity towards the organization desirable goals as well as they are one of those
who doesn’t need the supervision they efforts generates the profitable towards the
company.
As for the organization perspective the best suitable motivation theory would be Theory Y
where the employees are effective and provides the productivity towards the organization as
the company called Walmart which is having implementation of both theory X and Y which
elaborate about proper supervision or training should be there in the organization which
generates the effective workforce where they going to provide the valuable productivity.
The above motivation theory is describing about its role in the organization as well as in what
perspective is need to be fulfill the needs and other work activities which are valuable
towards the organization goals as the Content and Process theory plays the important role in
the workforce activity as well as productivity which describes the effectiveness.

TASK 3
P3 Understanding of effective and ineffective team and their comparison
Team: A word team is derived the group where the people work together for specific
objective. It emphasis the differentiate skills and knowledge of various people by contribute
towards the goals and generates the energy that minimize the weakness and uncertainty as
well and increases the strength which helps to development in coordination. A team is
comprising the two source of Effective and Ineffective Team in context of organization
perspective are as follows:
 Effective Team: An effective team having a competence to achieving goal or
objective with the right approach of strategic tools and techniques, it derives the task
responsibilities is undertaken by the each member of team as well as it improvisation
into coordination.
 Ineffective team: An ineffective team is generally represent the less productivity
generates with not better coordination as inappropriate strategic approach, this
contains the conflict, negative competition and unfocused as with the high turnover in
distress objectives, poor communication and intolerance (Paull and Whitsed, 2018).
There is a differentiate between Effective team and Ineffective team
Effective Team Ineffective team
1. Effective Team is encourage and
respects the view points of team
mates by further they final
discussion among team member and
comes to final conclusion.
2. Creating suitable leadership which
emphasis of different leader of
people implement of new strategic to
building motivation (Larijani and
Saravi-Moghadam, 2018).
3. Appraising to the team mates efforts
by attaining sort of achievement in
aspect of common goal.
1. Ineffective Team is provides the
negative background for not
acceptance the view points of
teammates.
2. There would be lack of decision
making for not implement the right
strategic approach.
3. They would never appraised their
team members for attaining the part
of objectives as they would have a
common goal.
4. There would be lack of coordination
between them which reflects the not

4. By assessing own strategic process
which leads towards the goals and
allows to put some implementation
of performance which can improve
the work quality.
efficient the leadership skills can
attain the goal
Teamwork development theory
Developing in effective team is a crucial and a complex process their leaders and
managers have to take appropriate steps and actions to motivate the teammates towards
particular goals (Mansouri, Singh and Khan, 2018). One team development theory which is
suggested to Walmart leaders is Tuckman's team development theory. This theory was given
by Bruce Tuckman in 1965 which has five different stages and each please assist the leader of
the team to take appropriate actions for developing an effective team which works in most
potential manner for attaining the objective of the team. These different phases of team
development theory are explained below in context of Walmart.
 Forming- This first stage of developing and effective team where different
individuals belonging to to separate operational units are brought together and formed
into a group. The employees who are formed into a group holds different
characteristics and capabilities. The team members are uncomfortable at this stage as
they do not know each other and there is no clarity of task. The individuals are highly
dependent on the leaders at this stage to guide and direct them towards the right path.
The leaders are also responsible for answering all the questions and queries in the
mind of individuals about the team purpose.
 Storming- This second and the most difficult stage of developing a team, here several
conflicts are present amongst team members. the clarity of roles and responsibility
and the purpose of team is increased but still need more clarification. The leader's role
here is to increase the focus and concentration of employees towards the goal of team
and avoid any distractions created by emotional or relationship issues.
 Norming- The norming stage is there agreement and consensus begins to form
between the team members as the developed healthy environment and good
relationships among each other. Roles and responsibilities are clear and accepted by
different individuals according to their abilities and skills. Decisions army by the

agreement of the group which one another by using effective communication channels
to present there point of views and issues they are facing (Majumdar, 2018).
 Performing- This is the stage where employees are very clear about their tasks and
the team is most strategically aware about the mission and objective of the group.
This is the stage where all the team members work according to their roles and
responsibility for finishing the task in given time frame for accomplishing objective of
the team. Leader's role here is very simple as they just need to guide and supervise the
performance of their subordinates according to the requirement of the job.
 Adjourning- Some teens are made for permanent basis and some are made for
temporary basis for accomplishing a particular goal for completing a particular
project. Those teams Which are established for temporary basis false into the stage
there the teams are dissolved and individuals are sent back to their old positions in the
organisation. Leaders role here is to reward and appreciate the performances of
different individuals on the basis of their achievements and performance levels.
TASK 4
P4 Application of philosophies of organisational behaviour in Walmart
Organisational behaviour as described above is the study and survey of individual as
well as entire business performance which helps the leaders and managers to format and
developed different styles and their action plan in respect of their organisation and
subordinates. The leaders and leadership styles which are adopted by them plays a very
important role in motivating and influencing the behaviour of individuals. The purpose of
studying the behaviour of a particular company is to develop the long and short term
objectives of performance for the employees so as to attain all predetermined objectives. The
leadership styles which leader adorbs are according to the behaviour of individuals and the
particular organisation and as its structure. Walmart and leaders present on different level of
of the structure of organisation can make use of path goal theory of leadership for adopting
specific leadership styles for their teammates.
Path goal theory:
Path goal theory of leadership is basically a process in which leaders select specific
behaviours that are best suited to their employee’s needs and the working environment that is

the behaviour of organisation so that they can guide and supervise the workforce towards the
correct parts according to their duties and responsibilities (Friedmann, Garg and Holtbrügge,
2018). The theory of leadership physically and rotates around 3 small steps that is first
determining the employee and the environmental characteristics after that analyse and
evaluate appropriately for selecting a particular leadership style and at the end focus on the
motivational factors of the personnel which can help employee to succeed in their respective
job role. There are four different leadership styles which determine the behaviour of leaders
and can be adopted by managers or leaders of Walmart for guiding and developing a
particular path for their employees. These leadership styles are as follows:
 Directive leadership- The leaders adopting directive leadership style informs and
directs there followers about what is expected of them and how the need to from their
tasks by coordinating their work. This full form of leadership style is adopted by
Walmart leader when any newcomer or new employee is recruited in the organisation.
As the lack clarity about the company and its behaviour it is important for leaders to
guide them properly which will also motivate them in a positive manner.
 Participative leadership- The leaders whose behaviour is of participative kind always
consider the opinion of their followers. Other words participated leaders always
consult with their teammates before meeting any decision and involve them in
decision making. This form of leadership style can be adopted by leaders of Walmart
when they are confident and fully informed about the knowledge and capabilities of
the subordinates. This will motivate employees and increase their engagement level in
organisation also show the productivity of company will increase as employees will
take more innovative and productive approach to perform their duties.
 Supportive leadership- This form of leadership behaviour refers to the concern and
priority of leaders given to their subordinates. Supportive leader makes work plan for
the teammates and shows huge concern for them keeping in mind about their needs
and desires. This is more of a friendly approach which is adopted by leaders and it is
most effective in the situation where responsibility given to the employees are very
challenging. In case of any emergency or challenging situation Walmart leaders can
make use of supportive leadership styles to motivate employees and showing them the
organisation is also with them which will enhance their productivity as employees
will be working more potentially putting more hard work while performing their jobs.

 Achievement leadership- This behaviour of a leader reflects there approach of setting
challenging goals for real followers and expecting them to perform their highest level
of productivity for attaining the objective and completing the challenge (Waterson,
2018). The leaders show all their confidence and trust towards their employees and
their abilities which increases the staff to meet the expectations of the leaders and
ultimately organisation. This is one of the most suitable leadership style for Walmart
leaders as they can make use of it for increasing the sales of company by encouraging
and setting challenging objectives for the sales teams.
CONCLUSION
The above report is based on organisational behaviour and summarises that the
behaviour of individuals that is employees and different teams associated and exist in the
organisation effects the overall productivity and objective of the company. It is very
important for organisation to have an effective culture power and politics structure so that
employees can be motivated in positive manner for performing with their potential abilities in
order to attain all organisational goals in respective time frame. Process and content theories
of motivation are used by leaders of organisation to enhance the encouragement level of the
teams and subordinates. More over documents in development theory is suggested for
developing an effective team and accordingly path goal theory is used by leaders to adopt
particular leadership styles according to the behaviour of individuals and their motivation
factors.

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