Woolworths Company: Motivation, Engagement & Change Management Study

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of Woolworths' organizational behavior, focusing on employee motivation, engagement, and change management strategies. It examines organizational behaviors that enhance motivation, such as effective leadership, incentives, training, and adequate salaries, and how these behaviors serve the company's goals and strategies, referencing Maslow's hierarchy of needs and McClelland's principles. The report also explores Woolworths' approach to large-scale change, including planning strategies, open communication, and feedback mechanisms. Recommendations are provided to boost motivation, engagement, and performance improvement, as well as to effectively handle large-scale change within the organization. Desklib offers similar essays and resources for students.

RUNNING HEADER: Management
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Woolworths retail store
Background information of the organization
Generally, Woolworth is large retail organization dealing with supply of different commodities in
Botswana. The company has operated more than 850 stores and it has been in position to employ more
than 35,000 staff. The company operates in almost all parts in Botswana. There are different branches
controlled from the central part of the organization although each branch has its own distinct hierarchy
apparent. The head of each branch is the one who is responsible for the overall performance of the
stores (Cherian & Jacob,2013).Then there is the senior manager in the organization that is responsible
for the overall day to day operations in the company. He is the one who does functions such as; staff
rotas, stock control and cashing of the money at the end of a certain activity within a day. Most of the
workers employed in the company are middle aged. Management delegate’s work to the workers
employed depending on the level of competency and experience. At the bottom of the hierarchy there
are normal students who work for part times and most of them attend evening jobs. The company gives
normal jobs to students who just go there for finance gain other than persuing career in retail.
Management in Woolworths is informal since management staff is mostly selected from the workers
available. Through this concept then it is difficult to enhance effect communication through the
subordinates and also no aspect of innovation and creativity in the organization. Also, most of the staff
selected to join the management body lacked the adequate knowledge regarding the employee
motivation and engagement skills.
In the discussion, the report indicates some of the key concepts that have been selected to address and
describe the overall working in Woolworths Company limited. Some of the aspects discussed in the
report in; employee motivation and engagement, the effects of culture and also the issue of change
exhibited in the Woolworths Company (Mone London,2018).
1. Motivation, engagement and performance improvement
Basically, the issue of motivating, engagement and performance improvement plays a key role in a
business enterprise. In the Woolworths Company the three aspects work hand in hand. When a business
organization fails in applying the appropriate methods to enhance the aspect of motivation,
engagement and performance improvement it is difficult to meet the stipulated goals and strategies
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needed. In order to address the three concept the report tries to analyse some of the organizational
behaviours exhibited by the Woolworths company, the goals and strategies achieved and also
appropriate recommendations which will try to enlighten the company for future benefits
(Robinson,2013).
a. Organizational behaviours in the organization that enhances motivation, engagement and
performance improvement.
From the annual reports revealed by the Woolworths organization, it’s clear that the company has
employed much effort on enhancing the motivation, employee engagement and performance
improvement. Some of the organization behaviour aspects which have induced the issue of motivation,
employee engagement and performance improvement in the Woolworths are; effective leadership ,use
of incentives ,training the staff and giving adequate salaries depending on the competency level (Jackson
& McNamara,2013).
The issue of incentive determines the employee morale. Through the improved morale in the
organization, employees will be enough to put more efforts in their lines of duty. Woolworths Company
knows that unless workers are motivated and encouraged through effective engagement then the
overall performance will deteriorate. The company realised that keeping someone working is the major
goal that can enhance production level. All branches in the organization worked for application of
effective motivation and engagement procedures (Alderman, 2013).
On another the concept of training and selection is another behavior exhibited by the Woolworths
organization. From the Organization catalogue one can identify the entire procedure followed until one
is fully recruited in the organization. Training enhances employee’s development thus affecting the
production level in the organization.
Also, the use of effective leaders and adequate salaries indicates key organizational behavior
procedures. When an organization lacks effective leaders then it will be difficult to achieve the goals and
strategies stipulated (Alderman, 2013). The company has tried all the best to ensure there is effective
leadership .In addition, all the workers in the company are satisfied with the salary and that’s why the
production level has been increasing for the last five years.
b. How the current OB of the organization are serving the goals and strategies.
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Woolworth’s organization focuses on the important procedures that align to the goals and objectives. In
order to achieve the stipulated goals and strategies, the OB concepts are paying many efforts on key
procedures that will facilitate the motivation and engagement processes.
The company recognizes the needs of individuals and that’s why they adjust the payments on regular
basis. When management cares for the needs and desires of employees it will be easy to access
feedback necessary in production level (Alderman, 2013). The management applies effective behaviors
which cater for satisfaction of the workers. Through satisfaction the company has achieved the goals
and objectives outlined in the business catalogue. The management has been using the effective
Maslow’s concept such as the Hierarchy of needs thus enhancing the production output.
Also, Woolworths Company utilizes the McClelland’s principles thus achieving the goals and objectives.
There are selection and training programs that help inducing new skills to employees thus achieving
business strategies and objectives. Management uses the principles described by the McClelland’s thus
being in position to understand the entire profile of employees in the workplace. Therefore, issue of
employee development has facilitated achievement of goals and strategies described by the company
(Guest, 2014).
Managers and departmental heads have utilized the MBO styles which helps increasing the competency
level (Guest, 2014).The model advocates for aspects of satisfaction within the organization. When
organization uses the MBO styles, then overall production increases since the whole hierarchy in the
organization is motivated and therefore the production output increases.
c. Recommendations to boost on motivation, engagement and performance improvement.
There are number of ways in which the organization can improve on the three aspects. Basically, for the
business organization to succeed then it’s crucial to consider the motivation and engagement level.
Therefore, the Woolworths need to have adequate knowledge on key factors that will facilitate
motivation(Guest,014).There are number of factors which acts as motivators in business .The
management need to check the contributing motivating factor that is needed by the employees in the
workplace. Encouraging employee engagement is also a source of motivation in business enterprise thus
helping in realizing goal and objectives outlined by the organization.
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Also, managers in Woolworths enterprise should ensure there is effective control and all employees
comply with the rules and terms needed in working areas. When the staffs are assigned more
responsibilities, then it will be easy to achieve the goals and strategies of the organization. Assigning
duties is a source of motivation in the organization since workers will have to concentrate on the
appropriate line of operation.
In addition, Woolworth’s enterprise need to take advantage on the incentives provided so as to enhance
the motivation level. Inducing the issue of incentive methods in the company will assist in realizing the
performance objectives .Therefore, through the concept of employee engagement workers will be in
position to meet together on regular basis and therefore communicate on goals and objectives of the
enterprise. Meetings are source of considerable motivational aspects in any organization and that’s why
Woolworths need to embrace the concept (Su& Cheng, 2015).
2. Dealing with large scale change.
Change is the key aspect which determines the transition from one from to the other. All the systems in
organization are used when a change is needed. In Woolworths company almost 43% of change
initiatives that don’t work at all. The failure is associated with negative attitudes and unproductive
management in the company. The other portion that’s 53 % succeeds due to different ways. The
discussion analyses the organizational behaviors that will assist in handling change in the organization
(Conn, Gould, &Toint, 2013).
A.Organizational behavior used when dealing with large scale change.
In order to deal with the changes incurred in Woolworths there are number of OB that have been used.
All the factors induces new concepts and ideas that help the organization to realize the intended
purpose in the marketplace. Some of the organizational behavior practices used in Woolworths
organization are;
Use of effective planning strategies that help to analyses changes incurred in different sections of the
organization. Generally, no positive change realized in the organization without use of apt procedures of
planning process. Different authors have discussed that organization has to plan on change models that
will work to reduce risk and maximize the concept of profit or returns. Woolworths always conducts
research that help to eradicate the barriers that will tend to deter the change progress (Conn, Gould,
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&Toint, 2013).Eliminating all the potentials hindering the progress in the organization will be achieved
through use of effective procedures. Managers in Woolworths firm shows that there are effective
methods used by the organization that helps in eradicating misunderstanding predicarments.Planning in
Woolworths is facilitated by use of open communication which has raised the employee engagement
process.
There is also the issue of feedback which determines the large scale change. In Woolworths Company
there are steps and procedures followed that target to ensure workers meet the required job standards.
The evaluation process carried out in the company gives positive results on the level of adjustment. The
effects of feedback are to provide apt results that will determine the motivation and change rate in the
organization (Conn, Gould, &Toint, 2013).
In addition, Woolworths Company is in position to measure the change. Different organization has
different ways of measuring change. For example, Woolworths is in position to measure the willingness
of employees to adjust to certain behaviors (Efron, 2012). It shows that the firm uses the survey
methods which evaluate the opinions revealed by the workers. Most of the methods used to evaluate
the opinions of workers are the determinants on concepts of implementation. Therefore, it shows that
Woolworths undertakes constant evaluation and testing that assists in fostering a positive change thus
allowing the organization to utilize the employment input effectively and efficiently (Liu& Meng, 2013).
B.How current OB on change management is serving the strategy and goals
The current OB controls the organization the following ways;
There is mobilization of the leaders in Woolworth’s enterprise. The organization has a business plan that
will always control the implementation of the change once it’s expected in the organization.
Woolworths has been planning for the changes and that’s why it has employed more than 100
supervisors who walk from a branch to another analyzing the changes incurred. The changes
experienced in the organization are always communicated to all stakeholders dealing with the
organization (Jones, 2013).
Employees are in position to set goals and objectives through the use measurement criteria used in
change management. In Woolworths Company, employees are in position to see the key roles they
usually play when achieving the objectives and goals of the organization. Woolworths need to
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communicate the level of production thus able to define the change anticipated or expected in the
organization.
Also articulating on challenges and finding key influencers facilitates the achievement of goals and
objectiveness. Woolworths provides a panel to discuss the challenges that may hinder the development
rates (Huntjens, Lebel,Pahl-Wostl,Camkin,Schulze, & Kranz, 2012).Through the process the company
realizes the goals efficiently. There are key influencer in the company which serves as a figure in
achieving the goals and strategies of the organization.
Sustainable and motivational recommendations on dealing with change.
Following are some of the recommendations that will help Woolworths company to handle large scale
change.
The company should define the change and align it to the key procedures and goals. It is good to
articulate the change then carry out a critical review on the organizational goals and objectives. At this
level of defining the change there are a lot of why questions which need to be answered before
proceeding to the other step of change implementation (Vitousek,Loope & Westbrooks,2017).Defining
the change in business helps in quantifying the inputs and efforts that is needed before investment.
There is need to determine the effect of the change and those who are affected by the change. After the
company has realised on what to do then the other step is to analyze the impacts of the change to the
goals and objectives of the firm.
Developing a communication strategy also applies in change management. All employees in organization
should be communicated on how to handle the change. Every channel of communication should be
characterized with the timeline and the message needed.
Training the staff and implementing on support structure will assist in inducing a change (Fullan,
2012). Effective training will induce skills and knowledge that is required to control the functioning of
the change. The training procedures can either be on the job training, workshop training or through face
to face method. Implementing support structure will help the subordinates to adjust to required change
thus assisting in building the proficient behaviors within the organization.
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Lastly, organizations should measure the change process incurred. Putting up effective structure will
determine the progress of the change within the organization (Newburn, Shiner & Young,
2013). Management should reinforce on emerging opportunities thus enhancing the proficiencies within
the wokplace.Also, change plan need to be evaluated so as to detect any progress or to detect the
effectiveness.
3. Culture
Organization culture refers to the company’s philosophy and values that determine the employee’s
behavior aspects in order to interact with the business environment and meet its future expectations. It
I mostly based on various hared beliefs, norms and customs that define the habits and behavior in the
entire company (Aubry, Sicotte, Drouin, Vidot-Delerue, & Besner, 2012). Organization culture directly
influences the behavior aspects of workers in the firm. It has an effects on how individuals interact with
each other in the firm and influences how workers identify with the organization.
Basically organization culture affects behavior in several ways;
It has a guiding role. Various organizational culture practices impact the setting of future goals and also
usually target the objectives set by individual empoyees.The objectives clearly set by this particular
company allow the employees to appreciate high value and inspire the existing desire of company
success (Broséus et al, 2016). The management of Woolworths company practice the utilization of
culture perspectives through limiting individual employee’s behaviour.This is through setting of
constraints directives and setting standards code of core ethics. Woolworths has set clear rules and
regulations in order to ensure appropriate behavior is accomplished.
The company has also practiced cohesiveness practice of cultural aspect. This is done to ensure
employees recognize then value for the company to make it social glue.as a result of this OB practice the
workers will acquire a sense of loyalty for the company (Cadden, Marshall, & Cao,2013).
It also practices the aspect of cultural incentives. This involves ways in which enterprise cultures have a
behavioral impact which enables workers acquire a fore head emotionally. This ensures that they look
for the sense to operate and establish social behavior. Through this practice, the employees will be able
to form common values and behaviors.
Training to acquire good leaders
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Typically, Woolworths Company utilize organizational culture to ensure behavior through training
various managers in order to ensure efficient leadership management. This practice will enhance
decision making process making managers to have the capability of confronting complex problematic
issues (Carlström, & Ekman, 2012). Evidently, an effective leader’s success is dependent on several
aspects like knowledge, skills and level of understanding of the company culture.
In summary Woolworths carries out the following practices to maximize on its organization culture and
instill positive behavior change in the company
• Training and advancement
• Performance management– including worker objectives/goals and key outcomes; consistent
criticism discussions; one-on-one week by week or quarterly input sessions; execution assessments; and
acknowledgment, gratefulness, and festivities.
• Use of effective internal communication
• Technology advancements like social media, marketing applications
It also carries out high promotion of innovative practices
It also ensures that employees undergoes additional recognition and reward practices
Woolworths Company is also interested in investing resources to learn, train and increase workers’
knowledge (Colledge et al, 2011). As an Extraordinary organizations, it knows about that reality and it
never stop to put resources into their workers. It is valuable for both the company and a worker in the
personal dimension.
Acknowledgment and thankfulness for culture diversity
A culturally diverse workforce is valuable. It adds to the gathering distinctive dialects and social
comprehension. Also, existing diversity furnishes the organization with a bigger assortment of
perspectives and ways to deal with issues, bringing about the more proficient execution of activities.
Also it has the ability to show the workers how to approach different societies and conquer
obstructions, abilities so fundamental in the advanced globalized world (Cosh, Fu, & Hughes, 2012).
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Advancement of moral and becoming legally sensitive
Getting the workers associated with some obscure business squashes assurance and causes feelings of
anxiety to soar. As a decent organization, Woolworth’s retail business will dependably demonstrate that
it is ethically and legitimately touchy.
Maintaining that workers are in a comfortable environment
The Company workers should have a conducive an agreeable working environment in the event that
they should give reliable outcomes.
B.Extent to achieve Organization goals
In order to achieve future company goals, Woolworths have gone to an extent to design a safe and
healthy working environment in terms of facilities, layout and structure to produce a safe and
comfortable working environment (Eshlaghy, Mashayekhi, Rajabzadeh, & Razavian, 2010).
It has also gone to an extent of having goal transparency.
Objective setting helps everybody, people as well as in full scale, for example, the organization. At the
point when there's a reasonable objective ahead, all representatives and initiative know what the
motivation behind their work is. Such kind of behavioral practices gives center around what's the most
imperative and conveys clearness to basic leadership, bringing about better administration of time and
assets.
The extent of putting an emphasis on the future strategic position of the company
Putting accentuation on the future implies that there's an incredible vision, or suppose a fantasy, in
what capacity will the organization develop and change.
Use of teamwork orientation strategies
Making Progressively Significant value statements or Articulations
The extent of looking at the illogical side. Numerous associations today are moving far from qualities
based basic leadership for enormous information and examination. In this case Woolworths Company
has not been left behind as it has gone to a greater extent of utilizing big data and analytics strategies.
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Evidently, without hard information the company need to fall back on something to fill in as guide for
activity action (Mohr, Young, & Burgess, 2012).
c.Recommendation
The fowling guidelines can be set as recommendations for Woolworths Company to promote cultural
change and behavior.
Woolworth’s retail business sought to plan a clear strategic vision. Apparently, this particular long term
vision provides the need intention and offers the company direction for future change.
Woolworths Company should also show top management commitment in order to achieve goals. The
top executive’s managers of this company should highly be in favor of culture change so as to establish
the changes required within the company.
It should design model culture change at the top levels. It is crucial that the ultimate behavior portrayed
by the management must indicate the types of values and necessary behaviors that ought to be realized
in the business (Øvretveit, Hansson, & Brommels, 2010). These change agents are the keys to achieving
success. They also contribute to communication of new values.
The firm should be efficiently modified to aid and accommodate organizational change. This will include
core opportunities like identification of upcoming systems, policies enacted, procedures required and
regulations which must be changed in order to ensure proper conformity with the underlying desired
cultural values. This will make the company achieve its goals in promoting organizational behavior.
It should also establish ethical and legal sensitivity. This is through acknowledgement regarding of
employees ethical behaviors in order to promote change and active involvement.
Others include;
1. Embrace straightforwardness.
2. Recognize and compensate profitable commitments.
3. Cultivate solid associate connections.
4. Embrace and motivate worker self-governance.
5. Practice adaptability.
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6. Communicate reason and energy.
4. Organizational Structure
It is important to clearly understand the organizational behavior as an integral part of success in
Woolworth’s retail business. In this case it can be defined as any kind of employee or staff behavior
which is generated from both structure and culture of the firm. Top managers are able to influence
appropriate behavior and ensure positive change.
For example an effective way is through designing education programs which teach workers to solve
difficulties (Salmén, Olsson, Stevanic, Simonović, & Radotić, 2011). This is a way of increasing employee’s
performance through OB modification.
The following are Organizational behavior practices that Woolworths Company is undertaking regarding
its structure. Structure involves how various tasks in a company are grouped and coordinated in order to
clarify roles and responsibilities of each particular employee.
Planning
Woolworths Company is designing work plan which is aimed at minimizing risks and optimize on returns.
The retail business is accomplishing this through conducting rese4cag in order to identify constraints of
positive change in the workplace, it is assisting workers to identify their own personal biases and
regarding colleagues so as to reduce misunderstanding and create open structural communication.
Creating feedback sessions.
Woolworths Company utilize the evaluation system in order to ensure that employees meet the
required work standards. It has an annual evaluation technique that fosters positive change in the
structure (Scott, Mannion, Davies, & Marshall, 2018). It results to better motivation and change. The
workers who have been trained to take into account the positive change of their personal change will
think and act on ensuring structure change occurs positively.
Use of group thinking
The company is utilizing collective knowledge practices in order to reduce the margins of error. Workers
who are bonded by a common identity and purpose have the highest likelihood to unite and implement
efficient organization structure.
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