Analysing Ethical Leadership, Practices, and Impact at Woolworths

This essay provides an analysis of ethical leadership within Woolworths, an Australian company known for its ethical practices. It explores the qualities of the organization's leadership, such as integrity, honesty, transparency, fairness, and sustainability. The essay also discusses the impact of different management and leadership styles, including autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire, on the organization. Furthermore, it examines the leadership's decision-making processes, focusing on communication, motivation, and control within the organization. The analysis highlights Woolworths' commitment to ethical practices, stakeholder value, environmental sustainability, and employee education, concluding that a democratic leadership style fosters efficiency and effectiveness while promoting ethical conduct. The essay also references Woolworths' initiatives like the ombuds process and sustainability efforts.

ANALYSE ETHICAL LEADERSHIP 0
Ethical leadership
Student’s name
2/6/2019

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Contents
Introduction of the project..........................................................................................................2
Ethics..........................................................................................................................................2
WOOLWORTHS – Introduction and ethical standards & practices.........................................2
Discussion 1............................................................................................................................2
Discussion 2............................................................................................................................2
Discussion 3............................................................................................................................3
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................3
References..................................................................................................................................4

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Introduction
This project is all about finding the ethical practices in an organisation that can be example of
best-case model for other business organisations. For this, I have chosen WOOLWORTHS in
Australia who work on good ethics and practices for analysing ethical leadership in an
organisation. In this project, the qualities of the organisations leadership are discussed, that is
integrity, honesty, transparency, fairness, sustainability etc. An effect of different
management and leadership styles on an organization and these are autocratic, democratic
and laissez faire. The leadership’s decisions which is about communication between people,
motivation among people, and control of activities within an organization are discussed.
Ethics
Ethics is a word originated from the Greek word ‘Ethikos’ which means arising from habit. It
is a moral principle, which governs what is morally right and wrong. Similarly, ethical
leadership is a leadership in which an individual has its obligations, to maintain integrity,
trust, dignity and fairness in the organization.
Woolworths – Introduction and ethical standards & practices
Woolworths is one of the leading Australian company. It is the leading private employer in
Australia. It has more than 3000 stores in Australia and New Zealand and offers employment
to about 180,000 people (WHL18, 2018)
Discussion 1 Qualities of organization’s leadership:
Integrity: In this manual, Woolworth defined its set of rules to conduct business with their
customers. The guidelines help the members of Woolworths to take decisions in a tough
situation. They may face in day-to-day execution of the business and help them to satisfy
their customer with its services.
Woolworths ombuds process: This process acquainted freedom to employees to disclose any
information without fear, if he believes malpractices, unethical and unsavoury happenings in
the organization for the sake of prevention of any future ramifications.
Environment protection & sustainability: Woolworths arranges better working environments
for its workers protect the basic social privileges and guarantee complete security of its close
environment. They work to uphold sustainability by undertaking the correct thing in a correct
manner as a result that wrong activities are averted. A new vision has developed in the fight
between Woolworths and Coles as mutually chains flash to execute determined new

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sustainability and environment objectives amidst growing burden from clients to cut down on
unwanted or wastes (Mitchell, 2018).
Education: An organization endeavours to maintain and invite the master ship or talent,
develop skills or expertise and capabilities, guarantee worthy delivery facilities and confirm
importance and obligation and arranges training programmes (Mather, 2018). The company
improves a optimistic approach towards the questions and recommendations of its
stakeholders and attempt to integrate these recommendations so that it is competent to keep
its stakeholders (woolworths, 2019)
Discussion 2 impact of leadership and managerial styles:
There is positive impact of the leadership and management styles on Woolworths. There are
different Leadership styles named as autocratic, democratic and laissez faires. It has been
observed that the chief executive officer said “creating better experiences together” as it
expressed that they follow the democratic style of leadership. In this style the superior
concern about subordinates and consider them in the decision making process of the
organisation as it improves the performance of the employees and creating efficiency on an
organisation that will completely embraced the effective leadership styles (Igbaekemen &
Odivwri, 2015).
Discussion 3 leadership’s decision:
In Woolwoths, the leaders communicated their decisions about the company to subordinates
as they follow democratic style of leadership, which motivates them to work effectively and
efficiently and helps to control the unethical activities in an organisation and work towards
the ethical practices or work (woolworths group, 2018)

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Conclusion
It is concluded that ethics and its practices plays vital role in maintaining effective leadership
in an organization. Woolworths limited focuses of maintaining its ethics and stakeholder’s
value and it can distinguish itself opportunity the others in the different market. The key areas
where an organisation emphasis include environment sustainability, integrity,
ombudsprocess, educating employees of an organisation, and employed within the outline of
society and others. For an efficient and effective working, the democratic style of leadership
is followed which directly influence the organisation and retain employees for longer period.
The superiors in Woolworths communicated the organization’s decisions to employees or
subordinates, which enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of an organisation and helps in
controlling the unethical activities in an organisation and work towards the achievement of
goals through effective leadership.

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References
Deigh, J. (2010). Introduction to ethics. UK: Cambridge university press.
Igbaekemen G., & Odivwri J. (2015). Impact of Leadership Style on Organization
Performance: A Critical Literature Review. Retrieved from:
https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/impact-of-leadership-style-on-
organization-performance-a-critical-literature-review-2223-5833-
1000142.php?aid=58909
Leigh, A. (2013). Ethical leadership. US: Kogan page limited.
Mather, J. (2018). Woolworths faces shareholders resolution over labour rights. Retrieved
from:
https://www.afr.com/personal-finance/superannuation-and-smsfs/woolworths-
faces-shareholder-resolution-on-labour-rights-20181109-h17q91
Mitchell, (2018). Woolworths and Coles vying for leadership in sustainability. Retrieved
from: https://www.afr.com/business/retail/woolworths-and-coles-vying-for-
leadership-in-sustainability-20180601-h10vio
WHL18, (2018). Social and ethics committee report. Retrieved from:
https://www.woolworthsholdings.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/WHL_20
18_Social_and_Ethics_Committee_Report.pdf
Woolworths group, (2018). An annual report. Retrieved from:
https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/icms_docs/195396_annual-report-
2018.pdf
Woolworths group, (2019). A business built on integrity. Retrieved from:
https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/about-us/

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