Analyzing Woolworths' Organizational Structure and its Impact

This essay critically examines the organizational structure of major Australian organizations, focusing on Woolworths, a leading supermarket chain. It highlights the importance of organizational structure in achieving company goals, particularly in human resource management and overall strat...Read More

Fundamentals of Management
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Contents
Essay................................................................................................................................................3
References........................................................................................................................................8
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Essay
The essay provided below critically focuses on the organizational structure that is
currently being followed in the major Australian organizations. In order to complete the essay,
the researcher has taken into consideration the organizational operations of Woolworths.
Woolworths is one of the biggest supermarkets in the Australian industry and serves around 10
million customers. The company enjoys the strategic advantage of around 405 of the total
market share in the Australian industry. It should be noted that that company not only conducts
sustainable operations in the industry but also makes sure that the customers of the company are
satisfied as well. It has been identified that one of the most important constraints that help the
company to ensure effective growth and success in the industry is the organizational structure
that is currently being adopted by the company. It should be noted that organizational structure is
not only critical for a growing company but also for a company that is a big player in the market.
It should be noted that the organizational structure helps the company to get the insights and
guidance on the clarity of human resource goals and the organizational goals as well. It should be
noted that besides the learning organization, it is also important that the manager should pay
emphasis towards the learning organization in order to ensure sustainable growth in the industry
(Baldwin, 2016). It is also important that the manager of the company should maintain a formal
structure in the organizational behaviours as well in order to enhance the learning organizational
structure.
The education groups can be referred to as an organization which ensures that the
knowledge of each and every employee is enhanced and new ideas in the company are
effectively developed such that the company might be able to enhance their productivity. The
learning organization gathers its knowledge by the means of experience and implements
innovation such that new ideas and thoughts can be put into the process in order to cope up with
the fast and rapidly changing environment of the industry. The learning organisation is majorly
influenced by the adaptability and dynamism. In the case of Woolworths, the organisational
structure of the company effectively and efficiently creates an environment which can be utilised
by the company such that the employees and the organisation as well can ensure continuous
learning from experience and the research that has been conducted in the industry. This
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implementation and thinking of new ideas also help the company to effectively face the
challenges that are faced in the organisational environment and this also inspires critical
thinking. Apart from this, this organisational culture also helps the company to give value to the
contribution made by the employee in the company and stimulate the learning by the means of
research and experience (Bunea et. al., 2016). This also helps them to include the new ideas in
day to day work of the employees. This organisation has been adopted by Woolworths as this
structure helps the company in gaining the competitive edge in the industry.
It has been witnessed that Woolworths is highly committed towards continuous
development, accountability and honesty in the industry. It has also been found that the
organisation does not indulge in any kind of misconduct and collaboratively with its trade
partners such that it might be able to gain the competitive edge in the industry. The company
keeps experimenting their strength such that it might be able to enlarge their market share and
ensure smooth functioning as well. In order to ensure this, the learning organisational structure of
the company has aided it well in the same. The main aim of the company is to concentrate
effectively and efficiently on its long-term and a mutually beneficial partnership such that it
might be able to ensure that its customers get high quality of services and they have a long-
lasting partnership with the company in order to smoothly run the organisational functions (Kim
et. al., 2015). There are various other advantages that the company has received since the
adoption of learning organisational structure which has effectively and efficiently helped
Woolworths to effectively face the competition in the industry.
One of the most critical advantages that are received from the learning organisation
which not only helps the company in facilitating continuous growth but also adapt with the
disruptions that might be faced in the industry is the innovation in the company. This innovation
allows the organisation to deal with the outside factors which might imply a negative impact on
the operational efficiency of Woolworths. It is important for the company to effectively keep in
mind that in order to indulge innovation in the organisational structure, it is required that the
management of the organisation should take certain important steps as well such as employee
encouragement, brainstorming meetings, collaborating with employees, indulging employees in
decision making etc. This also helps the employees to get a sense of belongings in the company
and they might be able to contribute more ideas to the success of the company. This also helps in
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development of a sense of leadership among the employees of the company. Thus it can be said
that the concept of learning organisation helps in creation of creative concepts into reality.
Another major advantage that is received from the indulging the concept of learning
organisation in the organisational structure of Woolworths is the knowledge sharing. It should be
noted that the important department of the company such as production, HR, sales, finance etc.
all revolve around the information that is circulated within the office. This allows the managers
of the company to give full access of the information to the employees of the organisation which
further helps them in getting hands of the content that is required by them in order to effectively
undertake their jobs. This also enables the employees of the Woolworths to get deeper insights
on the understanding of the corporate challenges, goals and objectives which helps the
management of the company to ensure that each and every employee is working on the same
wavelength and playing a critical role in the improvement of the company (Klinge, 2015).
Another added and essential advantage that is received from the learning organisation in
Woolworths is team sharing. It has been witnessed that since the adoption of this new
organisational structure the teamwork in the company has increased significantly which is
reflected in the improved profits of the organisation. This not only helps the employees of the
company to work in a collaborative manner in order to achieve the organisational goals but also
helps them to increase their performance such that they might be able to achieve their personal
goals as well. Thus further enhances the problem solving that takes place in the company
whenever the organisation might have to face the challenges and issue put by the external
environment.
Strengthening of the community at Woolworths is also an advantage that the organisation
achieved with the concept of a learning organisation. The sense of contribution to the
organisational goals and decision making enables the employees of the company to get a sense of
pride. This sense of pride helps in boosting the organisational performance. The employees that
have put their essential input in the success of the company will effectively get promoted which
might help them in personal as well as professional development.
It should be noted that the idea of learning organisation has been effectively developed
through the systems thinking. This framework is conceptual in nature which allows the people to
effectively undertake the study of business with the business bounded objects. Woolworths take
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use of this framework when assessing the important information about the company and this also
allows the manager of Woolworths to measure the performance of the organisation and its
various components along with the performance of its competitors in the industry. In the concept
of systems thinking, the main aim of the organisation is to state all the characteristics which can
help the company to be a learning organisation. It is important for the company to fulfil and have
included each and every characteristic less it might fall short to be a learning organisation. It has
also been identified in case of Woolworths that after the adaptation of a learning organisation,
the behaviour of the employees of the organisation has not only changed into a positive manner
but also this has enabled the company to adapt with the highly volatile environment of the
industry. Thus it can be said that the organisational learning is the aspect which takes place
among the individuals that work in the company (Nguyen, 2018). It should be noted that the
learning organisation does not rely on the ad hoc or passive process. The process of learning
organisation does not happen by the means of serendipity or as a by-product of the normal work.
In Woolworths, it has been found that it actively engages in various promotional activities,
rewards and collaborative learning. It can thus be said that due to the adoption of concept of e-
learning in the organisational structure of Woolworths, the company has not only achieved the
competitive edge in the industry, but it also has effectively increased their productivity and the
satisfaction of the employees.
Though there are various advantages in the learning organisation. It should be noted that
this organisational culture has various drawbacks too which negatively impacts the development
of the company in the competitive industry. These disadvantages can also be termed as the
barriers that might have to be faced by learning organisation. It is important for the company to
make sure that these issues are not faced by the company as this might imply a negative impact
on the image of the organisation (Ortenblad, 2015). The major drawback that might be faced by
Woolworths is the resistance to change. It should be noted that the organisation has been in
existence for a long time due to which at times the company might have to face some issues
while transforming itself into a learning organisation. This adaptability of change requires much
time which is not possible with an instance. Due to this rigid organisational structure, the
company at times have to lose out on the competitive edge in the market which also impacts the
image of the company in a negative manner. Apart from this, it has also been found that in the
case of learning organisation there are instances when the issues of the management and
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employees take over the learning process. This not only hampers the development of the
organisation in the industry but also impacts the productivity of the firm in the market
(Caccioppe, 2017). Also, the employees of the company might require changing and adapting
with the organisational change process. It is this important that for the company and the
employees to effectively change, it is important for the company to know about the process and
steps that should be taken which can help them to adapt with the changing environment.
Thus from the analysis presented above, it can be said that in order to be a learning
organisation, it is important for the company that the company should constantly keep working
and articulating on the adoption of new ideas and innovation such that the company might be
able to improve its performance in the business environment. It is required that the company
should also develop an action plan which enables the company to measure the outcome of the
process before and after the adoption of the new organisational structure. This can be stated as
the difference between the expectations and reality. It is also important for the management of
Woolworths to collaborate in such a manner so that the company might be able to keep its focus
on the building leadership qualities in the organisation such that it is effectively and efficiently
able to align with the vision and mission of the business. The major disadvantage of adopting a
learning organisation is the inability of employees to deal with change. In order to ensure the
same, the management of Woolworths has been recommended by the company that it should
implement the change process slowly (Zineldin, 2015). This would not only help the employees
to get in ease with the change but would also not disrupt the essential operations of the company.
in order to help employees, it is the duty of the manager of the company to give them proper
training as well.
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References
 Baldwin, M. (2016). Social work, critical reflection and the learning organization.
Routledge.
 Bunea, A., Dinu, G., & Popescu, D. M. (2016). Organizational Learning versus the
Learning Organization–Emerging Concepts Enhancing the Leadership Role. Valahian
Journal of Economic Studies, 7(4), 57.
 Cacioppe, R. L. (2017). Integral mindflow: A process of mindfulness-in-flow to enhance
individual and organization learning. The Learning Organization, 24(6), 408-417.
 Kim, J., Egan, T., & Tolson, H. (2015). Examining the dimensions of the learning
organization questionnaire: a review and critique of research utilizing the DLOQ. Human
Resource Development Review, 14(1), 91-112.
 Klinge, C. M. (2015). A conceptual framework for mentoring in a learning
organization. Adult learning, 26(4), 160-166.
 Nguyen, N. (2018). Book review: Handbook of research on the learning organization:
Adaptation and context.
 Örtenblad, A. (2015). Towards increased relevance: context-adapted models of the
learning organization. The Learning Organization, 22(3), 163-181.
 Zineldin, M. (2015). Information Technology, Learning Organization, Innovation and
Knowledge Management (ILIK).
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