An Analysis of Business Ethics, Leadership, and Change at Woolworths

This report provides a detailed analysis of business ethics within Woolworths Group Limited, a major Australian retailing company. It explores the significance of business ethics in decision-making, strategy formulation, and maintaining corporate social responsibility. The report examines four main leadership styles (autocratic, democratic, free-rein, and paternalistic) and how legislation impacts leadership, emphasizing workplace safety and equality. Furthermore, it outlines Woolworths' mission, purpose, values, and key objectives, including becoming a customer-focused brand and providing a connected shopping experience. The report also discusses Woolworths' change process, highlighting the use of effective leadership and communication to implement modifications ethically and efficiently. Overall, the report concludes that business ethics are crucial for stakeholder satisfaction, legislation significantly affects leadership, participative leadership is essential, and effective communication is vital for successful organizational change.

Business ethics
Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Importance of having good business ethics and its affect on leadership................................1
Four main leadership styles....................................................................................................1
Legislation affect leadership in the orgnisation......................................................................2
Organisation’s mission, Purpose and value............................................................................2
Organisation’s main objectives..............................................................................................2
Organisation’s change process...............................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
The organisation selected for this assignment based on Business ethics is Woolworths
Group Limited which is a well and one of the major retailing company of Australia having its
headquarter in New South Wale, Australia and serving customers across New Zealand and
Australia (WOOLWORTHS GROUP: Strategy and objectives, 2020). This report consist a
discussion about importance of business ethics along with leadership styles. Further, a evaluation
of affect of legislation on leadership along with mission, vision and objectives of selected
orgnisation us also there together with its changing process of.
MAIN BODY
Importance of having good business ethics and its affect on leadership
Business ethics mainly represent a set of moral rules and principles that governs the
business operations, decision making and how employees and other stakeholders are treated in a
company by their top authority, managers and leaders (Crane and et. al., 2019). Having good
business ethics is important for an orgnisation like Woolworths Group Limited is it ensures
better decision making and strategy formulating that meet the expectations of all stakeholders
along with keeping a balance with Corporate social reasonability that lead to enhanced brand
image and better reputation to attract larger customers. Further, Good business ethics also lead
affect in leadership as it ensures better creation of better workplace environment and enhance
motivation level for employees through means of good business ethics and participative
leadership approach.
Four main leadership styles
The four main leadership style that could be adopted by leaders of Woolworths Group
Limited to ensure better motivation and direction to its employees are evaluated below:
Autocratic Leadership styles- This style of leadership is associated with command and
compliance where an autocratic leader gives orders without any consultation that must be obeyed
by the subordinates (Al-Sada., Al-Esmael, and Faisal, 2017).
Democratic or participative leadership style- Under this leadership style use of legitimate
power is made by leader where proper involvement and participation of subordinates is allowed
in decision making thus, meets the principles and moral of business ethics.
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Free-Rein or Laisse-Faire Leadership- This leadership style gives high degree of
independence and allows maximum freedom to followers in their operations and all persons are
given a chance to express themselves.
Paternalistic Leadership- This leadership style is based on paternal or fatherly relationship
between leaders and the group member where leader is treated a head of the family who provides
good working conditions and employee services.
Legislation affect leadership in the orgnisation
Legislation create significant affect on leadership in the orgnisation as various employees
act and other equality and health and safety act has created higher pressures on leaders of
Woolworths Group to provide a more healthy and safe workplace to employees (Swanson and
Frederick, 2016). Further, leading equality and atmosphere of fairness is also the affect of
equality act and other legalisation in the leadership of Woolworths Group to ensures smooth
function at workplace without any legal consequences.
Organisation’s mission, Purpose and value
The mission of Woolworths Group is, “To deliver the best in convenience, value and
quality for their customers.”. The main purpose of Woolworths Group limited consist of leading
a better workplace for its employees through ensuring a more effective and participative
leadership along with creating better experiences for a better tomorrow through aspiring to
operate in a better way its customers and to serve its shareholders (Quarshie, Salmi and
Leuschner, 2016). Further, Sustainability is one of the core values of Woolworths based on
quality, service innovation and integrity to inform and underpin passionate brand advocacy
across the business operations.
Organisation’s main objectives
The main objectives of Woolworths Group limited consist of:
 To become customers’ 1 Brand in terms of culture and team participation
(WOOLWORTHS GROUP: Strategy and objectives, 2020).
 To provide a more connected and convenient way to shop for its customers.
 To lead a better experience for Customers through linking its value portfolio along with
simpler and safer stores and support for its employees.
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Organisation’s change process
The change process of Woolworths Group is based on effective planning and
implementing required modification in organizations in ethical and most viable way to minimize
employee resistance and cost to the organization while simultaneously maximizing the
effectiveness of the change effort (Vazquez, 2018). Use of effective leadership and proper
communication channels are made by Woolworths Group to ensure proper direction and
motivation in employees for better implication and adoption of change.
CONCLUSION
With respect to above assignment it can be concluded that business ethic lead to effective
decision making through leading better fulfilment of expectation of all stakeholders. Further,
legislation lead to significant affect on leadership through emphasising more on equality and
better workplace for employees. Further, participative leadership style is a crucial way to ensure
proper involvement of subordinates in decision making process. Finally effective communication
and leadership lade to better implication of change in an orgnisation.
REFERENCES
Books and journal
Crane, A. and et. al., 2019. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in
the age of globalization. Oxford University Press, USA.
Swanson, D. L. and Frederick, W. C., 2016. Denial and leadership in business ethics education.
Business ethics: New challenges for business schools and corporate leaders, pp.222-240.
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Quarshie, A. M., Salmi, A. and Leuschner, R., 2016. Sustainability and corporate social
responsibility in supply chains: The state of research in supply chain management and
business ethics journals. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management. 22(2). pp.82-
97.
Vazquez, P., 2018. Family business ethics: At the crossroads of business ethics and family
business. Journal of Business Ethics. 150(3). pp.691-709.
Al-Sada, M., Al-Esmael, B. and Faisal, M. N., 2017. Influence of organizational culture and
leadership style on employee satisfaction, commitment and motivation in the educational
sector in Qatar. EuroMed Journal of Business.
Online:
WOOLWORTHS GROUP: Strategy and objectives. 2020. [Online] Available Through:<
https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/about-us/our-approach/strategy-and-
objectives>.
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