Work-Based Learning Report: M&S Environment and Management

This report presents an analysis of a work-based learning experience, focusing on Marks and Spencer (M&S). It begins with an introduction to work-based learning and its benefits, then proceeds to evaluate M&S's business environment using Porter's Five Forces and the McKinsey 7S framework. The report also assesses two management practices—providing rewards and benefits, and training and development—and their impact on employee performance. Furthermore, it outlines the personal and professional development the author expects to achieve from the work environment. The report concludes with recommendations and a list of references.

Work-Based Learning

Contents
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................3
Task 1........................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Evaluation of the business environment of chosen organization using two appropriate
tools........................................................................................................................................................3
1.2 Evaluate any two management practices within workplace, which have an impact on
employee performance........................................................................................................................5
Task 2........................................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Personal development that you expect to achieve from the work environment in which you
are placed..............................................................................................................................................7
2.2 Professional development that you expect to achieve from the work environment in which
you are placed.......................................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................................14
Recommendations...............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
A strategy that provides students with experiences of real-life work wherein they
can apply their academic skills in order to develop employability skills. Workshops,
Internships, Mentorship Programs, Job Shadowing are some examples of work-based
learning. It can help students enhance their employability skills and develop a strong
working background (Atkinson, 2016). Organization chosen for this report is Marks and
Spencer, which is a multinational British retailer of clothing, food & beverage and
household products. The company was founded by Michael Marks and Thomas
Spencer in the year 1884. The report evaluates the business environment of the chosen
organization using appropriate tools as well as two management practices that impact
performance of the employees. It also comprises of a personal and professional audit
from the work environment of the company.
Task 1
1.1 Evaluation of the business environment of chosen organization using two
appropriate tools
Business environment can be defined as the combination of various factors, both
internal as well as external like needs of the customers, their expectations, employees,
supply and demand etc. Marks and Spencer operates in a highly competitive business
environment that can be evaluated through various tools which are explained below –
Porter’s Five Forces Model
Porter’s Five Forces is a framework that is used for analyzing the competition of a
business as well as the degree of the various forces that act on an organization. The
Porter’s Five Forces model, in context to the respective organization is explained below
-
Threat of New Entrants – This force is a weak force because huge capital
investments are required for setting up chain of stores that is successful (Porters 5
Forces Analysis Of Marks And Spencer Marketing Essay, 2020). Also, if a new business

wants to enter the market, it will have to bring in something completely unique and
innovative in order to gain a competitive advantage over Marks and Spencer.
Threat of Substitutes – There are particularly no substitutes for clothing ad food
products which implies that this is a weak force. But there are still chances of its
products being substituted by other brands.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers – Suppliers have a low bargaining power
because the company is widely recognized having operations in different parts of the
world and thus has a long list of suppliers from whom it can supply its material from
(Buligina and et. al., 2016). Thus, this is a weak force.
Bargaining Power of Buyers – The number of buyers is very high which means
that they have a high power to bargain. This makes it a comparatively strong force
because customers are price sensitive and they want high quality products at cheap
and affordable prices.
Rivalry among Competitors – This is the strongest force because Marks and
Spencer faces competition from brand like Tesco, Sainsbury’s etc. for food as well as
household items and from Zara, Next, John Lewis for clothing and apparel.
McKinsey 7S Framework
It can be defined as a management model that was developed in the 1980s and
the 7Ss in the framework are Structure, Systems, Strategy, Shared Values, Style, Staff
and Skills. The model is explained below in context to Marks and Spencer.
Strategy – The main strategy of the company is to offer products and services
that are priced high.
Structure – The company follows a flat organizational structure which means
there are limited levels of management within the company (Fergusson, Allred and Dux,
2018). This structure is followed in order to encourage employees to make decisions.
Systems – There are many systems that facilitate the day to day operations of
the company like team development, recruitment of employees, customer relationship
management etc.

Shared Values – The major shared values of the company are trust, high-quality
and innovation. Any retailer can sell clothing products, but M&S sells the best quality
products.
Skills – Marks and Spencer has a competitive advantage over others because
the employees are knowledgeable and skilled (Morley, 2018). Also, they behave in a
friendly manner with the customers.
Staff – By offering benefits and rewards to the employees from time to time, the
company has been able to retain them for a long time. Due to this, challenges and other
potential threats are minimized.
Style – The style of organization is innovative, team-oriented and flexible. The
employees of the company are flexible and comfortable in working together.
1.2 Evaluate any two management practices within workplace, which have an impact on
employee performance
There are many management practices that are carried out within an
organization and can significantly impact the performance of the employees. Two
management practices that influence employee performance are explained below –
Providing Rewards and Benefits – Companies that recognize the efforts put in
by the employees to get tasks done have a more loyal and trustworthy workforce.
Offering benefits and rewards builds a sense of recognition and trust among the
employees and thus, they work more efficiently towards their goals. It has also been
seen that recognizing efforts also leads to an overall increase in the company’s
productivity and performance. Recognized employees are more engaged and
committed to their jobs as compared to the ones who are not rewarded or provided
benefits. Incentives not only help in improving the performance of the employees but
also contribute to their overall development (Mumford, 2016). The employees feel more
confident as well as creative and actively take part in helping the organization in
reaching goals in objectives.
A company can offer various kinds of rewards and benefits to ensure growth and
enhancement of performance of the workforce. Respective company offers financial

compensation as well as titles such as “top performer” and “employee of the month” to
employees to increase their levels of motivation as well as confidence so that they put in
their best efforts to get tasks complete. Recognition and providing rewards are
considered to be excellent motivators that build a sense of belongingness in the
employees and therefore not only their performance is boosted but also, they address
customers’ issues and feedbacks in a very effective way. This contributes to the overall
performance as well as productivity of the company on the whole and the goals,
objectives are achieved in the most effective manner.
Training and Development – Both training, as well as development play and
important role in enhancing the overall performance of the employees in the workplace.
A training program allows the employees to acquire new skills that are required in their
jobs as well as enhance the ones that they already possess. This helps them in
performing better and also, they do not feel switching to the competitors because they
are provided with various opportunities to improve their overall skills. The company’s
performance is also improved because the number of complaints and issues face by the
customers are less as well as there is a decline in the overall staff turnover ( The
Importance of Training and Development in the Workplace, 2020).
Training and development also ensure that there is an increase in the levels of
satisfaction and engagement of the employees towards their jobs. An effective training
and development program ensures that the experience and skills of all the employees in
the company are consistent. The employees put forward more innovative and creative
ideas in order to solve a particular problem (Raelin, 2016). Besides enhancing the
performance of the employees, training and development also helps the company in
managing and addressing uncertainties and other risks in a refined way. With effective
training and development opportunities, the employees prefer working for the company
and are also more engaged in their jobs. Also, their knowledge about new subjects and
other areas is also enhanced which can be beneficial for their future endeavors.

Task 2
2.1 Personal development that you expect to achieve from the work environment in
which you are placed
Personal development comprises of activities that help an individual in improving
his/hew identity as well as awareness about various things (Riley, 2017). Also, they can
develop employability skills as well as other talents so that personal goals and
objectives can be achieved. A personal development plan is explained below -
S.
No.
Learning target Present
Proficiency
Target
Proficiency
Development
Opportunities
Time
Scale
1. Motivation 8 9 Motivation
enhancement is one
of the foremost
expectations that an
individual has from
the workplace
(Rouvrais, Remaud
and Saveuse, 2020).
I expect the company
to provide various
opportunities by
which I can enhance
and raise the level of
my motivation and
perform in an
effective manner. To
develop motivation, I
will have to set small,
achievable goals and
work towards them
15 days

effortlessly.
2. Adaptability 9 10 When a student joins
a new workplace, it is
a little difficult to get
used to and adapt to
a completely new
environment
(Wareing, 2016)
(Zhang and et. al.,
2016). Thus, I expect
to take less time to
adapt to the culture of
workplace and this
can be done by
interacting with the
colleagues and senior
frequently. This will
help me in getting to
know them better as
well as I will be able
to make new friends.
20 days
3. Analytical skills 7 9 Having analytical
skills has become an
important
employability skill
because they help in
finding solutions to
various problems that
are face by the
30 days

employees or the
company on a whole
(Baker, Peach and
Cathcart, 2017).
Therefore, I expect
that when I join the
workplace, I get an
opportunity to build
great analytical skills
that can help me in
contributing to the
company whenever
an uncertain situation
comes up in the
company.
Therefore, I expect to achieve a high level of motivation and being able to adapt
to new surroundings. I also expect getting used to the workplace without any problems
and working with people who are equally motivated and confident of achieving the goals
and objectives of the company. Another thing that I expect to achieve in the workplace
are effective analytical skills that will not only be helpful to the company but personally
for me as well in my future endeavors. All these skills will help me in improving my
current skillset and developing new skills that will not only be beneficial for the company
but for me as well.
2.2 Professional development that you expect to achieve from the work environment in
which you are placed
A Professional Development Plan consists of different steps that that can help in
achieving goals and objectives (Fergusson, Allred and Dux, 2018). It also guides an
individual in how can aspirations relating to career can be achieved. It outlines the
interests, skills, values, strengths etc. of the person and explains the way in which they

are aligned to a particular job. The plan is an effective tool to engage employees as well
as ensure their overall success and development. Also, the members of the team get a
change to identify their strengths as well as areas they need to work upon so that they
can work efficiently. Basically, a professional development plan helps in achieving goals
and objectives of the company. This also contributes to the overall development and
enhancement of the organization’s confidence and productivity.
S.
No.
Learning target Present
Proficiency
Target
Proficiency
Development
Opportunities
Criteria for
Judging
Attainment
Time
Scale
1. Problem solving
skills
7 9 A person can
develop problem
solving skills by
solving puzzles,
taking up online
courses, working
as a part of a
group etc.
Working as a part
of a team can
help in
strengthening
respective skills
because I will get
a chance to face
and come across
various situations
and challenges.
This will be an
opportunity to
address the same
in an effective
Managers and
Team Leader
40 days

way.
2. Communication
skills
9 10 Communication,
both verbal as
well as written is
important
because it helps
in addressing a
large audience as
well as
communicating a
message
effectively
(Atkinson, 2016). I
can develop
communication
skills by attending
online courses,
attending guest
lectures, taking
part in group
discussions etc.
Peers,
Managers and
Team Leaders
30 days
3. Leadership skills 7 9 Leadership skills
play an important
role in helping an
individual to carry
out tasks provided
in an effective
manner. I can
develop
leadership skills
Team Leader 20 days

by taking more
projects,
developing
awareness about
various situations
and the way in
which they can be
handled as well
as by resolving
conflicts that may
arise within the
team. I can also
ask for more
responsibility and
make sure that
the team
members are
comfortable
working with each
other and put their
best efforts to
achieve
organizational
goals and
objectives.
4. Decision-making
skills
8 10 If a person
possesses good
decision-making
skills, he/she can
make sound
15 days