Understanding Organisations and the Role of Human Resources - Assignment Example

Understanding Organisations and the Role of Human Resources Table of Contents Introduction 3 Overview of J Sainsbury plc 3 Identification of Potential Customers 4 Purpose and Goals of J Sainsbury plc 4 Analysis of the External Factors 5 Organisational Structure of J Sainsbury plc and Underlying Functions 6 Role of Different Departments/Functions to Optimise Performance 8 Identification of the Organisational Culture and Its Effect on Operations 10 HR Activities Supporting the Organisation’s Strategy 11 Ways HR Professionals Support Line Managers and Their Staff 11 Conclusion 12 References 13 Bibliography 18 Introduction Human Resource (HR) managers play a crucial role in the success of organisation. Human Resource Department is considered as the backbone of every organisation for the effectiveness of the employees. Organisations effectiveness and efficiency largely depends on their HR as they perform several activities regarding public relations, selection along with recruitment, and many other pivotal tasks. The role of HR is of significance as they act as a motivator for the employees and help in retaining along with attracting new talent for enhancing the operating environment (Strandberg, 2009; Jackson & Schuler, 1995). In this study, J Sainsburys plc has been taken into consideration. Sainsbury’s initiated its venture in the year 1869 and operates globally with 161,000 employees. Sainsbury identifies its strong culture as well as values to be the core element for its success with respect to the role of effective HR managers (J Sainsbury plc, 2014). The study aims to explore the external environment, organisational structure, culture and functions of J Sainsburys plc with respect to the learning and development activities. Overview of J Sainsbury plc J Sainsbury plc is a UK based organisation and is one of the largest retailers in the country. The organisation has various areas and segments in which they deal with. The company provides its services in various aspects as the company has the largest supermarket chain to meet the requirement of the customers. The company has Sainsburys convenience stores, online groceries facility, banks, pharmacies, energy, and mobile. Sainsbury’s plc has a large range of products in order to satisfy the needs of the people. In the current scenario, Sainsbury’s has more than 1203 supermarkets, which provides value to the customers (J Sainsbury plc, 2014). Contextually, it is observed that the organisation values its customers and think the customers to be the heart of the business. Therefore, every investment that is made by the company is used to generate the best possible experiences of shopping to the customer. The products and services of the organisation are directed towards providing value added services to the customers. Moreover, the services and products of the organisation are well maintained and priorities towards providing great food, clothing, and various channels such as online facilities to the people to make their experience with the company more value oriented (3J Sainsbury plc, 2014; J Sainsbury plc, 2013). Identification of Potential Customers The customers of the organisations generally involve people from every age group and gender. They are the one who helps in generating revenue for the organisation. The customers of the organisation are loyal and provide valuable support to the organisation in order to increase their market share across the globe. The organisation targets customers irrespective of their age and gender for increasing their profitability by delivering quality products and services to them (Bolton & Tarasi, n.d.). Purpose and Goals of J Sainsbury plc J Sainsbury plc provides its customer with value and quality services. The core purpose of the organisation is to provide value to their internal and external customers by creating opportunities and offering superior quality products. The vision of the organisation is to provide the people with quality services and products at a reasonable price. Moreover, the purpose of the organisation is to expand the market of the organisation. The purpose of the business is to serve their customer in the best manner by offering value through products and services. The purpose of the business is driven by the motto “Live Well for Less” (2J Sainsbury plc, 2014). The vision of the organisation is to be the leading retailer wherein the employees are offered every possible facility. The goal is to serve the customer with quality products and services so that they experience the ease of shopping. Another aspect of the organisation is to make the company ‘the best place to work’ (2J Sainsbury plc, 2014). Analysis of the External Factors The success of every business depends on its external environment. It is of significance for the business to monitor the external environment on a continuous basis so that it can act accordingly for achieving success. Managing human resource as per the external environment is vital to create a proper impact. Competition is one external aspect that has an impact on the business operations of Sainsbury plc. The rival companies such as Tesco change their strategies and offer innovative offerings to the customers, which impacts the business of Sainsbury. The low price, providing new products, interesting and regular advertisements campaigns of the rivals affects the business environment. As per the strategic process of the rivals, Sainsbury makes their action plan accordingly. It is observed that the regular innovation by the rivals affects the business of Sainsbury and force them to make adequate changes by offering better pricing and advertisement campaigns (Scribd, 2010; DGAEP, 2005; BTEC National Business, n.d.). Political factors of the nation have a great impact on the business. The UK government have various policies that affect the business as well as performances of Sainsbury’s. In this context, it can be stated that consumer along with government debts are high in the UK, which affects the business considerably. The political environment of the UK is not stable and has various policies, regulations along with laws that affect the business. However, through innovation strategies and effective practice of human resource management the company is able to maintain a steady growth (Voiculet & et. al., 2010; Gasparotti, 2009). Social factors are another important aspect that affects the business. Customer trends and demands are crucial for the success of the business. The changing style and ease for shopping is another vital aspect. In this regard, Sainsbury’s changed its strategies and provided its products and services under a single roof for the effectiveness of the customer (Hitt & et. al., 2007). Economic factors are another vital aspect that affects the business performance and human recourse management. The economy of a country influences the demand and supply aspect, which is directly linked with business profitability and employee. Economic slowdown too affects the business of Sainsbury’s (Gasparotti, 2009; Hitt & et. al., 2007). Organisational Structure of J Sainsbury plc and Underlying Functions The organisational structure of the company can be recognised to follow top-down criteria where authority generally flows down the line from the Chairman. The pictorial representation of the company’s organisational structure is illustrated below. Organisational Structure of J Sainsbury plc Source: (J Sainsbury plc, 2013) Based on the above illustrated organisational structure, it is determined that there lays a clear division of roles and duties between the chairman and the Chief Executive. The Chairman is responsible for leadership of the board and renders service for goal setting and formulation of agenda. The Chief executive is responsible for managing the daily operation of J Sainsbury plc. Senior Independent Directors are responsible for reviewing the performance of chairman and other directors who then provide feedback on the same. Chief Financial Officer is responsible for briefing Board member regarding the market trend and current trading aspects. Customer Director generally deals with marketing and communication activities of the company. Trading director is responsible for the overseeing the trading relationships with suppliers. Company Secretary within the company is responsible for providing updated information relevant to governance matter, Directors obligations and duties as well as the effect of new legislature to the Boards. Retail and Logistic Director is concern with goal setting aspect for the respective areas in order to ensure operational and network efficiency. Managing Director Non-Food responsible for activities related to clothing and entertainment. Commercial Service Director within the company deals with exploring the ways for growth and reducing the cost for the company. Property Director is responsible for addressing issues pertaining to environment and climate change. The role of Human Resource (HR) Director is immense within the company that range from recruitment to training and development of candidates necessary for smooth functioning of the company (Itika, 2011). Convenience Director primarily deals with the management of stores while IT Directors are more concerned with overseeing and communicating information in a timely manner to Board members. Non-Executive Directors are responsible for monitoring the performance of all departments rendering service towards the accomplishment of the business goals (4J Sainsbury plc, 2014; J Sainsbury plc, 2013). Role of Different Departments/Functions to Optimise Performance As identified earlier, several departments within the organisational structure of Sainsbury’s are responsible for executing the diverse range of functions for ensuring efficient and smooth operation of the company. It has been identified that all departments within the company works in a collaborative manner towards the accomplishment of the broad organisational goals and objectives. In this regard, Chairman leads the company and formulates strategies and policies assisting the other departments to render their services in the most efficient way. Management of day-to-day operation is extremely crucial for the survival of the company. Chief Executives along with the assistance of other directors from various departments oversee the entire operation of the company. Chief Financial Officer along with the assistance of the Chief Executive and Group Commercial Director identifies the current marketing trend and communicate the same to Board for sustainable business performance of the company. The role of Chief Financial Officer is also identified to be important in the context of performance management. The Senior Independent Directors ensures that cordial environment is maintained within the company where every individual and department is able to perform their respective task in the most efficient manner without any conflicts amid them. Marketing and communication related activities are performed by the Customer Director as well as the Director ensures that customers are duly communicated about the products and services offered by the company. Suppliers are integral to the success of any business. Contextually, Trading Director ensures the effective relationships are built with suppliers to ensure uninterrupted performance of the company. In the contemporary business environment which is highly dynamic, there is a greater requirement for updated information to formulate strategies align with the changing environment. In this regard, Company Secretary disseminates vital information relevant for formulating effective strategies necessary to survive business profitably. Goal setting is another important function for achieving the mission and vision of any company. Notably, Retail and logistic Director determines the goals to be achieved so that the company moves closer to its mission. Managing Director on the other hand manages activities related to clothing, general merchandise, and entertainment so that workforce within the organisation is motivated to render their dedicated services towards the achievement of broad organisational goals. In order to ensure long-term sustainability, growth is extremely important while reducing the operational cost. Commercial Service Directors in the company identifies new domains and prospects for growth, which would eventually contribute towards profitable and long-term sustainability of the company. Over the last few decades, aspect of environment has occupied significant importance across all domains including business. Correspondingly, Property Director ensures that all departments within the company are performing their duties in a responsible manner. The role of Human Resource (HR) Director is to provide talent to the organisation so that they can increase their performance (Aguinis, 2011). The functions of the HR Director include selection, recruitment, learning, and development as well as performance management of the human resource (Armstrong, 2006; Gusdorf, 2008). Convenience Director is responsible for management of performance across the company’s supermarket estate. Information and Technology Chairman ensures that all Directors are properly acquainted with issues and information arising within the company. The Non-Executive Directors are generally responsible for preventing any possibility of conflicts that may arise during the operation of the business (J Sainsbury plc, 2013). Identification of the Organisational Culture and Its Effect on Operations The organisational culture is an important aspect for the success of the business. Sainsbury’s follow a typical culture and approach within their business. The policies along with the procedures within the organisation are strict but provide immense growth opportunity to the employees. The organisational culture is vital for the enhancement and growth of the stakeholders along with the increase in the sustainability of the business. Diversification in the organisation needs proper organisational culture to avoid the rise in conflicts amid the employees and to make the decision making process simpler (5J Sainsbury plc, 2014). The organisation follows a ‘top-down approach’, which implies that the decisions regarding Sainsbury’s are taken by the top-level management. This refers to the fact that the company follows a top hierarchal culture for the effectiveness of the organisation in the long run. The organisation has strong culture, which implies that the company comprises of values and beliefs and thus makes it ‘a best place to work.’ The two ways it affects the organisation is that the decision making process is quick and provides value to every stakeholder. Moreover, due to the strong culture the business is able to attain high profits and performance enhancement (6J Sainsbury plc, 2014; Weibleder & Lackner, 2013; Cameron, 2004). HR Activities Supporting the Organisation’s Strategy The HR activities play a pivotal role in supporting the organisational strategy. The first aspect in this respect is proper human resource planning as per the need of the organisation. Proper planning will help in making effective organisational strategy. The second aspect is regarded to the performance appraisal. If the performance of the employees is managed effectively, they will perform better and increase the productivity. This will help the organisation to strategize its policies effectively. The third activity that supports the organisation strategy is by aligning individual goals along with the organisation for the enhancement of the performance and profitability (DGAEP, 2005; Righeimer, n.d.). Ways HR Professionals Support Line Managers and Their Staff The HR professional’s objective is to increase the employee engagement. The HR professional supports their line manager by providing proper recruitment of employees. HR professionals by implementing proper training design for the new employees so that they can enhance their performance and productivity also viewed to support line managers and their staff. Another professional support that the HR provides to the line manager is regarding the delegation of work and authority. All these factors are of importance for the success of the organisation as the HR mangers are the one who helps the employees to perform better by electing the right person at the right time (Jackson & et. al., 2011). Conclusion Human resources management is important for the success of every organisation. In this context, J Sainsbury plc has strong human resource that assists the organisation to enhance its performance and attain competitive advantage. The role of the HR managers and their functions prove to be effective if addressed accordingly. The structure and the culture of the organisation are enhanced through the implementation of strong Human resources management. Sainsbury’s have strong customer base due to the influential HR activities. The company follows “top down approach” hence, the decision making process is rapid and strong. Thus, it can be concluded that with the effective human resource the company can attain success and growth. References Aguinis, H., 2011. Performance Management. Edinburgh Business School, pp. 1-27. Armstrong, M., 2006. Human Resource Management Practice. Kogan Page. Bolton, R.N. & Tarasi, C.O., No Date. Managing Customer Relationships. Chapter 1, pp. 3-38. BTEC National Business, No Date. Impact of External Factors in the Business Environment on Organisations. Unit 1.4, pp. 40-57. Cameron, K., 2004. A Process for Changing Organizational Culture. University of Michigan Business School, pp. 2-18. 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