Poor Leadership, Lack of Commitment and Discrimination Impeding on the Future Efficiency of Walmart - Case Study Example

Introduction

Business operations rely on proper leadership. Most specifically, leadership that emanates from the top level management is significant and influential on the commitment and performance mandate of employees in a customer centric organization such as Wal-Mart. Additionally, through the implementation of proper leadership tactics, high-performance employees are bound to prevail in product and service delivery at Wal-Mart. Additionally, it is mandatory that Wal-Mart’s leadership ensures that discrimination does not prevail that impedes on the success of the organization. Therefore, this paper will examine poor leadership, lack of commitment and discrimination that are issues that impede on the future performance of Wal-Mart as a future potential employee.

Poor Leadership

Leadership, in reference to Mirvis, (2012) entails a ubiquitous potential workplace stressor at Wal-Mart. Admittedly, despite the prospect that stressors are specific to the given organization, it is important to comprehend that every individual has a formal leader whom he or she has to report. Despite the focus on leadership as a process, it is fundamental to examine leadership as a role. Hence, leadership as a role should be focused on a more comprehensive overview at Wal-Mart. Admittedly, the question on what denotes poor leadership has led to a more in-depth research. According to Dinan, (2012) the notion of poor leadership that is apparent in the internal organizational environment entails acts such as being abusive, punitive, aggressive, and lacking the appropriate skills to perform their responsibilities at Wal-Mart.

Therefore, Wal-Mart’s success is reliant on the top leadership. With proper leadership, Wal-Mart is bound to perform successfully both locally and internationally. However, the notion of poor leadership has become an issue of concern with its effects researched extensively. From an individualistic perspective, the notion of poor leadership has had two important and negative effects on Wal-Mart’s employees that are inclusive of the increase in the levels of stress coupled with retaliation from the human resources. McCleskey, (2012) emphasizes that in the instances that the leadership implements facets of poor performance such as abusive supervisors, employees exude helplessness. The prospect of feeling alienated in the operational mandate of Wal-Mart prevails as a result of the poor leadership. Antonakis & House, (2014) observe that ineffectiveness of the leaders results in non-contingent punishment. As such, the increased levels psychological stress prevail n the instance that abusive or military style leadership is evident. In a holistic manner, workers who view their leaders as abusive or ineffective in their performance of duties experience minimal levels of job coupled with life satisfaction. Additionally, the prospects of an increase in work-family conflict, anxiety, and depression progress as a result of poor leadership. There is an extensive relationship between poor leadership and aggression among employees. The facet of poor leadership is impactful in the employee response and their execution of their roles. As a more effective example, the implementation of a passive approach to leadership that constitutes poor management is a causative factor to the stress among employees. The lack of skills, in reference to Ng & Feldman, (2014) can also be called passive leadership. Hence, Nixon, Harrington, & Parker, (2012) emphasizes that passive leadership entails a compromising approach in which the individual maintains a laid-back approach to management of their employees. Accordingly, Ng & Feldman, (2014) emphasizes that passive leadership denotes management-by-exception that is comprehensively articulated in the theoretical perspective of transformational leadership. Leaders who engage in a passive approach do not intervene in the operations of an organization till problems are brought forth to their attention. As such, leaders who are dependent on a passive approach avoid instances in which decision making and undertaking responsibilities that are reliant on their position.

Therefore, from the examination of Van Wart, (2013), the notion of poor leadership denotes the implementation of transformation approach. In an organization that has to grapple with ineffective leaders, there is a need for the inculcation of transformation approach to performance. In reference to Schyns & Schilling, (2013), the transformational leadership exudes objective influence, tailored consideration, intelligent stimulation, and motivation.

Through the earlier mentioned features, transformational leaders implement positive approaches that affect several important outcomes. Despite the review of Munir et al., (2012), it is fundamental to establish that transformational leadership yields or results into commitment and acceptance by the employees on the operational dynamics of Wal-Mart. Accordingly, through the implementation of the transformation approach, the notion of idealized influence prevails that entails a more hands-on approach to leadership. Transformational leaders, in reference to Hoch & Dulebohn, (2013) focus on interacting with employees in the day to day operations at Wal-Mart. Through the interactive approach, sustainable outcomes prevail that entail an open environment for employees in airing out their grievances and influence the decision-making process. Additionally, the notion of personalized consideration as per transformational leaders entails the focus on a welfare-based approach to management of employees. The welfare approach is reliant on the leaders viewing themselves as per of the human resource and focusing on a human approach to management of employees at Wal-Mart (Erkutlu & Chafra, 2013).

Lack of Commitment

The concept of commitment has grown in regards to research and also comprehension of organizational psychology in the US retail industry. In the early studies about commitment, there has been the need for in-depth analysis in embracing attitudinal perspectives. Most importantly, the notion of lack of commitment has become an issue of concern. From the analysis of Wal-Mart’s environment, the lack of commitment that entails employees exuding reduced levels of pledging or even binding to the organizational set of behaviors has been influential on the success of the organization. In accordance to Woodrow & Guest, (2014) the identification process of an employee to the organization has been significant in gauging the level of commitment to the Wal-Mart policies. As such, employees who exude a lack of commitment are as a result of dysfunctional performance mandate. From the examination of Reinartz, Kraft, & Hoyer, (2005) dysfunctional organizations exude constant crisis. Constant crisis entails instances that employees have to churn out their work in a disorganized manner. The employees have to rush work with the management monitoring their activities in a closer manner to ensure completion of the work (Cantor, Morrow, & Montabon, 2012). Admittedly, the notion of constant crisis in the organization results in the employees lacking commitment since the management is disorganized in relaying responsibilities to their employees. In the current business environment, running operations in a crisis mode significantly impacts on the levels of commitment of the employees since they do not comprehend the organizational operations (Cantor, Morrow, & Montabon, 2012). On the other hand, the facet of pluralistic ignorance, in reference to Reinartz, Kraft,& Hoyer, (2005) progresses on dysfunctional organizations and impacts on the obligations of the employees. An organization that is clueless to the needs of the employees significantly impacts on the level of commitment of their personnel in the retail sector that Wal-Mart operates. In reference to Olsen & Martins, (2012) management that does not understand the various approaches to managing employee welfare has to grapple with pluralistic ignorance that impact on the employee performance. An organization that is not competent in the review of employee needs is bound to grapple with personnel who are not committed to the ongoing concern of the organizations. Moreover, from the investigations by Vaccaro et, al (2012), it is directly clear that ineffective quality management significantly forms an early warning sign to the implausible performance of an organization. A business that does not implement quality management of their operations directly influences on the commitment of the employees. In reference to Alvesson & Sandberg, (2013), non-conformity to the industry trends results into ineffective quality management that negatively impacts on the commitment levels of the employees.

Thus, from the analysis of the diverse facets circumventing lack of commitment, it is important that an organization focuses on motivational tools to necessitate heightened levels of commitment Epitropaki, (2013). Admittedly, to ensure that the employees are committed to the organizational it is important to nurture positive relationships. In accordance to Alegre & Chiva, (2013) positive relationships denote ensuring that the leadership is in close contact with the employees. Accordingly, positive relationships ensure that commitment of employees prevails since there is close contact, communication, and strategy formulation in running of Wal-Mart. In the instant that Wal-Mart implements plausible initiatives towards analysis of employee welfare and communication of organizational decisions is bound to result in heightened levels of commitment by the employees. From the examination of Vaccaro et al., (2012) it is fundamental for Wal-Mart to ensure that employees are able to find and demonstrate commitment as a result of positive relationships.

Discrimination

Okechukwu et al., (2014) emphasize that it is fast becoming clear that organizational decision makers who encompass undertake any form of discrimination have to grapple with how expensive the problem has become. As such, in the diverse sectors, the financial cost of litigation has been extensive as evident from the Coca-Cola’s $192.5 million discrimination case (Hyland & Rutigliano, 2013). Accordingly, the prospects of financial expenses that are associated with discrimination have been extending beyond the actual settlement that is inclusive of implausible impact on the employees at Wal-Mart. Hence, the ever increasing financial costs of discrimination have led to the need for re-evaluation of what organizations entail. Cortina et al., (2013) emphasizes those organizations as bodies exist in a larger mandate. As environmental inputs such as employees can have a significant impact on the form of behaviors, structures or even processes that are implemented in the organization (Triana et al., 2014). Accordingly, there are contextual facets that require in-depth analysis on discrimination. First and foremost, in the evaluation of discrimination there are distinct levels of the act that require comprehensive evaluation. National culture as the first facet denotes the level of discrimination that prevails due to the cross-cultural disparities in regards to the certain groups that are codified in the cultural norms. As the most prevalent form of discrimination, the national culture forms a pivotal impact on a foreigner in the comprehension of the local cultural norms. Ruggs et al., (2013) asserts that, the local norms coupled with socio-cultural approach in regards to prejudice may significantly impact on the individual’s propensity to be discriminatory in Wal-Mart. Additional to the legal environment where organizations undertake their operations, the environment of operation in which employees interact also impacts significantly on employees. As a clear example it is fundamental that human resource practices coupled with organizational policies at Wal-Mart focus on the notion of ensuring that prohibition of discrimination prevails (Hyland & Rutigliano, 2013). The various forms of discrimination such as bias based on gender, disability, race, or tribe have a significant impact on the employees in regards to their work rate and opinion of the organization.

From the examination of Taylor et al., (2013) the policies and approaches that Wal-Mart adopts form an influential mandate on the interests of the different stakeholders. Accordingly, customers, employees, and shareholders who form as the most important stakeholders expect high levels of performance approach by the organization in safeguarding the rights of the employees. The threat of financial litigation requires in-depth approaches to tackling discrimination. According to Skaggs & Bridges, (2013) it is important that an organization implements effective approaches to necessitate proper analysis of discrimination. Eliminating discrimination is reliant on the implementation of nontraditional employees and formulation of comprehensive ethical policies. Accordingly, the ethical approach to elimination of discrimination entails the organization implementing value statements and focusing on clear cut structures in handling discrimination (Ozeren, 2014). An organization that focuses on shared values in eliminating discrimination ensures that every pattern of behavior among the employees is handled effectively. The focus on ensuring that the employees conform to Wal-Mart policies is significant to necessitate plausible and comprehensive outcomes in the analysis of discrimination. Strict rules on disapproval of any form of discrimination are important to ensure that no form of litigation prevails in the business. Accordingly, the focus on an individualized organizational culture is important to ensure that the employees fit to the performance expectations and ensure that their behaviors conform to the performance mandate (Hagelskamp & Hughes, 2014). Wal-Mart should therefore implement policies that focus on behavioral norms and organization values are bound to necessitate an enabling environment that is free from discrimination (Gates & Mitchell, 2013).

Conclusion

Lack of commitment, poor leadership and discrimination are three issues that are impactful on Wal-Mart. From the analysis of Wal-Mart, it is mandatory that the three issues are examined through focusing on different approaches such as transformational leadership, harnessing positive relationships and making strict policies on negating discrimination. Through the implementation of the various mentioned approaches, high level of commitment, performance and appreciation of Wal-Mart by the employees will proceed.