Comparison of Different Organizations Structures - Essay Example

ORGANIZATION AND BEHAVIOUR By Location Organization and Behaviour Task 1 Comparison of different organization’s structures and cultures Organizational structure and culture refers to the way an organization carries out its activities such as allocation of tasks and supervision towards its achievements. The following is a comparison of the three major competitors of Tesco supermarket; Wal-Mart, Carrefour, and Ahold. To begin with, Sam Walton started Wal-Mart supermarket with conviction that retail stores helps customers to save money and improve their living standards. The supermarket’s belief lies at the foundation of its structure and culture. The supermarket’s management ensures that they offer quality services and goods to their customers, employees respect one another as well respect to customers, workers act with integrity, and striving for excellence. Wal-Mart has a matrix organizational structure, meaning that the management divides the organization into different geographical regions. Carrefour, on the other hand, uses hierarchical organizational structure, which has a more functional management organization structure. Their culture is to ensure that they satisfy all the customers (Mills 2007, p. 54). The management believes that the objective of a retail store is to set appropriate prices to meet customers’ needs by choosing products as well as quality. Ahold uses functional structure, whereby the work is divided depending of different functions (from to bottom). The culture of Ahold supermarket is that the goal of a retail store is to meet all the needs of customers at fair prices and quality goods and services. 1.2 Importance of organizational structure and culture relationship The relationship between an organization’s structure and culture can highly influence the performance of Tesco activities at Irish region. A strong relationship between the structure and culture of Tesco will result to a common behaviour, which will highly improve the performance of this Irish Tesco branch. This relationship will enable the employees to be more creative and innovative hence improving the performance of the supermarket as well as attracting a large group of customers (Aquinas 2006, p. 45). Lastly, the relationship between the structure and culture will contribute to a smooth functioning. 1.3 Factors that can influence workplace behaviour The four factors that can influence individual’s behaviour in the workplace at Irish Tesco are: Leadership-leaders have the ability to create a purpose sense in the workers as well as motivating them through appealing the employees’ self-esteem, security, and a sense of belonging. Environment- employee’s behaviour at Tesco must be corrected or rewarded appropriately. The management will ensure that the working environment is balanced to encourage the employees behave effectively. Beliefs- beliefs of Tesco employees in Irish influence their attitudes and in order to change these beliefs, the management should release their behaviour pattern. Knowledge is another factor that can influence the behaviour of employees at this branch. This is because workers are unable to resist change at the knowledge level. 1.4 Strategies that can improve employees’ behaviour One of the strategies that will improve employees’ behaviour at Tesco Supermarket is ensuring flexible workplace environments. Having a flexible work environment will improve the behaviour of the employees since it will responsible to the multifaceted needs. Another strategy that will aid in improving the employees’ behaviour at Tesco supermarket is knowledge sharing (Aquinas 2006, p. 47). Knowledge sharing will enable employees to share knowledge, hence improving their creativity and innovation capability. Ensuring a friendly leadership strategy will also improve the behaviour of the workers at Tesco supermarket. This is because excellent leadership strategy is the key to effective employees’ behaviour and performance (Mills 2007, p. 58). Task 2 2.1 Effectiveness of leadership styles Leadership style is the key to success of every business organization. Carrefour uses distributive leadership style. The success of the CEO, Bernard placed the Supermarket as the second largest supermarket in the world after Wal-Mart. In the year 2000, Carrefour ensured its success with promotions through implementation of a motivate approach to its employees. Distributive leadership style is effective during workforce hiring process (Mills 2007, p. 59). For instance, Carrefour uses this leadership style in its human resource department to enable it hire future promising leaders (Aquinas 2006, p. 67). This leadership style enables the retailer to hire employees who are willing to cooperate, work with global participants, and share responsibilities. The type of leadership also enables Carrefour to inspire brainstorming as well as creating new ideas. On the other hand, Wal-Mart and Ahold uses visionary leadership style. This type of leadership focuses on the way a leader determines the future of his subordinate staff and moving them towards that future. Visionary leadership style increases the retailers’ efficiency by improving their decision-making criteria (Mills 2007, p. 62). The founder of Wal-Mart, Sam Walton associated with all those individuals who could provide him with big and effective ideas. This is the type of leadership style that is implemented in Wal-Mart. This leadership style constantly inspires the employees to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives as well as getting to the next step of success. 2.2 Organizational theory Organizational theory highly underpins the success of the scenario of an Irish Tesco supermarket. Organizational theory produces an embryonic stage in Tesco supermarket the three organizational theories that can be applied in the scenario of Tesco supermarket are classic, modern management, and modern organizational theory stage (Mills 2007, p. 74). Setting the objectives of a Tesco store, the organization must set targets that will enable the workers try their level best to achieve these goals? Organizational theory is one of the appropriate ways to make employees understand the organization’s targets and ensure their hard work in order to achieve the set targets. 2.3 Approaches to management The management approaches used by these business organizations are active listening cultivating, and steering. Active listening management approach is broadly used by the four organizations to enable quick and effective reactions to management problems. Just like active listening, cultivating management approach depends on using existing knowledge and skills available in the society to ensure successful community input and sharing (Aquinas 2006, p. 75). Lastly, another management approach used is the steering approach. Unlike listening and cultivating approaches, steering reflects into a more instrumental project approach to ensure effective policy delivery. 2.4 The most appropriate approach out the above approaches is cultivating and steering. To begin with, cultivating approach takes into account the need of external assistance to stimulate the performance of employees. This approach enables employees to gain more skills and knowledge in different fields such as ICT sector (French 2011, p. 45). Steering management approach is also effective because of the emphasis the approach places on the employees to meet the organizations both short and long term goals. Most organizations use steering approach to engage in development projects, which result in success of an organization. Task 3 3.1 Impacts of leadership style Coercive leadership style- most organizations use this type of leadership style. This style of leadership inhibits the flexibility of an organization and dampens the motivation of employees. This type of leadership is recommendable for junior employees who are unable to come up with informed decisions. Authoritative leadership style-this style of leadership has positive impacts towards employees’ motivation since it gives the employees freedom to determine their own strategies for achieving the organizational goals (Aquinas 2006, p. 78). Another leadership style that has positive impacts towards organizational motivation is the democratic style. Democratic leaders develop flexibility of an organization as well as responsibility and help to generate new ideas. 3.2 Motivational theories There are different motivational theories that can be applied in Tesco Supermarket. These theories include instinct, incentive, and drive motivational theories. According to this theory, Tesco employees will be motivated to perform tasks and behave in a certain way that the organization’s culture programs them to behave. Incentive motivation theory will be applied in Tesco to motivate the employees to carry out the duties effectively due to external rewards. For instance, employees will be motivated to go to work on a daily basis for reward of payment especially over the weekends and during holidays. It will be also effective for Tesco to use drive motivation theory. According to this theory, employees will be motivated to do certain things to enable them reduce work tension caused by unsatisfied needs (Mills 2007, p. 75). For instance, in order to reduce thirsty, the employees will be provided with drinking water to quench their thirst during work. 3.3 Usefulness of motivation theory Motivated employees work hard and this hard work enable an organization to achieve greater outputs within a short duration, hence reducing the cost of labour (French 2011, p. 57). Implementation of a motivation theory in Tesco supermarket will be highly useful since it will enable the managers to analyse employees’ performance problems (Mills 2007, p. 90). Using a motivation theory will enable the managers motivate the employees, ensuring that they retain their innovation level as well as producing high quality performance. The use of a motivation theory will make it easy for Tesco managers to analyse employees’ performance problems and find the appropriate motivation strategy that will improve the employees’ performance. 3.4 Three motivational theories that can affect staff performance at Tesco The three motivational theories that can highly affect the staff performance at Tesco supermarket are instinct, Taylor’s motivational theory, and the drive theory. With the application of Taylor’s motivational theory, Tesco creates a friendly workplace environment. However, the Tesco reward programme for its employees has similarity with the Taylor’s theory of motivation. One of the motivating factors used in Tesco is financial rewards. Another theory that can highly affect the performance of Tesco staff is an instinct theory (French 2011, p. 56). This theory will enable Tesco to motivate its staff to perform tasks and behave in a certain way that the organization’s culture programs them to behave. Drive, motivation theory will also affect the staff performance since the supermarket operates for long hours and seven days a week. Therefore, the drive theory will highly motivate employees to come to work during the weekends and holidays due to the rewards as well as providing quality work. Task 4 4.1 Nature of group and group behaviours in an organization A group is a collection of employees, whereby the members have common tasks, are interdependent towards their performances, and make interactions to enable them promote their goals. The nature of a group is the description of its organization and the way it will carry out its activities. Group behaviour refers to a situation where employees interact with both small and large groups (Mills 2007, p. 96). 4.2 Factors that can affect the effectiveness of teamwork in an organization Effective teamwork brings a positive influence towards organizational performance. There are several external and internal factors that affect the effectiveness of teamwork in an organization. These factors include; (1) diversity-diversity promotes innovation and creativity in teamwork as well as raising respect and awareness of differences hence supporting effective teamwork (French 2011, p. 63). For teams that do not have diversity may face challenges when trying to solve certain problems such as innovative solutions. (2) Communication-clear and open means of communication can highly facilitate the effectiveness of a team. (3) Leadership-effective leadership in an organization supports effective teamwork. Effective leaders can contribute towards the effectiveness of teamwork by coordinating the members’ efforts as well as encouraging them to coordinate during team meetings. 4.3 Impacts of technology on team functioning The use of technology can both improve and hinder the effectiveness of a team functioning. Change of technology means that a team must maintain and update its knowledge in order to maintain its effectiveness. Some of the technologies that can improve team functioning are mobile phones, e-mails, computers, groupware, among others (French 2011, p. 67). The advancement of these technologies allows effective communication even when the members are in different geographical locations. Technologies such as groupware enable team members to collaborate and plan meetings. Use of technology in Tesco supermarket will positively affect the effectiveness of its teamwork since the members will be able to communicate even if they are at different store locations. 4.4 Methods to empower team members to use technology effectively One of the methods that will empower team members at Tesco to use technology is by ensuring that the team members are aware of the current technologies in the market. Ensuring that each team has its own computer will highly empower the teams to use technology, hence improving their performance. Allowing the team members to make use of current communication tools such as emails will also empower them to use technology (Mills 2007, p. 97). 4.5 Responsibilities for managing and organizing quality activities As the store manager, I will assume several responsibilities such as supervising the workers, and the store operations. I will also engage in taking inventories and product ordering to ensure that there are enough products to satisfy the needs of our customers. I will also be in charge of supervising all’ the departments of Tesco such as the warehouses. Ensuring that all employees adhere to the rules and regulations of Tesco and the organization’s culture will also lead to quality services French 2011, p. 67). Bibliography Aquinas, PG 2006, Organizational behaviour: concepts realities applications and challenges. New Delhi, Excel Books. French, R 2011, Organizational behaviour. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. Mills, AJ 2007, Organizational behaviour in a global context. Peterborough, Ont, Broadview Press. Read More