The Effectiveness Of Leadership Strategies In Improving Employee Performance: A Case Study Of Woolworths In The UK

Literature Review

Lo et al. (2015) is of the opinion that leadership is an important factor that helps in building teams and at the same time provide an opportunity for the development of future leaders in an organisation. However, the leadership styles need to be considered based on the capability of the employees and thereby choice of leadership usually affects the performance of the employees. The research analyses the effectiveness of leadership on the employees of Woolworths and the manner in which it can be improved. The focus is on Woolworths stores that are located in the UK.

Woolworths is a reputed supermarket that is headquartered in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the leading supermarkets in the country and provides intense competition to other retail sectors in the country. The store has more than 995 stores across the country and aims to expand more in other parts of the world (Woolworths group 2018). The number of employees that the company possess is about 1115,000 across the stores and distribution centres so that it can reach the target market and maintain the satisfaction of the customers (Woolworths group 2018). At the same time Woolworths associates with the producers and farmers of the country so that it can ensure that fresh products and services are delivered to the customers on a regular basis (Woolworths group 2018).

The research field that is taken into consideration is the strategic management. According to Iqbal, Anwar and Haider (2015), strategic management consists of identifying the leadership strategies that are undertaken by organisations so that it can encourage the employees to reach the goal of the organisation. In this case, the strategic management in the form of leadership adopted by the managers of Woolworths is undertaken so that performance of the employees can be improved and the goals set by the organisation in the markets of UK can be achieved.

The issues that has been analysed in Woolworths is the decline in the productivity due to the under performance of the employees. The employees are entirely depended on the leaders and the guidance provided by the leaders. The research is conducted keeping in mind the effectiveness of the leadership styles and its impact of the performance of the employees in Woolworths. The leadership that is seen in Woolworths is the managerial practise that affects the employees directly and is related to the chain of commands so that goals of the organisation can be attained (Woolworths group 2018).

Leadership and Employee Performance

The aim of the research is to identify the effectiveness of leadership strategies that are adopted by Woolworths so that it can improve the performance of the employees. Leadership and employee performance are important particularly in an area outside the host country. The research takes into consideration the nature of employee productivity in the UK market of Woolworths and the manner in which leadership can help in improving the market. Hence, the objectives are based on the effectiveness of the strategic management that is undertaken by the company.

The research objective includes:

• To assess the meaning and concept of leadership
• To identify the impact of different leadership style on the performance of the employees working in Woolworths, UK
• To recommend strategies to improve the leadership in order to enhance the performance of the employees

The research question includes:

• What is the meaning and concept of leadership?
• What are the impacts of different leadership style on the performance of the employees working in Woolworths, UK?
• What recommended strategies can be provided to improve the leadership in order to enhance the performance of the employees?

The research set up an introduction, which helps in analysing the purpose as well as the problems related to the topic. The aim, objective and research question related to conducting the research are described so that the significance of the research can be understood. The second part of the research is the literature review section, which helps in identifying theories and models that are related to the research topic. Scholarly articles are analysed in the section. The methodology section describes the methods used for conducting the research and the research tools and techniques that are suitable for the research are developed. Findings from the methods used are described so that a proper conclusion can be reached which can help in accomplishing the purpose of the research. The limitations are stated and recommendation to the researched company is provided.

The section conducts an analysis of the works of reputed scholars that help in understanding the topic of the research. The literature review can usually provide ideas about the theoretical concepts that can be used for the successful completion of the research. In this case the concepts related to leadership is analysed and the impact it has on the productivity of the employees are identified. The literature review focuses to address the research questions and analyse the gaps so that the research can be conducted in a proper manner and the purpose of the research can be reached.

Bass and Bass (2009) stated that leadership is a method by which individuals provide a sense of direction, implement plans and motivate people so that they can work effectively as a team. The experience possessed by the leaders provides them with an opportunity to impart a sense of teamwork and guide the individuals to maintain the goals stated by the organisation. As stated by Cherry (2018) leadership helps to inspire workers so that higher levels of teamwork can be formed and at the same time, ensue that continuous functioning of the organisation takes place. Leadership is said to be an acquired trait and at that, people are not born with the quality.

Leadership Styles and Effectiveness

However, Dininni (2017) is of the opinion that leadership can be a natural thing as well as some people are born with the charismatic style that helps in the development of leadership.  One of the characteristic of a good leader is the fact that they work continuously for the betterment of the team and in the process gain experience so that they can be of assistance to the team members. The leadership skills can improve by admiring the leadership qualities and at the same time implying it for the development of the team in which they work in.

Popli and Rizvi (2015) are of the opinion that leadership is a process by which people can influence one another so that objective set by the individuals or the organisation can be achieved. Leaders help in directing organisations in such a way that it helps in making the concept more cohesive as well as coherent. A group of individuals can be influenced by the leaders so that objectives set by an organisation can be achieved and help in the development of potential leaders for the future progress of the organisations. As stated by Daniel (2002) is of the opinion that the leaders tend to influence people so that mission can be accomplished.

Leadership can be considered as an inspiration that helps other to pursue the vision with the set parameters so that it becomes a shared effort, shared vision and shared success of an organisation as well as the employees working in it. According to Gabzhalilov (2015), leadership can also help in influencing people so that maximum effort can be made for the achievement of the goals set by the people. Knowledge and skills required for gaining attribution of the employees is one of the most important aspects that leaders can undertake in the organisation. It is essential that leaders and followers maintain communication with one another so that proper flow of information can take place.

Heneman and Gresham (2000) is of the opinion that it is important for every organisation to ensure that a proper leader is influenced so that it can influence the team in making decisions in the organisations. Therefore, it is important for every leader to take into consideration the factors that help in maintaining the beliefs, values and ethical consideration of the employees. As observed by Mohammed and Hagi (2015) knowledge and skills plays an effective role in the leadership process and based on the attributes the leaders can learn the required skills for the development of a team and provide influence of the team members in the company.

Autocratic Leadership

As stated by Moorad (2017) the leadership styles can help in influencing the group members in trying to work towards the goals and objectives of an organisation. Therefore, the leadership styles adopted by the leaders need to reflect the capability they posses as well as provide an idea about the personality of the people. The leadership styles can vary depending upon the capabilities of the employees and the manner in which they can influence the functioning of the company (Nebel 2003). The leadership styles and the effectiveness it has on the employees in order to improve their performance is stated:

Autocratic leadership: Brenneman (2018) is of the opinion that autocratic leadership does not concern the opinion of the employees and instead makes decisions that help in the progress of the organisation by forcing employees to abide by the decisions. The employees or the group members are neither considered nor consulted before making any decisions that may change the functioning of the organisation. Hence, this form of leadership is considered as rarely effective as the motivation factor of the employees are jeopardised and employees are compelled to work under the decisions that an enforced upon them. As stated by Chambers (2015) the adoption of this style of leadership usually results in the loss of employees and therefore many organisations and leaders avoid it.

Democratic leadership: Craig and Snook (2014) stated that the democratic leadership style is the opposite of the autocratic leadership style. In this form of leadership style, decisions regarding the organisation or the team are made taking the consent of the employees or group members. The input of ideas provided by each team member is taken into consideration and every employee is treated equally. As pointed out by Drucker (2014) the application of democratic style of leadership is common among the leaders as it can help in maintaining the effectiveness of the employees and motivate them to continue to work in a professional manner. The resemblance of the leadership style reflects the manner in which decisions are taken in company board meetings.

Laissez faire: This form of leadership is considered as the least effective form of leadership style. According to George et al. (2017), the laissez faire provides leaders with an opportunity to direct the authority towards the employees. Leaders do not concern themselves with the decisions and allow employees with the freedom to continue work without work or supervision. This form of leadership style may have a negative impact in either form as such decision may lead to the loss for organisations and limit the opportunity of growth for the leaders as well as group members. Hence, it is important that such a leadership style be not used frequently in the organisations.

Democratic Leadership

Strategic leadership: Strategic leaders sit at the intersection that displays the main operation of a company as well as provide it with growth opportunities. As stated by Goleman (2013) the leaders accept the burden of executive interest while ensuring that the current manner in which the organisation maintains its works is effective. This particular style is commonly applied in organisations mainly because thinking a strategic manner can help companies to execute the plans properly and achieve the goals. However, as observed by Kavadias, Ladas and Loch (2016) it can be difficult for leaders that work in this manner to control every employee and ensure that the demands made by them are met.

 Transformational leadership: Transformational leadership is sometimes effective in organisations as the main aim of the leadership strategy is to continuously make improvement and change the working habit of the people. Antonakis and Day (2017) is of the view that the transformational leadership may provide employees with an instability in the organisation as the basic set of tasks and goals remain same but the manner in which one need to achieve it changes. This type of leadership style is encouraged mainly for the growth of the organisation and for the motivation of the employees. However, the risk remains in the fact that the learning curve of the employees may be lost to the application of this form of leadership.

As stated by Bolman and Deal (2017) several factors contribute to the effective application of leadership in an organisation. The argument about the natural abilities of leaders along with the acquired abilities of the leaders can be understood by the factors that contribute for the development of leadership within an individual. It is necessary to understand the factors as it may be out of control once the leaders engross itself in the management of the employees as well as in achieving the goals of an organisation. Some of the factors that contribute towards the development of the leadership in an organisation include:

Experience: According to Cashman (2017), experience can be considered as a primary factor that affects leadership. Without experience, about good events and bad it can be difficult for individuals to impart the knowledge and skill required for the development of a proper leadership within an organisation. Experiences acquired by the leaders in the past provide an opportunity for establishing proper and necessary skills required for improving the condition of the employees. The experiences of the leaders are required to make difficult decisions and therefore it is required that the individual selected as the leader is well experienced in situations that can help them while making tough decisions or implementing strategies in an organisation (Daft 2014).

Laissez-Faire Leadership

Personality: Most of the times substitutes for natural characteristics cannot be made as the individual chosen as the leader possess abilities or habits that are attributed to their personality. In this regard, a relation can be made with the effective application of leadership styles in a way that the styles adopted by an individual is mainly based on the characteristic they posses and the personality that they have. As stated by DuBrin (2015) it is essential that leaders remain motivated so that they can provide the same to the employees. Apart from this, leaders also need to be practical so that spontaneous decisions can be made. Hence, it can be said that the personality of the leaders plays an important role for the effective choice of style and the manner in which it can help in the development of the performance of the employees in an organisation.

Employee roles: The roles of the employees are important for the development of an organisation as well as the group. It is necessary that the roles of the employees be defined so that they can understand their position in the organisation and make valuable contribution to the success of the organisation. Fairhurst and Connaughton (2014) is of the opinion that employees have varying level of maturity and it is important that the maturity level be understood and comprehended so that continuing with the improvement of the organisation can take place. It is the duty of the leaders to identify the characteristics of the employees so that the roles can be designated and progress towards the development of an organisation takes place. 

Organisational culture: Goleman (2017) is of the opinion that the culture of an organisation is the foundation that is made during its establishment. It is difficult to change the culture of an organisation as it is long-held information and the systems that are designed with the organisational culture represent the image of the company and the brand. Therefore, it is the duty of the leaders to ensure that the culture of the organisations is kept intact so that the image does not be downgraded. The rituals and routines that are established at the initial stage need to be kept in mind before making any type or changes in the functioning of the organisations. This particular factor can be best applied for the leaders engaged in transformational style so that continuous changes do not hamper the culture of the organisations.

Research Methodology

The literature review provided an analysis of the concept of leadership along with the style and the factors. The analysis of the literature review can be linked with the research question in the sense that the purpose of the research can be addressed from the analysis of the literature review. It has been seen that leadership is an important concept and despite its variable definitions from the scholars, it holds an effective position in the strategic management of an organisation. Thereby the link with the research question can be proved with the analysis of the concept of the leadership. At the same time, the leadership styles and its impact can be analysed from the literature review. This can be related with Woolworths and the impact that a choice of style may have on the productivity of the employees. Analysis of the effectiveness along with the suitable choice can be recommended to the company and the relation of it can be made with the research question based on recommendation. Hence, it can be said that the issue of leadership that Woolworths has in its organisation can be mitigated with the application of proper leadership style. Hence, the link with the research question can be justified.

The analysis of the effectiveness of the leadership styles are based on the scholarly articles that were developed by experiences of these authors. However, with the change in capacity of business and the rapid changes that business undergoes in the modern world there are few gaps that need to be mitigated. One such gap is the fact that in the modern days, most leaders are spontaneous in the decision-making process and therefore, adopt a mixed style of leadership that combines defining characteristics of each type. This helps in developing a sense of dominance over the employees by providing them with the required freedom necessary for making decisions regarding the organisation. Such an effective mode of leadership was absent in the early years of the development of the strategy.

The analysis of the literature review shows that leadership is important in order to develop the competence of the employees. It is necessary for every organisation to maintain an appropriate leadership style that can help it to motivate the employees and improve the performance. The link with the research questions help the research to remain within the topic and therefore, it can be said that further progress of the research can be done in a proper manner. The next section analyses the methods that can be used for the completion of the research in a proper manner.

Conclusion

As stated by Treiman (2014), the research methodology can be mainly if three types that help in identifying the proper research that needs to be conducted for completing the project. The common types of research methodologies that are used by the researcher are the research philosophy, research design and research approach. According to Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault (2015), the research philosophy can be divided into three types that include the positivism philosophy, interpretivism philosophy and pragmatic philosophy. The positivism philosophy assists by providing information about the research. The interpretivism philosophy assists in finding out relevant information related to the research. The pragmatic philosophy is a mixture of the other two philosophies. For this research, positivism philosophy had been considered.

The research design consists of descriptive design and exploratory design. The descriptive design provides an opportunity to verify the topic so that analysis can be made to link with the research question. While on the other hand, Flick (2015) is of the opinion that exploratory design helps in conducting investigation on the responses provided by the sample participants. For this research, the descriptive research design had been used. Finally, the research approach consists of the inductive and deductive approach. As stated by Lampard and Pole (2015) the inductive approach consists of applying models and relevant theories that are associated with the research. The deductive approach helps in analysing the theories and relates it with the research questions. This particular research was conducted using deductive approach so that relevant theories on leadership can be analysed.

According to McCusker and Gunaydin (2015), the research approach is based on the research methods that are necessary for the successful completion of the project. Three types of researches are taken into consideration by the researchers so that the research can be completed successfully. The three approaches include quantitative, qualitative and mixed approach. As stated by Neuman and Robson (2014) the quantitative approach is associated with the primary collection of data taken directly from the participants. The process involves analysing the data using a survey or an interview method where the responses of the sample size are analysed (Mertens 2014).

The qualitative approach consists of the secondary data, which are obtained from books, journals and websites. The qualitative approach takes into consideration the analysis of thematic data. According to Bernard (2017), the mixed approach consists of analysing data by the application of both quantitative and qualitative methods. For this research, the application of the mixed analysis is taken in which interview method as well as thematic analysis is conducted.

Limitations

The sample size that is identified for analysing the research consists of the managers of Woolworths. The interview method is considered so that the quantitative data analysis can be conducted. Brannen (2017) stated that the opinion be two types of sampling method can be used which includes the probabilistic sampling and the non-probabilistic sampling. The probabilistic sampling method provides every participant in the sample size with an opportunity to be selected for the research. On the other hand, the non-probabilistic sampling method selects the participants based on criteria and every people does not hold equal opportunity. For the research, the sampling technique that can be used is the simple random sampling technique so that opportunity can be provided to the participants without any biasness. The analysis of the mixed research is done using non-probabilistic sampling method.

The data for the research was collected by conducting interview of the managers of Woolworths. As stated earlier the mixed method has been used for the collection of the data thereby it includes both interview as well as thematic analysis of the data. The three managers were questioned based on the research topic and the questions were related to the research aim and questions that were set at the initial stage. The thematic analysis was conducted using the related themes based on leadership.

As stated by Davies and Hughes (2014) the analysis of data is usually done by sources that depend upon the collection of data that are obtained from various sources. For primary data, analysis is done of the surveys so that the responses can be collected and calculated using tools like mean score and frequency distribution. However, for secondary data, thematic analysis is done that are related with the topic. For this research purpose, thematic analysis is undertaken along with the interview method so that the research can progress efficiently.

The ethical consideration conducted for the research helps in preserving the secrecy of the data and allows the research to continue without any hindrance. The rules stated in the Data Protection Act 1998 are followed while collecting the data. The managers of Woolworths were approached and a consensual agreement was made so that future complication regarding the information gathered does not occur. At the same time, breach of privacy has been managed while collecting the data. During the interview method, the participants were not forced to provide their opinion about the matter.

Recommendations

The research findings are done by taking using a mix methodology that consists of the interview method as well as the thematic analysis method. The findings of the two methods are provided below.

What in your opinion is leadership and how can it be implied?

Manager 1	Manager 2	Manager 3
Leadership is a process that is adopted by an individual in order to inspire a group of people so that the organisational objectives and aims can be achieved. A common goal is set up and an individual is appointed as the leader so that they can influence the team members	Leadership is an act of inspiring new employees to continue to chase their vision by keeping in mind the organisational objective. It is necessary to implement leadership in an organisation by appointing the most experienced candidate to take charge of a group of new people so that they can be well acquainted with the policies of the organisation	Leadership is a process of social influence that helps in maximising the efforts put in by other employees. Implementation of leadership tactics can be made by ensuring a person with the correct temperament is appointed as the leader for encouraging the people

What leadership style do you adopt in your organisation to enhance productivity of employees?

Manager 1	Manager 2	Manager 3
The leadership style adopted is the democracy style so that every employee can be provided with the opportunity to make their decisions known about the changes that need to be made in the organisations. This helps in motivating the employees, as they feel recognised in the organisation	We do not adopt any one particular leadership style because it is important to take spontaneous actions as per the situation at hand. Thereby, employees are rewarded for their good work and at the same time reprimanded for any wrong actions. Decisions made are discussed with the employees	Employees are not considered in the decision making process as it is believed that decisions regarding the welfare of the organisation needs to be taken by experienced people with authority. The employees do not pose such authority and thereby adoption of autocratic leadership style is best suited for the organisation

What changes can you make in approaching employees in enhancing their productivity?

Manager 1	Manager 2	Manager 3
The employees enjoy the working condition that is provided and thereby no such changes need to be made that may help in motivating them. Having said this, the employees can be provided with an opportunity to lead in the absence of the original leader so that a practical experience of the concept can be gained	The employees can be provided with a proper objective so that they can work towards it. At the same time they can be provided with an opportunity to appraise their performance and leaders need to respond to the queries posed by them regarding any matter	The employees can be allowed to provide feedback about any changes or decisions that are made by the company. This can help in making the employees feel valuable and consequently may improve the performance level

Thematic analysis:

Theme 1: Factors that affect leadership in an organisation

A bunch of factors that may be affecting the leadership styles can be because of the internal factors of an organisation as well as the external factors. As stated by Wendy et al. (2016) leadership need to be based on the personality of the individuals so that the application of the style provides an idea about the individual. Personality of the individuals contributes a long way in gaining the effectiveness of the employees and enhancing their productivity. For an organisation, that has poor leadership quality it is necessary that the personality of the people involved be taken into consideration so that a proper leader is chosen that can help in mitigating the standard.

Apart from this, it has been evidenced that leadership also requires to understand the roles of the employees. As stated by Tourish (2014) defining a proper role for the employees can help in understanding the potential that they possess. This can help leaders to identify the capabilities of the employees and based on it inspiration can be provided to enhance the working condition. Hence, it can be said that the factors play a significant role in the development of a leader as well as enhancing the productivity made by the employees.

Theme 2: Effectiveness of leadership styles for motivating employees

The leadership styles are normally adopted based on the personality of the individuals. However, Renz and Herman (2016) observed that leadership styles can also be used as a method of motivation as the level of involvement of the employees contribute towards the development of the motivation. Therefore, it can be said that every leadership style is an effective way of contributing towards the development of employees. It has been evidenced that not all of the leadership styles provides the opportunities for employees to take part in decision-making activities. Hence, it is necessary that leadership styles that allow employees to do so be adopted by organisations so that employees can be made to feel as an important part of the organisations. Sanders (2017) are of the opinion that the adoption of democratic style can help in the development of employee motivation in an organisation.

Theme 3: Changes in the leadership styles that can help in the development of effective employee performance

As stated by Komives (2016) maintaining changes in organisations is an important factor that needs to be undertaken for the development of an employee. The leadership styles that are undertaken in an organisation also need to be changed so that development of the effective employee performance can be take place. However, at times it is seen that changes in the leadership style alone may not help in the development of employee efficiency in an organisation. DuBrin (2015) is of the opinion that leaders need to be supportive irrespective of the style adopted so that the employees can be guided properly. The employees sometimes consider involvement in decision-making activities as secondary factors. However, getting the proper guidance in order to enhance the quality of work is a primary activity that every leader needs to take into consideration so that employees can be motivated and issues within the team can be mitigated.

The mixed methodology has provided an idea about the manner in which the research can be conducted in a successful manner. The analysis of the interview conducted of the managers and the thematic analysis that has been done provides an idea about the impact of leadership in an organisation and the manner in which it can help in enhancing the performance of the employees. At stated in the introduction, the main problem of Woolworths is the falling standard of the leadership that has a negative impact on enhancing the workability of the employees. Thereby the analysis of the themes has provided an idea about the factors that may help in the development of proper leadership styles.

It has been seen from the interview that the managers vary in their concept of leadership. However, a common theme is that leaders need to be experience and help in guiding the employees so that organisational objectives can be attained. This particular research question can be related to the factors that affect employee enhancement. It has been seen that employees need to be given proper time and the leaders need to ensure that the personality they possess help in providing the employees with the required guidance of work. Therefore, it can be said that the analysis of the themes as well as the interview provides an idea about the manner in which leadership can be used to enhance the performance of the work.

The relation can be made with Woolworths in a way that the third managers of Woolworths believe that employees need to be involved in the decision-making activity. The first manager who is of the opinion that the ideas of the employees can help them be better leaders does not support this statement. At the same time the second manager is of the opinion that leadership styles need to be flexible depending upon the situation at hand. This particular interview session can be related to the thematic analysis in which it is seen that leadership styles acts as a motivation for the employees.

Without a proper style, it can be difficult to connect with the employees and provide them with the required support. In the case of Woolworths, the leaders need to ensure that motivational factors and leadership are managed comprehensively so that they can aid in the development of the capabilities of the employees. The leadership adopted in Woolworths need to confirm the fact that every employee be given the proper guidance so that they can maintain their interest in the work. Relation can be made with the analysis of the concept of leadership in which the managers of Woolworths agreed that leaders need to be the guide behind the development of new employees in an organisation.

Therefore, it can be said that the recommended changes that can be associated with the adoption of leadership styles provides an understanding of the factors that is associated with the motivation of the employees. The thematic analysis showed that the employees require guidance and support from the leaders more than being able to be involved in decision-making. In this regard, relation can be made with the statement made by the second manager in which it has been stated that leaders need solve the queries of the employees. Such a change can bring about improvement in the working conditions of the employees in Woolworths and it can provide them with an idea about the type of leadership that can be followed within the workplace. Hence, it can be said that the thematic analysis as well as the interview method is suitable for conducting the research and meeting its research questions.

The literature review can be related with the findings after considering the mixed analysis. The literature review provides an understanding of the contributions made by the scholars so that leadership and employee performance can be related. The factors as well as the styles that contribute towards the development of an efficient employee are well provided in the literature review. In this regard, it can be said that the factors such as personality and the roles of the employees is important for the development of effective working strategy of the employees. Every leader need to consider the styles based on the capabilities of the employees so that the best results can be brought about.

For an organisation like Woolworths, adoption of a suitable leadership style can bring about an improvement in the performance of the employees as the effectiveness of the style may force employee to comply with the organisational policies. Changes in the leadership style adopted by the individuals can bring about a motivation factor for the employees. The thematic analysis and the interview of the managers have provided an idea about the effectiveness that leadership provide in motivating employees. Hence, it can be said that employee capability can be enhanced by taking into consideration the factors that affect the leadership styles. Therefore, it can be said that a proper link is made between the literature review as well as the results of the findings developed from the mixed analysis method.

Research question 1: What is the meaning and concept of leadership?

The analysis of the interview as well as the themes related to the research has provided a comprehensive idea about the concept of leadership. During the interview method, it had been seen that the three managers of Woolworths had provided varied accounts of the concept of leadership, however one of the common areas of agreement is the fact that leaders need to guide and support employees so that they can be developed in the organisation. The thematic analysis and the literature review have managed to prove the importance of support of the leaders in trying to enhance the productivity of the employees working in Woolworths, UK. Hence, it can be said that the link between the research questions with the interview, the thematic analysis and the literature review has been successful in this case.

Research question 2: What are the impacts of different leadership style on the performance of the employees working in Woolworths, UK?

Leadership styles can bring about a sense of motivation as well as discourage employees while trying to work in an organisation. In the case of the employees working in Woolworths, UK the performance of the employees can be improved by adopting suitable leadership style. The literature review provides an idea about the effectiveness of each of the leadership style. The interview and the thematic analysis support the fact that proper leadership style can provide motivation to the employees so that they can enhance their capabilities in the organisations. Therefore, it can be said that the link between the research question, thematic analysis, literature review as well as the interview is successful in this case.

Research question 3: What recommended strategies can be provided to improve the leadership in order to enhance the performance of the employees?

The recommended changes that Woolworths can undertake in cases like this is that it can ensure that motivation of the employees through the adoption of proper leadership technique is provided so that the objective of the organisation can be reached. The analysis of the interview suggests that the managers of Woolworths do not agree about the involvement of employees in the decision-making system of the organisation. At the same time, the literature review as well as the thematic analysis suggests that it is important that leaders perform the basic duties of supporting the employees irrespective of the choice of style that is adopted. Hence, it can be said that the researcher has met the research question partially in this case.

Recommendations can be made keeping in mind the analysis of the interview and the themes as well as the condition of Woolworths. It has been seen the impact of leadership on Woolworths is a major concern as the company has failed to generate the best quality of performance from the employees. Hence, it can be said that the best solution for Woolworths in terms of applying leadership in the organisations is the fact that it can adopt the democratic style that provides employees with an opportunity to be involved in the decision-making activities of the organisation. Although the interview showed that, the third manager of Woolworths was against such a policy and the first manager was of the view that the employees are happy with the work, the application of this leadership style is important for the development of the organisation and to ensure that the quality of work of the employees improve.

At the same time, another recommendation can be made based on the motivation of the employees. It is necessary that the leaders of Woolworths motivate the employee not only by engaging them in decision-making activities but along with it to provide the employees with proper guidance and support. Such a recommendation is supported from the analysis of the third theme which states that the leaders need to fulfil the basic duties as the employees expect guidance from them. It is also a recurring opinion that is made by the managers so that the new employees can be provided with guidance by experienced individuals.

Another recommendation that can be made is the fact that the individual chosen as the leader need to have the experience as well possess the temperament of leadership. This is supported by the interview of the second and third manager in which they have stated that the leaders need to be experienced and bold to guide the employees. The experience factor of the leaders is also supported by the analysis of the literature review. Hence, application of this particular recommendation can help Woolworths to address its issue.

Conclusion

The research limitations it was conducted using mix methodology and therefore proper analysis of either of the two types of research analysis were not implemented. Focus needed to be provided on both the research types so that the research can be completed in a successful manner. It was difficult to contact the managers as Woolworths is a popular store and making appointments with the managers seemed as a problem for the researcher. At the same time, gaining access to different information using websites was difficult mainly because Woolworths does not publish confidential information at the website. Information about the research was not easily available over the internet and therefore, it became a problem for the researcher. It can be said that without the existence of these limitations the research could have been conducted in a proper manner.

The conclusion of the project can be done made by keeping in mind the results derived from the analysis of the interview, themes and the literature review. It has been seen that in order to maintain the effectiveness with which Woolworths can improve the productivity of the employees they need to ensure that leaders perform the duty that is expected from them. At the same time, the employees need to trust the leaders and continue to make changes in the type of work so that they can remain effective in the organisation. The analysis has shown that mixed opinion have been provided about the employees being involved in the decision-making process. However, in the modern world, spontaneous decision taken by the leaders can help in avoiding such circumstances and a flexible manner can be adopted to implement leadership styles.

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