Understanding HRM Functions and Challenges in a Modern Retail Environment
Human resource management refers to the process of identifying, influencing, recruiting, selecting, training, and developing employees within a business entity, a concept frequently discussed in academic resources such as Online Assignment Help in UK. It is the pivotal process that emphasizes allocating the right tasks to the right employees so that work can be carried out effectively. HRM also assists in developing the required skills and competencies among employees, which helps in managing overall business operations adequately. Morrison is the UK’s fifth-largest supermarket chain with more than 497 stores across England. The firm was established in 1899 by William Morrison and offers a wide range of products such as clothes, food, books, petrol, tobacco, homeware, and more (Description of Morrison, 2024). The company holds a market share of 8.8% and earned an annual revenue of 18,457 million in 2023. Globalisation and the Covid-19 pandemic have increased the focus on hybrid working, which has created numerous HRM-related challenges. The current report will highlight two HRM challenges faced by Morrison along with suggestions to overcome them.
Task 1
Hybrid working implies for the flexible working model in which employees are provided with flexibility to undertake some task from home and office setting. The concept of remote and hybrid working was introduced after digitalization and pandemic which helps organization in acquiring employees effectively across the globe (Zhang and Chen, 2024). However, the concept of hybrid working has led large number of HRM issue which ultimately impacts the overall productivity and performance of business entity. Below mentioned are the two crucial HRM challenges which faced by Morrison due to the introduction of Hybrid working:
Issue in managing employee’s motivation: Employees motivation refers to the individual’s commitment towards undertaking a particular task and activity. Each firm wants to manage the employee’s motivation and engagement which guides them in effectively carrying out the allotted task. Morrison is facing issue in managing the overall motivation of employees which ultimately leads to higher turnover. Due to hybrid working, workers are unable to effectively communicate with their seniors which result in increasing confusion that leads to lower satisfaction (Zhenjing et al, 2022). Communication is a key for enhancing motivation as effectively conveying firm’s goals and objectives support in creating sense of attachment within team leading to boosting overall motivation. On the basis of survey conducted on Morrison’s employees, 35% of total employee believes that firm is not initiating adequate communication and does not focus on their perception while taking decision.
Further, due to the hybrid working model employees faced issue in managing the overall work life balance which result into reduction in their overall satisfaction (HRM issues in Morrison, 2023). Morrison follows hybrid working on regular basis in which employee need to complete certain fixed hours in office and rest work from other places. Such type of model enhances employees stress as they need to commute to work place to another which ultimately results into rising frustration level. This creates issue for the employees to effectively manage their work life balance which ultimately results in reducing overall motivation of workers.
Moreover, employees stated that hybrid working model has leads to feeling disconnected with organization’s culture and goal which leads to ineffective superior-subordinate relation. In this working setting, managers are not aware of the issue that faced by the employees which create issue in taking adequate actions on timely basis (Arwab et al, 2022). This ineffective relationship creates issue for Morrison to develop an adequate team which ultimately impact on overall financial position of the business entity. Morrison has introduced effective strategy for managing the employee’s motivation such as offering adequate rewards, sharing of regular feedback, flexible scheduling. However, this strategy creates issue in managing the employees’ satisfaction which ultimately leads issue in managing the overall retention rate.
Difficulty in attracting and retaining talents: Another significant challenge faced by Morrison is due to issue in managing overall retention rate among the workers. It has been identified that Morrison is having low retention rate which amount to 49% indicating inefficiency of organization in fulfilling the employees’ needs effectively (Employee’s retention rate in Morrison, 2024).Due to globalization, Morrison faces issue in attracting highly talented and skilled employees at a reasonable cost which impacts the overall efficiency (Bashir, Wright and Hassan, 2023). In the current times, there are large number of competitors of Morrison which offer high wages and salaries for attracting the highly skilled employees.This in turns created issue in managing the retention rate that eventually leads to increasing overall cost for the company. Additionally, Morrison has been claimed for breaching employee’s personal data which has created negative image in the industry and results in losing their overall trust and confidence. Moreover, in the current time employees believes that switching job in less time will help them in gaining higher growth opportunity which ultimately leads to higher employee’ turnover ratio.
Further, in hybrid working model, company is unable to provide collaborating and cooperating working environment that result into reduction in employee’s engagement and leads to lower retention rate (Carter, Onyeador and Lewis Jr, 2020). Further, manager faces issue in providing adequate T&D session according to employee’s needs and preferences that creates issue in gaining adequate growth and development opportunity due to which employees generally switch to another organization. Along with this, it has been determined hybrid working requires individual to physically present in that area as they need to work form office on certain days which creates issue in attracting talented employees from other countries.
Task 2
There are large numbers of theories of motivation and retention which will help in effective analysing the challenges faced by the Morrison.
Maslow’s motivation theory: For critically analysing motivational issue within Morrison, Maslow five stage theories has been used which helps in determining the firm’s efficiency in meeting up all the need of employees. The first stage of theory includes basic need which indicates that adequate financial incentive should be offered which helps in fulfilling basis need of shelter, food and clothes successfully. In this regard, 40% of Morrison’s employees stated that equitable and accurate wages are not offered to them which create as situation of dissatisfaction within them (Elsafty and Oraby, 2022). Further, increments are not offered on the basis of inflation in the country that creates issue in effectively sustaining in the country and maintaining the standard of living. Second stage of Maslow theory includes safety and security needs in which organization should provide adequate financial and health security to employees.
In this regard, Morrison is not able to maintain the integrity and confidentiality of employees’ personal data and pay information which creates dissatisfaction among the employees. Third stage of Maslow theory includes creating an environment of collaboration and support which aids in developing the feeling of belongingness among worker. However, Morrison have been claimed for following an poor communication system, supportive superior and lack of freedom to express their view point which leads to creating issue in managing employees’ engagement. Fourth stages of Maslow theory depict that employee need recognition and reputation which helps in enhancing their satisfaction (Maslow’s Motivation theory, 2023). However, Morrison conduct annual program for rewarding and appreciating work and efforts of employees but did not concentrate over recognising employees on regular basis.
Regular recognition supports in maintaining motivation of employees towards the better work which results into enhancement in motivation level. Last step of Maslow’s theory is based on self actualization stages in which employees required adequate training and development session so that their personal needs could be attained along with organisational goal. On the basis of survey conducted, it has been identified that 62% of employees are not satisfied with Morrison’s T&D policy as it ignores need of employees (Galvão, Marques and Ferreira, 2020). Firm only establish session so that organization’s goal could be attained but did not concentrate on arranging session by which personal needs could be achieved.
Resource-based employee retention theory (RBV): This theory stated that employees have felt valuable to their company are most likely to retain in firm for longer time period. This theory explicated that firm which provide respect to its workers are most likely to develop sense of belongingness among them which results in enhancing overall retention rate (Resource based retention theory, 2024). In this context, Morrison should evaluate the competitive edge which will be gained by effectively managing employee of the business entity (Gil et al, 2020). However, Morrison does not focus over offering adequate recognition and rewards to its worker which negatively impact on their motivation. There is no adequate communication channel for contacting with hybrid employees which create issue in effectively sharing their perception with others leading to negatively impacting overall motivation level. It has been identified that worker does not prefer working at place where their perception and view point does not matters which ultimately results in increasing worker’s turnover rate.
Conclusion
From the above analysis, it has been identified that lack of employees’ motivation and lower workers retention rate are two major HRM challenges faced by Morrison. This challenges result in impacting on overall profitability and financial position of the business entity as unmotivated employees does not concentrate over providing adequate services to customer which ultimately results in losing customer. Further, high turnover rate requires firm to attract new workers and arrange T&D session which increases overall cost for the business entity. It has further determined that high turnover depict inadequate culture and facilities within organization which negatively influence reputation and goodwill of the business entity.
Task 3
After critically analysing various challenges which are impacting on overall performance and human resources of business entity, it has depicted that Morrison should focus on modifying its HRM policies. Morrison should introduce below mentioned strategies and measures in its operation which aids in maintaining employees’ motivation and retention within hybrid working model:
| Strategy | Resources required | Time frame |
| Introduce open door policy | Adequate | 2 months |
| Arrange T&D session | Skilled trainee, technology | 4 months |
| Recognizes effort | Award, monetary benefits, health insurance | 3 months |
| Team collaboration | Software and latest technology | 3 months |
Introduce an open-door policy: Morrison should focus on introducing an open door policy in which employee should be allowed to freely share their perception within manager. This strategy will help in effectively understanding employees view point based on which effective policies could be drafted. This strategy is optimum as it helps in developing sense of attachment and freedom among workers leading to increasing their motivation (Jahya et al, 2020). This strategy has been suggested as it has been depicted that lack of communication is the major issue prevailing within Morrison which ultimately leads to create situation of conflict within organization. Open door policy will allow employees to share their issues and challenges with their manager based on which accurate suggestion could be provided for enhancing the overall motivation level. Moreover, in hybrid working adequate communication challenges and video conferring should be initiated on weekly basis which contributes in understanding the workers; needs and issues based on which effective solution could be implemented by business entity.
5 Years | PhD
Arranging accurate T&D session: it has been identified that inaccurate development opportunity is another reason for increasing employees; turnover within Morrison. In the current times, each worker focuses on attaining their personal and professional goal which helps in securing higher growth potential in upcoming time. Establishing effective T&D session aids in fulfilling employee’s need which contributes in managing the employee motivation. Further, employees generally left organization due to lack of adequate growth scope (Johnson, Park and Chaudhuri, 2020). Adequate T&D session will help in overcoming both the challenges which result effectively managing human resource. In this course, company should undertake survey which help in understanding needs of workers based on which most optimum session could be arranged leading to increasing morale. This will create positive impact on employee as they will remain with firm with the aim of enhancing their skills and knowledge that ultimately leads to higher retention rate.
Recognizing efforts: Another prominent way of managing worker’s motivation and retention rate is by adequately recognizing effort and contribution of workers within business entity. Instead of rewarding employees on annual basis, manager should focus on appreciating worker at the time of incredible performances which helps in developing sense of attachment with the business entity. In the hybrid working model, at the end of day manager should appreciate highly performing worker through messages in group which help in increasing worker’s engagement leading to enhancing their overall motivation (Kamper, 2020). Moreover, additional budget and salary should be provided for developing adequate working infrastructure and environment at employees’ house which also help in maintaining long term stability in the business entity. This strategy have been suggested as recognition and respect are two crucial requirement of each employees based on which their retention decision are taken.
Improve team collaboration: In the hybrid working model, the major issue faced by employees is regarding lack of collaborating working environment in the company. Employees generally feel dissatisfied due to lack of collaboration with employees that ultimately results in higher workers’ turnover rate. In this context cloud based tools and AI powered software’s should be used which help in effective cooperation. Further, AI based tool help in combining documents, chats, calendar events and email which help in improving collaboration within team. Moreover, culture of openness and transparency should be promoted which aids in effectively developing trust and confidence within team members which results in enhancing overall satisfaction (Kozhakhmet et al, 2022). Further, informed challenges of communication should also be used which help in developing connection within team members leading to higher retention. In the current time, employees generally concentrate on fulfilling their social needs along with financial needs so that employee motivation could be managed. Moreover, adequate collaboration aids in enhancing worker’s productivity and support in developing sense of purpose for employees.
Task 4 Reflection
Gibbs reflective model will be used to share my experience and view point while completing this assignment. This is six step cyclic model which aids in effectively expressing my feeling, learning and experiences while completing the assignment (Gibbs reflective model, 2023). For identifying adequate information regarding Morrison total of 30-40 articles been evaluated which help me in understanding wide information regarding topic. Further, I have effectively evaluated author of all the articles so that adequate information could be gained related to the topic. At the initial stage, I was not able to understand theories that should be utilized which create confusion in my mind. However, after formative feedback from tutor and effectively understand various theories in module I was able to identify most optimum theory which could be effective in particular situation.
Get assistance from our PROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENT WRITERS to receive 100% assured AI-free and high-quality documents on time, ensuring an A+ grade in all subjects.
While carrying out the study, I faced issue in identifying reliability of information and as unreliable sources could result in providing in accurate information. For overcoming the issue, I have concentrated on using my researching skills and critically analysing sources of article which aids in identifying reliability. I was involved in identifying the time of data collection and situation when the data was published so that accurate and more reliable information could be sourced. For integrating motivation and retention theories, I was involved in adequately understanding all the theories and challenges that was faced by the company. Further I have evaluated various published survey which helps me in identifying issue faced by employees that help me in establishing adequate link between theories and task.
References
Books and Journals
Online
Introduction Get free samples written by our Top-Notch subject experts for taking assignment help services. Project...View and Download
Introduction Get free samples written by our Top-Notch subject experts for taking help from our assignment helper. The use...View and Download
Introduction Financial management is concerned with controlling, monitoring and reporting the financial resources of the...View and Download
Introduction - Principles & Practices of Marketing Assignment Sample Marketing Principles refers to techniques and...View and Download
INTRODUCTION Explore free assignment samples crafted by our subject experts and take advantage of our online Assignment Helper...View and Download
Introduction Get free samples written by our Top-Notch subject experts for taking online Assignment...View and Download
Copyright 2025 @ Rapid Assignment Help Services
