LJMU-7508-BEGP Leadership for Strategic Execution Assignment Sample

Introduction To: LJMU-7508-BEGP Leadership for Strategic Execution

In the competitive business environment, leadership plays a pivotal role in the strategic execution of diversity and inclusion in organisational culture. An inclusive culture is defined as an environment in which employees feels respected and value despite of multiple differences based on race, gender, caste, age, religion or background. This leads to embrace diverse team working among organisational employees along with the compliance of ethical and legal standards. Embracing diversity and inclusion at workplace offers the benefit of fostering an inclusive work culture by enhancing motivation and engagement among employees. Further, it leads to boosting morale of employees that helps them to feel more valued and empowered, results in improved efficiency and overall performance.

Key objective of the essay is to critically evaluate the leadership role in managing change in ethical manner to support project execution. Scope of the essay is to evaluate inclusive and professional skills in terms of collaborative working among employees. This essay will be based on identification of key issue within context of inclusion and diversity faced by Sainsbury’s. Role of leadership in fostering inclusive culture within organisation to embrace diverse team working among employees will be analysed. In addition to that, description about significance of diverse team working in terms of enhancing innovation and creativity will be critically discussed. The secondary method of investigation will be choose that is associated with utilization of academic and research journals, articles and books, scholarly resources and websites.

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MAIN BODY

Problem identification

Sainsbury’s is termed as a well-known retailer within UK that deals with sale of general merchandise, clothing and groceries. It’s headquarter is situated in London, UK. Recently Grocery giant Sainsbury faced technical challenges due to breakdown of its Information Technology (IT) department. This leads to arise complexities in online payment and delay in parcels of online delivery (Retail Technology Innovation Hub, 2024). As a result of technical disruption, its employees and customers leads to faced challenges that has adverse impact on brand’s reputation and competitiveness. Besides that, issue of technical default has an adverse economic impact on the business as delay in online delivery and online payment leads to cancellation of multiple orders, resultantly, brand faced huge economic loss by which its financial performance has negatively affected.

In addition to that, Sainsbury’ struggle with the issue of decline in brand image, consumer satisfaction and their loyalties for products and services of brand. Further, technical meltdown leads to enhance workload of employees that has adverse impact on their efficiency and performance (Matlala, 2022). However, for the effective mitigation of identified issue of technical meltdown, Sainsbury’s plans to update its technical systems and software by way of project execution that plays a vital role in handling online retail sales of products and services. Project execution is termed as the processing stage in which strategic planning of organization is implemented in action (Ika and Pinto, 2022). Project execution played a crucial role in implementation of this solution as a result of which brand enhances the leverage of advanced technologies such as Artificial intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Machine Learning (ML) and Inventory management. In addition to that, Sainsbury’s ensures about its organizational inclusive culture with improved diversity for the successful implementation of project execution related to leverage of advanced technology (Adeyemi Bode and Ragab, 2024).

Further, during project execution, Sainsbury’s faced challenges related to resistance of employees towards the adoption of change related to adoption of advanced technologies within its operations. As a result of their resistance, their performance, productivity and efficiency have been adversely impacted that further leads to reduce their morale and job satisfaction (Kuzagbe, 2021). With the adoption of effective leadership for the promotion of an inclusive and divers work culture, issue of employee’s resistance could be overcome. Leadership plays an active role in fostering diverse and inclusive work culture by influencing and encouraging employees to enhance their ability for successful adoption of project execution. This leads to mitigate technical meltdown issue of Sainsbury’s through which it regains its market competitiveness and financial position (Gould et al, 2020).

Critical Discussion

Through adoption of effective leadership in its project execution strategy related to application of advanced technology, Sainsbury’s aimed to foster an inclusive work culture with improved diversity to positively influence and motivate employees. As per the view of Dobbin and Kalev, (2022) Diversity is defined as the presence of wide range of differences in organisational settings that involves the dimensions of backgrounds, age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, values and cultures. Sainsbury’s diverse organisational workforce offers the benefit of increased innovation, problem solving and creativity by way of presenting different experiences and viewpoints (Jonsen et al, 2021). For the promotion of inclusive work culture, Diversity and inclusion are the major concepts that have a significant contribution to foster positivity and productivity within organisational culture. On contrary, Chaudhry, Paquibut and Tunio (2021) states that Inclusion involves the process of creating positive and supportive environment by making employees feel empowered, valued and respected to enhance their potential and efforts towards achievement of organisational goals. Sainsbury’s aims to foster a culture of improved performance of employees by maximising their job satisfaction and morale for the success of its project execution of advanced technological implementation. Malhotra (2024) mentioned that an inclusive work culture plays a crucial role in embracing diverse team working among workforce that leads to enhance chances of success of project execution related to new technological advancements.

Impact of Workplace Diversity and Inclusivity on Innovation and Employee Performance at Sainsbury’s

In addition to that, Ravazzani et al, (2021) critically acclaimed that cultivation of diversity and inclusivity at organizational workplace leads to promote innovation as it encourages range of diverse ideas and perspectives of employees. For example: for the effective mitigation of the identified problem at Sainsbury’s, it encourages its employees by offering then reward and appraisal to offer creative and innovative solution. However, Katz, Miller and Gans, (2023) argued that it leads to arise situation of team conflicts and misunderstanding among employees due to their diverse opinions that results in their minimized performance and low morale.

Besides that, as per the opinion of Shore and Chung, (2022) an inclusive work culture cultivates a sense of loyalty and team working among employees as they felt respected, empowered and valued within organization. Increased satisfaction and high morale of employee’s further enhances engagement and motivation among Sainsbury’s employees that leads to push them to enhance their skills and efforts towards success of project execution. Roberson and Perry, (2022) critically contended by stating that an inclusive workplace not only promotes engagement and morale among employees, it also facilitates improved process of decision making. Sainsbury’s diverse teams often comes up with different ideas and perspectives that leads to formulate intelligent and informed decisions that are associated with the strategic evaluation of diverse range of options. Matlala, (2022) mentioned that this results in promotion of Sainsbury’s competitiveness with improved performance through minimized turnover and absenteeism for project execution.

According to Ika and Pinto, (2022) an inclusive work culture can lead diverse employees to feel highly empowered and enhances their willingness towards collaboration by encouraging and motivating them for open communication. This generates an opportunities for Sainsbury’s workforce to share their creative and innovative ideas and for the cultivation of personal relationships with each other (Kuzagbe, 2021). As a result, skills of creativity and innovation enhance that leads to promote informed decision making in organization for the mitigation of identified business issue. Besides that, Adeyemi Bode and Ragab, (2024) contented that issues related to slower pace of decision making and cultural misunderstanding could be arise during sharing of diverse ideas and perspectives. Moreover, an inclusive work culture fosters a sense of loyalty and belongingness among Sainsbury’s employees by makes them feel content, included, respected and valued. This leads to promote engagement and commitment among employees of Sainsbury’s towards the success of project execution. Furthermore, Dobbin and Kalev, (2022) stated that inclusive leader can provide development and growth opportunities to Sainsbury’s employees despite of their religion, race, caste, sex or any other factor, leads to enhance success of project execution.

The Benefits and Challenges of Workplace Diversity

In the opinion of Jonsen et al, (2021) diverse teams plays a vital role in promoting skills of innovation, creativity and problem solving within an organization. Employees with diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives have different and unique opinions and viewpoints related to resolution of issues as they are shaped with diverse cultures, experiences, thoughts and education. Chaudhry, Paquibut and Tunio (2021) emphasises that diversity leads to create more innovative and creative solutions as compare to traditional approach of problem solving within Sainsbury’s. Furthermore, diversity is important as it leads to improve adaptability skills of workforce. For instance: during project execution within Sainsbury’s related to adoption of advanced technology within business operations, an inclusive leadership offers an advantage of increased adaptability among employee towards to which issues related to employees resistance towards change could be minimized (Sainsbury’s Co., 2024). Furthermore, teams comprises of diverse range of workforce leads to navigate complexities and challenges of Sainsbury’s in complex manner with implication of strategic project execution.

In addition to that, there is an increased chanced of cross-pollination of creative ideas within Sainsbury’s as the concept of sharing of ideas among diverse teams can leads to positively influence and encourage other employees. As per the view of Malhotra (2024) this improves the chances of successful project execution in Sainsbury’s related to application of advanced technologic of AI and ML by reducing resistance of employees. As a result, skills of critical thinking and problem solving were improved that enables Sainsbury’s to adopt the best possible solution within its project execution. Katz, Miller and Gans, (2023) argued that an inclusive work culture often leads to minimize teamwork due to team conflict and favouritism, results in the creation of inequitable work culture. Apart from that, diverse teams of Sainsbury’s have an immense contribution in enhancing innovation and creativity within project execution as employees proposes their ideas and opinions without fear of judgement. Shore and Chung, (2022) reflected that with the generation of broader idea, diverse workforce comes up with innovative and creative solution to navigate technical challenges that are faced by Sainsbury’s. This leads to promote competitiveness of brand in the external business market, leads to recover trust and loyalties of employees. 

CONCLUSION

From the above essay, it was concluded that an inclusive work culture is significant for the establishment of trust, effective communication and empowerment among employees. This essay was based on the concept of diversity and inclusion for the vaigation of problem of Sainsbury’s. In addition to that, role of project execution in Sainsbury’s for the mitigation of challenges was discussed. It was summarized that Sainsbury’s faced technical issues due to which issue related to default in payment and online delivery of products raised. To overcome this challenge, brand plans to implement strategy of leverage of advanced technology of AI, ML and automation with support of project execution. For the effective implementation of strategy within project execution, inclusion and diversity played a pivotal role that was outlined in this essay.

Inclusion and diversity aimed to foster trust, commitment and satisfaction among employees, as a result of which their performance and efficiency was improved. Furthermore, it was beneficial for the brand to navigate challenges with diverse range of creative and innovative solution arises due to diverse perspectives, opinions and thoughts of employees. Moreover, benefits of inclusive culture such as improved engagement and morale of employees along with the increased innovation was summarized in this essay. Also, it aimed to enhance skills of problem solving and decision making among employees due to which brand’s capacity to minimize potential challenges was enhanced. On contrary, disadvantages of an inclusive and diverse work place such as favouritism, team conflict, misunderstanding, delay in decision making and inequitable inclusion at workplace was analysed. However, an inclusive culture leads the employee to feel more valued, empowered and wiling to collaborate as it tends to enhance communication and trust among employees. Besides that, it was highlighted that an inclusive work culture fosters sense of loyalties and commitment among employees towards the achievement of objectives, leads to enhance their spirit of collaboration and team working.

REFERENCES

Books and Journals

• Adeyemi Bode, T. and Ragab, Z.B., 2024. Adoption of Project Management Strategies and Minimization of Time and Cost in Project Execution. American Journal of Economics and Business Management, 7(3), pp.23-23.
• Chaudhry, I.S., Paquibut, R.Y. and Tunio, M.N., 2021. Do workforce diversity, inclusion practices, & organizational characteristics contribute to organizational innovation? Evidence from the UAE. Cogent Business & Management, 8(1), p.1947549.
• Dobbin, F. and Kalev, A., 2022. Getting to diversity: What works and what doesn’t. Harvard University Press.
• Gould, R., Harris, S.P., Mullin, C. and Jones, R., 2020. Disability, diversity, and corporate social responsibility: Learning from recognized leaders in inclusion. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 52(1), pp.29-42.
• Ika, L.A. and Pinto, J.K., 2022. The “re-meaning” of project success: Updating and recalibrating for a modern project management. International Journal of Project Management, 40(7), pp.835-848.
• Jonsen, K., Point, S., Kelan, E.K. and Grieble, A., 2021. Diversity and inclusion branding: a five-country comparison of corporate websites. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32(3), pp.616-649.
• Katz, J.H., Miller, F.A. and Gans, R., 2023. INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, AND EQUITY IN THE DIGITAL ERA. Management Consulting in the Era of the Digital Organization, 117.
• Kuzagbe, D., 2021. Exploring leadership qualities of project managers for successful project execution (Doctoral dissertation).
• Malhotra, R.T., 2024. Inclusion on purpose: An intersectional approach to creating a culture of belonging at work. MIT Press.
• Matlala, H.N., 2022. Project and program management as enablers of organisational strategy execution and the role of Enterprise Portfolio Management Office in the management value chain (Doctoral dissertation, University of Johannesburg).
• Ravazzani, S., Mazzei, A., Fisichella, C. and Butera, A., 2021. Diversity and inclusion management: an analysis of practice developments in Italy. Sinergie Italian Journal of Management, 39(3), pp.213-229.
• Roberson, Q. and Perry, J.L., 2022. Inclusive leadership in thought and action: A thematic analysis. Group & Organization Management, 47(4), pp.755-778.
• Shore, L.M. and Chung, B.G., 2022. Inclusive leadership: How leaders sustain or discourage work group inclusion. Group & Organization Management, 47(4), pp.723-754.

Online

• Retail Technology Innovation Hub, (2024). Grocery giant Sainsbury's battles payments and online delivery issues as IT meltdown hits hard. Available through: <https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2024/3/16/grocery-giant-sainsburys-battles-payments-and-online-delivery-issues-as-it-meltdown-hits-hard>.
• Sainsbury’s. Co, (2024). Diversity and Inclusion: Sainsbury’s work on Race, Ethnicity, Religion and Belief. Available through: <https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/sustainability/plan-for-better/our-stories/2017/sainsburys-celebrates-black-history-month>.

Author Bio

Jordan Clarke   7 Years | Masters

I am Jordon and I am a resident of London. I have completed my master's from Imperial College. I have gold medals in bachelor's as well as master's. I have been a certified academic writer for 7 years or more. My passion is to help students write flawless assignments. I have also been a professor at two or three renowned universities in London, so I am very well aware of what the guidelines demand.