MG414 Organisational Behaviour

SAINSBURY PLC
 Executive summary
In this study, Sainsbury's, the UK's second biggest grocery company, is discussed. The
company had become a leader in producing its own goods as well as services.  The goal of
this research is to identify the Sainsbury’s organizational culture and use various motivation
theories to understand Sainsbury's organizational culture as well as its influence on employee
motivation. The content as well as process motivational theories will be examined in this
study to demonstrate how they aid organizational success via effective communication
methods. The impact of various organizational behavior ideas and ideologies will be assessed
by applying them to the organization.

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 Table of Contents
Executive summary....................................................................................................................1
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Main body..................................................................................................................................4

Research Methods..................................................................................................................4
Research Findings..................................................................................................................4

Power culture:.....................................................................................................................4
Task culture,........................................................................................................................4
Person culture.....................................................................................................................5
ERG theory of Alderfer and Taylorism..............................................................................6
Skinner's Reinforcement Theory........................................................................................7
The Expectancy Theory of Vroom.....................................................................................7
The Likert system of cultural theory...................................................................................8

Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................10
Appendix..................................................................................................................................12

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 Introduction
Organizational behavior is described as the demeanor and attitude of a diverse collection
of people and teams that collaborate to produce high-quality results (Adler & Gundersen,
2008). The present study examines Sainsbury Plc's (UK) successful organizational culture
and its role on employee’s motivation. While also explore ways to improve organizational
effectiveness using effective communication. Organizational culture has evolved into a
backbone for companies over the years and has lately received a lot of attention since it is
a matter of what people see and expect, but there are also hidden and inner layer elements
that a company adheres to that the general public does not recognize (Frost et al., 1985).
Sainsbury's has been the second biggest supermarket chain within UK since its inception,
as well as it comprises of three distinct business divisions i.e. supermarket, many retail
shops, as well as banking and financial services locally and all over the world. Its
activities include convenience stores, food court stores, hypermarkets, supermarkets, and
superstores. On the other side, it examines many behaviors that affect Sainsbury's
organizational behavior and culture, which has significantly enhanced organizational
performance. Sainsbury's main goal is to effectively meet customer needs while also
providing investors with a satisfactory financial return. Sainsbury's goals are to provide
all coworkers with equal opportunities to advance their careers and, as a result, to reward
them in the end for their contributions to the company's success. It is critical to build the
company's culture while inspiring workers and effectively interacting with them in order
to achieve this goal.
Motivation is derived from the strength of a want or need, as well as the individual's and
his or her peers' expectations. The urge to accomplish something is referred to as
motivation. It is a critical component in establishing and achieving the organization's
goals and objectives (C Jochems et al., 2011). Employees that are motivated work harder
and feel more engaged in their jobs. By examining the organization's culture, the study
aims to get a better understanding of motivating theories, communication techniques, and
their application in the Sainsbury’s workplace.

Main body
Research Methods
Primary data is gathered through interviews with 10 Sainsbury workers using closed-
ended questions to identify and characterize the company's culture, communication

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strategies, and motivating approaches. Secondary data is
gathered through journals, publications, and the websites of company.

 Research Findings
 Power culture: Because there are four types of organizational culture, the power
culture is successful in medium to small organizations. In the Sainsbury decision-
making environment, the power culture is now centered on one key individual. It
generally means that the company is run by a single trader with full control
throughout all decisions. The Sainsbury Company's department managers utilize a
power culture to acquire control of workers operating inside the workplace.
 Role culture gains from specialization since workers emphasize on particular role
which allocates them to such a job role as well as therefore enhances the
efficiency of the company (Treven et al., 2008). While interviewing people, it was
discovered that Sainsbury employs applications or persons, ensuring that all
employees, whether they are team leaders or sales assistants, understand precisely
what is required of them as well as what is distinctive to their job role.
 Task culture as allows workers to be more adaptable and offers them more
freedom, a task culture, which is mainly focused on teams, has proved to be
essential in boosting organizational performance (Treven et al., 2008). Employees
would generate inspiration and pull each other through a tough time while
working as a team. Sainsbury's has stated that in terms of task culture, it tries to
ensure that its workers feel valued, and it performs surprise customer visits every
month to assess the company's Making Customer Care program.
 Person culture deals with occupations in which individuals are their own
employers and make all of their own choices. As a result, the entire organizational
culture is influenced by the structure and functional areas of its departments
(Robbins & Judge, 2012). Because of its enormous hierarchical structure, it is a
significant component of Sainsbury's everyday operations.

However, a company's organizational culture is often used to assess its effectiveness.

The conflicting value system is shown by Sainsbury's power as well as task-based
culture that is visible in the organization. The company's culture offers its
effectiveness characteristic of adaptability and flexibility, as well as the organization's
capacity to strike a balance in a tense scenario (Chang & Lin, 2015). The findings
depicts that Sainsbury's culture, which includes independence of personal choice,

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individual beliefs, and cultural characteristics, aids the
business in creating collaborative work and enabling individuals to apprehend each
other in the place of work. It is a pattern of shared beliefs as well as values that
improves organizational efficiency by assisting workers in understanding how the
business works and, in the end, teaches employees workplace behavioral standards.
The process and job relationships at Sainsbury's are shaped by the working
environment, which is surrounded by the company's culture. The company's culture is
also taken into consideration throughout the long-term planning process, which aids it
in displaying market-oriented behavior, demonstrating competitive advantages, and
nourishing the firm's health. As a result, with regards to organization's culture, it can
be stated that it has a distinct influence on its effectiveness. The findings also shows
that Sainsbury's culture revolves around manifest care, which is a sign of
communication, control, as well as integration.

Through the concepts of motivation, organizational culture improves organizational

effectiveness. Overall efficiency improves when management fosters an
organizational culture that motivates workers to succeed and supports innovation.
Employees are driven to continue working successfully and efficiently when this
occurs. At the organizational level, several motivational theories affect employee
performance.

Maslow's theory: Employees are thrilled by encouragement and self-actualization at

an organizational level (Chadwick & Raver, 2015). Each person has a hierarchy of
needs that varies in intensity. According to the idea, a person does not perceive a
greater need until the present criteria have been met. This idea is shown and described
using a pyramid graphic, with each level containing a specific set of unique needs.
Maslow's theory consists of five levels of criteria that must be met, with the
organization being driven to meet the next level in the hierarchy after one level is met.
Sainsbury follows and meets all individual criteria, according to the interview
findings, as nine workers agreed with this assertion. Individuals' psychological needs
are met by the company by providing them with higher pay and incentives (Einstein et
al., 2016). A stable source of income, as well as health and well-being, are among the
safety requirements. If the physiological conditions are fulfilled, the safety standards
will be the next set of standards.

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With regards to Herzberg's needs theory, Sainsbury's
workers ultimately educated to welcome change within workplace as well as take
risks for the sake of the future, as well as they are happy in their employment as a
result. According to the current study, Sainsbury's has increased staff involvement in
sustainable packaging by 35 percent by offering a learning environment. Wages, on
the other hand, were raised, as was the incentive structure.

ERG theory of Alderfer and Taylorism have identified a few fundamental elements
for motivating workers, including psychological requirements, money, compensation,
and leadership support (Arnolds & Boshoff, 2002). Sainsbury Plc's management must
maintain a laser-like focus on these issues. As a result, employees say in the interview
that they appreciate the safety and security that comes with building good
relationships with coworkers at work in order to achieve successful performance and
that they consider themselves privileged to work for the business.

Mayo and McGregor's theory explains that Sainsbury's workers not only work for
monetary gain, but also enjoy interacting with one another for social reasons. Apart
from that, according to McGregor, the firm compensates workers on the basis of Y
factor to nurturing a good work atmosphere and proving to be the world's biggest
supermarket chain all across the world (Pardee, 1990).

The efforts of employees at work have been the subject of equity theory, Skinner's
operant conditioning, as well as Vroom's Expectancy theory. Sainsbury Plc's
management should assess each employee's efforts at work and reward them based on
their efforts, according to these principles, so that they are encouraged to perform
better in the future.

Reinforcement Theory of Skinner, According to the reinforcement hypothesis,

consequences and actions such as praise, rewards, and evaluations influence or shape
behavior. If a Sainsbury's employee gets positive and pleasant feedback for
accomplished work, for example, this reinforces the behavior and encourages it to be
repeated (Skinner, 2014). If the leader does not properly express the expectation,
positive reinforcement moves the behavior closer to it. Positive reinforcement ensures
that the required behavior is reinforced. According to reinforcement theory, positive
reinforcement is a great motivational technique for communicating to employees the
benefits of achieving their goals and objectives (Gordan & Amutan, 2014). Sainsbury

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uses a partial or weekly reinforcement plan in the workplace,
which is common when a reward isn't given for every reaction and activity. This idea
is included in a variety of motivation theories, and incentives must meet the needs and
expectations of each particular employee.

The Expectancy Theory of Vroom: The expectation theory combines the

requirements and equity while focusing on the process and substance of motivation.
The goal of this theory is to describe how a person chooses amongst many options.
Motivation, according to this idea, arises from the conviction that choices will
produce the desired outcomes. Expectancy, instrumentality, and valence are three
variables that influence an individual's motivation to participate in an activity (Parijat
& Bagga, 2014). The assessment of the expectation component is based on self-
efficacy and specific self-rated skills. The individual's perception that there is a link
between the activity and the stated objectives is the second element. The precision and
efficiency of marking are used to evaluate this component. The term "valence" relates
to how much a person appreciates the recognition or reward that comes as a result of
achievement. Motivation, in Vroom's opinion, is equivalent to the product of the three
elements multiplied. If any of the factors is at 0 in terms of effort, the motivation
outcome is likely to be zero as well (Abadi et al., 2011).

Sainsbury's communication plan also includes most of the popular communication

components, such as advertisements, letters, newsletters, oral communication,
business magazine, formal letters, reports, press conferences, and new releases,
according to the results.

Sainsbury's will need to develop a new communication strategy that takes into
consideration variations in views, values, traditions, and language among its
stakeholders. “A communication strategy cannot live in isolation; it is more than a
collection of suggested actions,” says the author. An successful communication
strategy must emerge from a comprehensive company plan” (Barker & Angelopulo,
2005). As it goes ahead with its £1.4 billion merger with Argos, Sainsbury's has said
that 'new digital media platforms,' such as Facebook and Twitter, would demand an
increasing proportion of its marketing expenditure.

Furthermore, the Harrison's Model of Culture is utilized to improve Sainsbury's

success, which states that the organization's management must maintain a focus on the

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rules and regulations based on which they may lead their
workers. Employees are constantly looking for a better working environment, and
these rules and regulations will assist Sainsbury Plc in maintaining its efficacy.

The Likert system of cultural theory is a new aspect that has helped to develop soft
regions of the organization for increasing motivating levels. To put it another way,
Sainsbury's goal is to concentrate on all of the critical elements of organizational
success, such as being kind, consultative, participatory, and authoritative. As a result,
it will inspire workers by engaging them in collaboration and enhancing the
organization's communication process.

The learning process aids in the development of an individual's responsibility.

According to Mintzberg's culture theory, work success is defined by implementing a
variety of creative learning sessions for workers (Snyder & Wheelen, 1981).
Sainsbury's may use this idea to improve employee responsibility in the workplace,
which would help the company retain its effectiveness (Mintzberg, 2017).

According to the Pedlar principle, an organization must follow the norms and
regulations set out by a higher authority (Wellin, 2016). In other words, it regulates
the rules and regulations under which a business is formed and operates. This idea
will assist Sainsbury's in regulating workplace rules and regulations so that workers
get greater assistance and a better working environment.

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 Conclusion
In support of the above-mentioned research, it may be inferred that organizational
behavior is the key to its success. Several organizational cultures were addressed in this
study, as well as their significance in enhancing organizational performance. According
to primary and secondary research, Sainsbury's organization culture is characterized by
managers who adopt a power culture in order to exert control over all production and
employees operating inside the department. While interviewing workers, it was
discovered that Sainsbury hires applications or individuals, ensuring that all employees
understand precisely what is expected of them and what is unique to their job position,
whether it is team leader or sales assistant. Sainsbury's, in terms of task culture,
constantly strives to ensure that its employees feel appreciated, and it conducts mystery
customer visits every month to assess the company's Making Customer Matter program.
Due to its vast hierarchical structure, person culture is a major component of its everyday
operations. Furthermore, it has been discovered that Sainsbury's culture, which includes
independence of personal choice, self-belief, and cultural characteristics, aids the business
in creating collaborative work and enabling individuals to understand each other in the
workplace. Sainsbury follows and meets all individual criteria, according to the interview
findings, as nine workers agreed with this assertion. Individuals' psychological needs are
met by the company by providing them with higher pay and incentives. A stable source of
income, as well as health and well-being, are among the safety requirements.
The results also revealed that Sainsbury's communication plan includes the majority of
popular communication components, such as advertisements, letters, newsletters, oral
communication, business magazines, formal letters, and new digital media channels like
Facebook and Twitter. In addition, this study examines how Sainsbury's organizational
performance may be improved by inspiring workers and interacting with them effectively
utilizing various theories of motivation, culture, and communication. According to the
interview findings, Sainsbury's follows and meets all of the individual needs, as nine
workers agreed with this statement in terms of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It is critical
for a company to arrange its workers into teams and groups in order to achieve better
results.

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 References
1. Abadi, F. E., Jalilvand, M. R., Sharif, M., Salimi, G. A., & Khanzadeh, S. A. (2011).
A study of influential factors on employees’ motivation for participating in the in-
service training courses based on modified expectancy theory. International business
and management, 2(1), 157-169.

2. Adler, N. J., & Gundersen, A. (2008). International dimensions of organizational

behaviour. internat. student ed., reprint Mason. OH: South-Western Cengage
Learning.

3. Arnolds, C. A., & Boshoff, C. (2002). Compensation, esteem valence and job
performance: an empirical assessment of Alderfer's ERG theory. International
Journal of Human Resource Management, 13(4), 697-719.

4. Barker, R., & Angelopulo, G. C. (2005). Integrated organisational communication.

Juta and Company Ltd.

5. C Jochems, E., L Mulder, C., van Dam, A., & J Duivenvoorden, H. (2011). A critical
analysis of the utility and compatibility of motivation theories in psychiatric
treatment. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 7(4), 298-312.

6. Chadwick, I. C., & Raver, J. L. (2015). Motivating organizations to learn: Goal

orientation and its influence on organizational learning. Journal of management,
41(3), 957-986.

7. Chang, C. L.-h., & Lin, T.-C. (2015). The role of organizational culture in the
knowledge management process. Journal of Knowledge management.

8. Frost, P. J., Moore, L. F., Louis, M. R. E., Lundberg, C. C., & Martin, J. E. (1985).
Organizational culture. Sage Publications, Inc.

9. Gordan, M., & Amutan, K. (2014). A Review of BF Skinners Reinforcement Theory

of Motivation. International Journal of Research in Education Methodology, 5(3),
680-688.

10. Mintzberg, H. (2017). Developing theory about the development of theory. In

Handbook of Middle Management Strategy Process Research. Edward Elgar
Publishing.

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11. Pardee, R. L. (1990). Motivation Theories of Maslow,
Herzberg, McGregor & McClelland. A Literature Review of Selected Theories
Dealing with Job Satisfaction and Motivation.

12. Parijat, P., & Bagga, S. (2014). Victor Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation–An
evaluation. International Research Journal of Business and Management, 7(9), 1-8.

13. Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. (2012). Essentials of organizational behavior.

14. Skinner, B. F. (2014). Contingencies of reinforcement: A theoretical analysis (Vol. 3).

BF Skinner Foundation.

15. Snyder, N. H., & Wheelen, T. L. (1981). Managerial Roles: Mintzberg and the
Management Process Theorists. Academy of Management Proceedings,

16. Treven, S., Mulej, M., & Lynn, M. (2008). The impact of culture on organizational
behavior. Management: journal of contemporary management issues, 13(2 (Special
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17. Wellin, M. (2016). Managing the psychological contract: Using the personal deal to
increase business performance. CRC Press.

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 Appendix

Interview questions Yes No

Do you think that good rewards and salary are essential
tool to motivate employees?
Do you know what is expected and is specific to your job
role?
With respect to task culture, do you always feel valued and
important?
Do you think that company culture is symbol of
communication, control and integration?
Do you learn to accept change in the working environment
and take challenges for the benefit in future?
Do you think that there is strong relationship among
employees at the workplace to effectively perform?
Do you love to interact for social needs also rather than
money?
Do you think that advertisement, reports, magazine,
business letters, e-mail are effective means of
communication to benefit Sainsbury?

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