A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN BE USED TO ENHANCE COMMUNICATION IN TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT USING TESCO AS A CASE-STUDY.pdf

Anthony Ayodele, Najma Mohamed Abdallah and Yassmin Issaka
ANYI CONSULTANTS
A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF
HOW TECHNOLOGY CAN BE
USED TO ENHANCE
COMMUNICATION IN TRAINING
AND DEVELOPMENT USING
TESCO AS A CASE-STUDY.
USING TESCO AS A CASE STUDY

A critical Examination of how Technology can be used to enhance Communication in Training and
Development using Tesco as a Case-Study.
1 | P a g e P r e p a r e d b y A N Y I C O N S U L T A N T S - A n t h o n y A y o d e l e ,
N a j m a M o h a m m e d A b d u l l a h a n d Y a s s m i n I s s a k a
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Technology is fast changing the way and manner business is run and done throughout the world. Information
Systems are constantly designed and re-designed with the input of Human Resources Managers towards ensuring
the outfits they work for enjoy the very best that technology has to offer. Effective Communication is key to the
success of a business; especially in the area of the Training and Development of staff; who, can be likened to the
life force behind a company. On the other hand Tesco, a World leader in grocery and retailing is a unique example
of how technology, effectively put to use, can enhance training and development in an organisation and ignite a
o pa s ho e u to su ess.
This report looks at Tesco as an organisation and how modern technology can be further used to enhance
communication during training and development. This is geared towards ensuring the organisation attains that
number one spot and remains the company to beat for many years to come.

Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...............................................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................................................................3
COMPANY PROFILE...............................................................................................................................................................3
THE STRUCTURAL APPROACH TO THE PROJECT ........................................................................................................................4
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION? ....................................................................................................................................................5
COMMUNICATION IN TESCO ................................................................................................................................................6
HOW TECHNOLOGY ENHANCES COMMUNICATION (USING TESCO AS A CASE STUDY) .......................................................8
TESCO’S VALUES ........................................................................................................................................................................9
HOW TESCO COMPARES WITH COMPETITION ..........................................................................................................................9
BRITAIN'S FAVOURITE SUPERMARKETS ...........................................................................................................................9
CHEAP LABOUR ACCUSATIONS...........................................................................................................................................10
IMPROVED TRAINING PROGROMME..................................................................................................................................10
SECURITY AND THE ISSUE OF SHRINKING IN TESCO.......................................................................................................11
CHANGE MANAGEMENT..........................................................................................................................................................11
CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN TESCO.....................................................................................................................................13
HORSE MEAT SCANDAL.......................................................................................................................................................13
MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP...............................................................................................................................................14
LEADERSHIP IN TESCO..............................................................................................................................................................15
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................................................................18
DESCRIPTION OF THE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF THE TRAINING DEVELOPMENT .........................................18
HOW LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT KEEP THE GROWTH OF TESCO’S BUSINESS ............................................................19
PERFORMANCE OF THE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF TESCO....................................................................................20
APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................................................................23
QUESTIONNAIRE DISTRIBUTED TO TESCO STAFF................................................................................................................23
SURVEY CONDUCTED ON TESCO STORES ................................................................................................................................24
MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP...............................................................................................................................................24
CHANGE MANAGEMENT.....................................................................................................................................................26
LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT..........................................................................................................................................28
BIBLIOGRAPHY.........................................................................................................................................................................30
Table of Figures/Tables
Figure 1 Change Triangulation Model……………………………………………………………………………………………….5
Table 2 The Shannon - Weaver Mathematical Communication Process Model……………………………….6
Figure 3 Britain's Favourite Supermarkets………………………………………………………………………………………..9
Figure 4 Figure 4 Types of Change…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Figure 5 Tesco's Leadership Framework…………………………………………………………………………………………. 9
Figure 6 Tesco Training and Development Programmes…………………………………………………………………..

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of formulating this report is highlighting the changing role of technology in training and development.
It is also geared towards providing readers with a proper understanding of the changing role of technology. The
company selected in this regard is Tesco PLC. Secondly, the report consists of recommendations for potential
strategies that Tesco may adopt in order to take full advantage of modern technology to enhance their training
and development process.
Company Profile
Tesco is known as one of the largest British retail outlets. It is further the o ld s thi d la gest g o e
retailer with a huge number of outlets all across Europe, United States and Asia. Tesco came into business in 1919
with one man named Jack Cohen, who started selling groceries on a small stall in the East End of London (Tesco
PLC, 2004, pp. 5). At that time, Jack bought a surplus tea stock from a company named T.E. Stockwell, and from
there both Stockwell and Cohen combined their name to brand the tea by the name of Tesco. In 1929, the first
Tesco store was opened in north London.
As the company grew with the passage of time, so its workforce also increased. Ever since inception the
company has witnessed a tremendous geometrically progressive growth in terms of both staff strength and
structure. As at 2012 Tesco had approximately 280,000 employees in UK and almost double of this number,
460,000 employees worldwide (Jones, et. al., 2012, pp. 243-57). Presently (2013) the number of staff worldwide
has crossed the half million mark with over 6500 stores worldwide with the Tesco clubcard scheme reaching an
all-time high of 40 million customers (Scale, 2013)
Therefore, to serve its widening market, the management needs to be flexible and must have well trained
staff that can recognize the ever changing demands of customers. It is in the light of this that we have prepared
this report looking at various aspects of the business with the view of identifying what tweaks could be applied
and what can be done to improve on a presently successful organization.
However, as we discovered, there are different level of staff in Tesco from Top Management to the floor
staff and those who serve as the face of Tesco while interacting with customers in the stores. As we look at the

role of leadership and management It is this latter category that we shall focus mainly upon, realizing that there
is not a o e size fits all solutio fo e e le el of staff i the o pa a d the eed to, ide tif , isolate and
target for improvement areas where the least efforts can accomplish the best overall results.
Since, improving on communication during Training and Development through modern technology is the thrust
of this paper it is only reasonable that we start with defining communication.
The Structural Approach to the Project
Structurally, we have examined this project from looking at the three aspects of Communication being
Management Leadership, Change Management and Learning and Development. (Richardson, 2012)
The first section will set out to examine the structure, present technology and approach to learning and
development of our client Tesco. This will see us looking at the three aspects of the Change Triangulation for
effective communication in Human Resources Management (HRM) which forms the nucleus and oversees the
adhesion of Labour, the main factor of any organisation. These three aspects (Management Leadership, Change
Management and Learning and Development) are the bedrock of effective communication in an organisation
which in turn is the essence of Human Resources Management (HRM).
They are aptly represented in Figure 2 below:
Management Leadership
Change Management Learning and Development
Communication
Figure 1 Change Triangulation

We will also examine the effectiveness of communication and how technology can enhance it in Tesco from these
three perspectives. Next we examine communication and how it is put to use in Tesco.
WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
This report is essentially about communication. It examines how technology can be used to enhance
communication in training and development. It will only be proper to start by examining what communication is.
Communication involves the relaying of information between two parties. Effective communication however,
requires that both parties understand the message. (Dictionary, 2013) Examining how technology enhances
communication, moving forward, we can define technology as the application of science, in this regard, to the
accomplishment of commercial or industrial objectives. (Webodia, 2013)
Chester Bernard (Kennedy, 2007) emphasising the value of communication provided three basic principles for
ensuring its effectiveness:
 Everyone should know what the channels of communication are
 Everyone should have access to a formal channel of communication
 Lines of communication should be as short and direct as possible. (Kennedy, 2007)
Numerous communication models have been postulated to examine the most effective way of
communicating in the office. A prominent model is that of Shannon Weaver.

Figure 2: The Shannon - Weaver Mathematical Communication Process Model
What we as a team of consultants have set out to identify is how technology can be used to enhance
communication in Training and Development using Tesco as a case study. Below we examine the mode of
communication we observed in the organisation.
Communication in Tesco
Tesco is an organisation that employs Multi-channel Communication. (Times, 2012) This refers to a situation
where numerous forms of information flow and channels are used. This could include
Formal Communication
Informal Communication
Sideways Communication
Upward Communication
Downward Communication (Times, 2012)
The multi –channel communication approach of the organisation is made apparent from a document on the
o pa s o u i atio poli fou d on its website. It reveals that communication is done regularly via the
following channels:
 An anonymous and confidential annual staff survey

 Depot and store forums
 Face-to-face briefings
 Intranet
 Staff Question times
 An in House Publication (Tesco, 2011)
Tesco, however is open to change in it method of communicating. This can be seen in a staff response
we obtained during a questionnaire survey we conducted in the organisation for the purpose of this
project. The member of staff, speaking anonymously, stated: A de isio to use e te al ails to
communicate with colleagues and managers was introduced recently. It has helped introduced efficiency
i the e ha ge of i fo atio .
Ja k s su issio i di ates that Tesco also encourages and engages in Computer Mediated
Communication (CMC) which broadly refers to all forms of communication that involve the usage of
computer technology. (GARZA, 2013)
A o di g to Las ell s 4 odel, five elements are essential in effective communication. This includes
choosing the most effective medium to get your message across. (Knowledge, 2012) Furthermore from Jack s
submission we gather that the external email communication approach was considered the best in this
circumstance and thus brought on board. This is regarded as the most effective medium for communicating and
thus should be adapted where necessary. (Knowledge, 2012)
Another means introduced by the company to enhance effective communication is the Wireless Radio. The
technology enables floor workers, especially Managers, Supervisors and Customer Sales Advisers etc to
communicate with each other effectively, more often than not, in situations involving customers within the store
where quick effective communication is essential. Again, one member of staff who filled our questionnaire
efe i g to the de i e had this to sa : The i t odu tio of Wi eless ‘adio has ade a sig ifi a t diffe e e i
our day to day operation, making the whole p o ess of a agi g usto e s requests and problems more
effi ie t He e the ost effe ti e ea s of o u i atio , putting to use the latest technology is seen on display
(Knowledge, 2012)

Having looked at effective communication, being the link or glue so to say that holds an organisation together,
we will now take a look in more detail how technology enhances communication from Tesco s point of view.
How Technology Enhances Communication (Using Tesco as a case Study)
Our brief is to examine how technology can be used to enhance communication in Learning and Development.
We define technology for the sake of this paper, as the application of science, in this regard, to the
accomplishment of commercial or industrial objectives. (Webodia, 2013)
In Tesco the usage of technology is a necessity rather than a luxury. The control of stock, accurate keeping of
delivery record and. the constant analysis of business transactions are some of the important aspects of the
company that keep it going. The use and application of effective technology is indeed thus, central to the success
of the company. Tesco has also employed the services of an extranet system which enables the company to use
the Internet to create a link between the company and its business partners. This enables them to exchange
information, especially as it relates to supply of and delivery of products. (Research, 2011)
Another technological device introduced by Tesco is wireless devices in electronic shelf labelling and radio-
frequency identification (RFID.) Self-Check-out systems are also a popular technological shift employed by the
company which complements the efforts of customer service advisers in ensuring the lag (waiting time) of
customers is reduced significantly from the moment they proceed to checkout. (Research, 2011)
In 2001, to upgrade the way cash was managed within the organisation, Tesco introduced a New Cash
Management System (CMS). A third party Treasury System was implemented. In phases, over the years, the CMS
has been upgraded to ensure the accompanying Treasury Management System (TMS) was integrated with the
bank to enable easier access to relevant financial information by interested parties (Dobson, 2012)
Tesco has also launched an Efficient Customer Response (ECR) initiative designed to effect an improved
management of the organisations food change. (Research, 2011)
The organisation likewise has introduced the following technology:
Self-Check Out Machine
Electronic Self Labelling

Intelligent scale
Radio Frequency Identification
Communication Wireless devices.
A combination of these has enabled a more efficient and effective approach to customer services, enabling the
organisation to effectively meet the requirements of its clients as demand increases.
Tes o s Values
This is in line with the overall objectives and values of Tesco (to which an additional value was added this year).
The Tesco Values are
 Treating every customer how Tesco likes to be treated.
 Not being beaten in trying hardest for Tesco customers
While early this year a third value added calls for the outfit to:
 Use it scale for good (Scale, 2013)
HOW TESCO COMPARES WITH COMPETITION
Just last year a survey was conducted to find our which supermarket stores in United Kingdom provide shoppers
with the best experience. At the end of the day Tesco ranked a dismissal 8th
among 10 supermarket stores that
were included in the study. (Watson, 2012)
BRITAIN'S FAVOURITE SUPERMARKETS
Supermarket/store Score
1. Waitrose 9.5
2. Ocado 9.0
3. Marks & Spencer 8.5
4. Sainsbury's 8.0
5. The Co-operative 7.5
6. Morrison's 7.0
7. Asda 6.5
8. Tesco 6.0
9. Aldi 5.5
10. Lidl 5.0
Figure 3 Britain's Favourite Supermarkets

This is just as reports that emerged for the quarter ending June 2013 as regards selling performance of the UK
Supermarkets revealed that while rivals, Sainsbury increased its market share in the 12 week period considered,
from 16.7% (from 16.6% of last year) all of the others faltered.
Tesco on its part recorded a dip within the period from 31% to 30.5%
Both reports suggest that Tesco has gotten it wrong somewhere.
According to Retail analyst Fraser McDevitt, while Tesco seems to be focusing on ensuring customers get a good
deal, there are other attributes that are essential such as quality products, and a rich enjoyable shopping
experience among others.
It was noted that others seemed to score higher than Tesco in the area of customer services. (Lawson, 2013)
This could be as a resultant effect of the impact changes in Tesco is having on its staff. Among those surveyed by
ANYI Consultants a supervisor noted that the introduction of the self-checkout scanner had brought about a lot
of hardship for staff who are expected to stand for virtually the whole day in turns to put customers through over
the rudiments of the device.
Some staff also complained of some changes were made to sudden to soon, without adequate training to cope
with such.
Cheap Labour Accusations
Just recently Tesco was accused by the government of using cheap labour in its workforce! It was noted that a
drive to take on Polish citizens who were beneficiaries of the EU regulations was seen as a means of employing
cheap labour. An accusation that Tesco has since refuted. (Radnedge, 2013)
IMPROVED TRAINING PROGROMME
This indicates that Tesco should improve on their training programme make such at par with competition. Tesco
can also take advantage of Government free training schemes such as City and Guild and free vocational training
to augment its ever increasing need to provide training for its staff. More on the issue of training is discussed
under the Training and Development section of this report.

SECURITY AND THE ISSUE OF SHRINKING IN TESCO
One issue raised during the survey conducted by ANYI Consultants, especially among security personnel that work
for the company, is that of p odu t steali g. Othe ise tagged as sh i ki g i the supe a ket i dust . Tes o s
products, except those considered expensive do not have security tags attached to them aside the usual price bar
code. Some customers and staff ho a e a a e of this ha e ee k o to f e ue tl steal Tes o s p odu ts. The
issue of sh i ki g has become a major form loss of revenue.
One staff who spoke to us explained a particular system code tagged pushing based on the nature the operation
of stealing is carried out. His o ds: Goods are packed into a big store trolley. They are however concealed on
either side and the top by big pack bags of crisps such that the security personnel - unless he checks - will not
realise that there are more expensive items concealed inside. Many items have thus been pushed out of the store
via this method, unpaid for and packed straight into the car park, where they are taken away via a waiting vehicle.
The possibility of this is seen in the case of two security personnel who stole goods worth over £20,000 form a
store in Leicester with the connivance of a third (Gibson, 2012). The items which were stolen over a period of
time were taken out of the store through the method described above with the security person on duty looking
the other way. The stolen items were then sold on e-bay.
Security personnel also complained that they were not enough and there were not enough CCTV cameras or
ope ato s to ade uatel o ito the e e i easi g usto e s that dail isit Tes o. We a e e pe ted to
o ito usto e s a uall a d he k those ho e suspe t, the “e u it offi e e plai ed.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
The ability to effectively implement Change Management plays an essential role in the overall success of an
organisation. Its application in the corporate world dates back to the theory of Kurt Lewin who developed his
Change a age e t odel i the 4 s.
Still relevant today the model basically states there are three levels in any implemented change that needs to be
taken care of:
Kurt Lewin 3 step Model
• The stage of unfreezing

• The stage of Moving to Transition or moving to a new level.
• The stage of Refreezing the new level (Anon, 2013)
Ever since numerous Change Management Models have emerged. Another one noteworthy is the Bullock and
Batten phases of change which are given as:
Exploration Phase
Planning Phase
Action Phase
And
Integration Phase (Passenheim, 2010).
While these Models have stood the test of time so has the criticism against them. Critics of Kurt Lewin state that
it is too si pl a d ot detail e ough to se e the pu pose of toda s fast pa ed ha gi g o ganisations.
In Bullock and Battens case it has been suggested that there should be a learning phase before the integration
phase. Also critics have pointed out:
* It is too static
* Has a singular approach
* It is prescriptive
* Assumes acceptance
It is also base on the assumption that the organisation can fund change (Steve Mackinson, 2013).
There is a general consensus that whatever change needs to be implemented a model of change to a serve as a
guide is e ui ed. Like ise, the fou W s a d H of change - the Why, What, When, Who and How are essential
toward ensuring that those implementing change remain on track and do not lose focus along the way. (Anon,
The Why, What, When and How of Enterprise Change Management, 2009).

Also one needs to recognise that there are degrees of change, depending on what brought about the need for it
and the extent or urgency to which it required. This could range from Incremental to transformational. (Anon,
Alignment and Degree of Change, 2012).
Figure 4 Figure 4 Types of Change
CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN TESCO
Tesco has undergone a number of changes. These range from changes as a result of external factors to changes
resulting from the desire to improve from within. In both cases there has been the need for management to
st u tu e out a d i ple e t the ha ge. This eso ates ith the Be ja i Ma e s state e t that: although
the primary stimulus for change is found in the external environment the motivation towards implanting such
ha ge ust o e f o ithi .
Pestel Analysis also identifies that an organisation is impacted and influenced from within and without that could
result to required change.
Horse Meat Scandal
An example of an external factor influencing change was the horse meat burger scandal that broke out earlier
this year (Telegraph T. , 2013)
The scandal led to wide range changes in Tesco lead by the leadership and management. This could be seen in
the announcement by the New CEO, Phillip Clarke, that the Supply chain of the supermarket would be opened
and more thoroughly scrutinised in future. (Telegraph T. , 2013). Pressure from the public and Food Agency body,
coupled with the fear that competitors could latch on the incident had led Tesco to come out in the public to

explain their process of obtaining meat from their suppliers and effecting sweeping changes, including banning
the importation of meat from certain neighbouring countries said to have been fingered in the scandal. This falls
in with Ellis B ia s Ten Rules of Management crises with the third rule that states: K o hat ou a t to sa
before they ask. (Ellis, 2010)
An internal change that Tesco had to manage on the other hand came about when Clarke took over from Sir Terry
Leah. Sir Terry Leah was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesco in 1997. Leah was in the saddle as CEO of
Tesco for thirteen years and managed one of the best decades Tesco was to witnesses ever yet (more is discussed
on Leahy under Management Leadership.)
With Phillip Clarke in the saddle numerous changes were effected with key officers being redeployed. The changes
were incremental however as they were internal and there was need not to allow it to affect the overall supply
flow as it relates to the customer. One of such changes saw the organisation s Fresh and Easy Business close down
in phases. It was earlier introduced by Leahy and was tagged as his Ame i a d ea . It s ot too su essful take
off however saw it being scraped. (Felsted, 2013)
This is in line with the transformational / incremental theory that changes should be implemented based upon
the extent of their impact on the overall business and urgency to stabilize.
Next we will look at Management leadership and how Tesco has fared in this area.
It has been argued severally that Management and leadership differ. Management is said to be about getting
things done. It is about organising human resources towards achieving business goals and objectives. Leadership
on its part is about inspiring and motivating and influencing people. It is about developing such people and
coaching/encouraging and enabling them to fulfil organisational goals and objectives. (Drucker, 2006).
John Kotter (1990) clearly defined the difference between management and leadership where he states
Management involves planning and budgeting, organising and staffing, establishing direction and aligning people.
While leadership is motivating and inspiring, produces change, control and problem solving, installs predictability
and order management. (Anika Vikovic, 1990)

Warren Bennis on his part states Leade s do the ight thi gs a d Ma ge s do thi gs ight. (Kennedy, Guide to
the Management Gurus, 2007) It is in the light of these broad understandings of Management Leadership that
we will take a look at how it is applicable in Tesco.
However, all would agree to an extent that both leadership and management are inter-woven and inter-related
where you can hardly effectively do with one without bringing the other into play.
Bennis defines Leadership as the concept of sustaining and translating into translating into action a compelling
vision. The manager however, he pointed out, focuses on system and structure and relies on control. (Kennedy,
Guide to the Management Gurus, 2007)
Leadership in Tesco
The Leadership style in Tesco can be seen in the manner its key officials go about their approach to
position it as an industry leader. Terry Leahy was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tesco in 1997.
Leahy was in the saddle as CEO of Tesco for thirteen years. It was during this period that the company
witnessed what could be described as one of its best ever decades. Tesco experienced a growth of 10%
over 10 years while others in the industry were only experiencing a growth of 2%. (Nwagbara, 2013) He
was earlier on, the Marketing Executive of the organisation and it was during his tenure the famous
Tesco Club Card scheme was introduced which boast of over 40 million cards holders worldwide and is
reportedly the most successful of its kind. (Scale, 2013)
This could be described as an off-shoot of the Transactional Leadership style introduced by Max Weber (1947)
and later developed by Bernard Bass (1981). This style is used by managers to motivate and direct staff through
a system of rewards for loyalty and achieving desired results. The club card was designed with a similar motive,
yet this time around for faithful customers who are rewarded based on their patronage in the store as based on
volume purchase. The customer is rewarded in return for each positive transaction he makes just as a worker
would be rewarded on the long run for each transaction o a t he akes i the o pa s favour. While the
transaction in the e plo ees case, is a reward for good work in the customer/ company relationship, in the case
of the customer, it is solely a reward for his loyalty.

In an interview on his Leadership style Sir Terry Leahy noted there were 10 important management principles that
he adheres to. This include:
1) Find the truth
2) Set audacious goals
3) Trust people
Leahy also believes in acquiring as much data that one can and planning one s business around adequate
knowledge. (Telegraph, 2013)
In the area of truth what Leahy has stated tallies with the point made by Shawn Hunter in his newly released book:
Out Think: How Innovative Leaders Drive Exceptional Outcomes I the ook he spoke a out the pe eptio
truth gap and emphasised the need for leaders to get the truth and how this can be achieved. (Eblin, 2013)
Secondly in stating that one should set audacious goals Leahy is speaking in line with those who belong to the
school of thought that the setting a BHAG (Big Audacious Hairy Goal) by leaders serves as a great source of
inspiration and motivation towards attaining success in business. (Collins, 2013)
Ji Colli s i his ook uilt to last ites “a Waltso as a e a ple of a person who attained success through
the setting of audacious goals, referring to how he transformed his small Newport corner- shop into one of the
most successful supermarket stores in the world by setting one BHAG after another and remaining focused till he
achieved his goals (Collins, 2013)
In the case of trusting people as a esse tial leade ship ke Leah s words echo the thought of Warren Bennis
(1995) who identifies trust as one of the four leadership keys required by leaders. The other three being the
management of attention the management of meaning or communication and the management of self (Kennedy,
Guide to the Management Gurus, 2007)
According to Bennis trust serves as the emotional glue that binds leaders and followers together. He further
states that leaders have to be consistent. He cites Margaret Thatcher as an example (Kennedy, Guide to the
Management Gurus, 2007).

Leaving the top management in Tesco and coming to the middle and lower levels of staff where most of the face-
to-face staff client dealings take place, one notices that another leadership style adapted in Tesco is the Situational
Style of Leadership. (Times, 2012)
For instance, Berian manages a team of 17 in a Tesco store. One way he works towards getting the right results
from his team is to allow them take responsibility toward achieving set goals and objectives. This is the Lazier-
faire approach to management and the situation, as in this case, is bakery produce.
F o Be ia s e pe ie e, usi g his i itiati e to dete i e which leadership approach to use when managing his
team suggest it depends on the situation. (Times, 2012)
The situational approach where the leadership style adapted depends on the situation within the Tesco structure
falls in line with what Tabbernaum and Schmidt came up with while categorising different styles of leadership at
different stages. This is from autocratic through democratic to lazier faire styles of leadership. (Times, 2012)
Leade ship i Tes o s setti g is thus, d a i a d situatio al f o top to otto , allo i g staff to use thei
initiative at every level as the case requires.
We will now look at Training and Development within Tesco. To do this we will first examine Human Resources
Management which is the overseeing department that sets the Training/Learning and Development department
up.

Human Resource Management
Human resource management is a business function that deals with problems related to staff such as:
 Services
 Compensation
 Performance management/career development
 Safety organisation development
 Monitoring the wellbeing of staff
 Benefits
 Employee confidence
 Communication
 Administration
 Training and development
 Salaries
Description of the Human Resource Management of the training development
Learning and development is set up to perform and supply training. New employees are inspired and motivated
to perform required services to the best of their ability. Therefore, the Human Resource Management helps the
business to match the best people within the limits of the organisations resources to the task and vacancies at
hand. This is why every organisation must have an HR Department.
Tesco Presently has an over 500,000 staff force worldwide. (Scale, 2013)
The organisation hires people from many backgrounds. The employees have the chance to expand their skills into
a highe le el of Tes o s jo s. Tes o al a s e a i e the progression of its employees. Ensuring that their values
and manner of offering service- as it relates to the customer- falls in line with those of the organisation. (Scale,
2013)

Figure 5 Tesco's Leadership Framework
The Tesco Leadership framework concentrates on three key areas towards ensuring employees operate in line
ith the o pa s alues. It also helps to identify staff that have the potential to fill leadership roles in future.
Tesco has provides staff the opportunity to improve leadership skills at every level within the organisation. The
company has established an easy approach to communication, also adapted during training development that
helps employees resolve problematic issues. (Tesco, 2011)
The early resolution of employee issues gives staff the impetus to move on and attempt accomplishing something
bigger within the framework of the organisation. (Studies, 2013)
How lear i g a d de elop e t keep the g o th of Tes o s usi ess
Training promotes the skills and knowledge for the employee to carry with their one specific function or work.
This i tu i eases the staffe s useful ess, alue a d o e all p odu ti it , towards his job. (Studies, 2013)

Figure 6 Tesco Training and Development Programmes
 Training and Development as employed by the company helps the employee self - develop and grow.
The trainee is responsible for his own development although the supervisor provides the programme.
 The A-level programmes deals with the development of new employees. Through a rapid training
programme, they are empowered to fit into the workforce under the supervision of a Team leader.
 The option programme is a long term plan development one. It gives for example exchange of
information (workshops) dealing on leadership behaviour and performing functions. The staff s Personal
Development plan contain activity plans and the staffers Learning Log (where they are required to
register key learning skills gathered during the training exercise) (Studies, 2013).
The Personal Development plan gives workers the opportunity to create long term skills. Resultant to and
subsequently employee productivity and validity to the organisation becomes a long lasting one.
Theorists clearly state that if people are given adequate skills and acquire the ability to do their jobs well, their
productivity level increases and they become more responsible. Tesco, through its training programme has
applied the concept of this theory (Elton Mayo 1880-1949).
Performance of the training and development of Tesco
Every business needs to evaluate staff regularly and assess their performance level. Tesco does this by asking
their employees to self-access themselves by writing three aspects of the job they are good at and three
aspects they could improve on. This enables the employees to identify their weaknesses and strengths and
determine areas they personally need to work on.

Both employee and manager have a weekly meeting review session. At the end of the exercise the employees
get a feedback about their personal development.
The feedback consists of a grade via four colours being:
 Blue if the trainees actual position is at an advanced level during the programme
 Green if all the targets are met.
 Amber if some points needs to be put across and the employee needs to dwell on improving certain aspects
of his job.
 Red if the Personal Development Plan and performance is below par.
A great performance and accomplishment of the employee development is indispensable for Tesco. All the
employees and managers structure the approach to train and develop their existing and new employees towards
establishing a stronger foundation as it relates to the business (Studies, 2013)
Tesco provides training at various levels including while working and training outside the confines of the
workplace.
While on the job the person being trained is designated to understudy a colleague who already has the desired
skills. A manager, also assigned to the trainee staff will help inspire confidence and guidance in the process of
learning.
Mentoring is also provided as the trainee continues a self-development programme in line with the organisations
learning programme.
On a temporary basis the trainee could also be seconded or assigned to a different section to try out what he has
learnt and for a third party assessment. (Studies, 2013)

APPENDIX
QUESTIONNAIRE DISTRIBUTED TO TESCO STAFF

SURVEY CONDUCTED ON TESCO STORES
strongly agree agree uncertain/ disagree strongly disagree
Series1 0
Series2 8 10 3 2 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
N
0
o
f
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
n
t
s
Response
1.Management/Leadership effectively
communicate with adequate technology for the
purpose of Training & Dev.
Series1 Series2

strongly agree agree uncertain/ disagree
strongly
disagree
Series1 0
Series2 10 9 2 2 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
N
o
o
f
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
n
t
s
Response
2.Management/Leadership usually keep us
informed about things we want to know.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Series1 0
Series2 8 10 4 1 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
N
o
o
f
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
n
t
s
Response
3.People in senior management respect my
personal rights
strongly
disagree
Series1 0
Series2 8 11 3 2 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
N
o
o
f
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
n
t
s
Response
4. Leadership in my company understand the
value of changes in Technology and how to
communicate it.

Series1 0
Series2 10 9 1 1 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
N
o
o
f
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
n
t
s
Response
5. Training and Development during technological
changes in the company is adequate.
strongly
disagree
Series1 0
Series2 5 13 2 2 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
N
o
o
f
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
n
t
s
Response
6. I believe Change Management is handled
effectively in this company compared to other
supermarkets

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Series1 0
Series2 4 7 4 5 2
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
N
o
o
f
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
n
t
s
Response
7. Due to inade uate t aining staff usually don’t know
What to do when faced with a problem

Series1 0
Series2 8 10 3 2 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
N
o
o
f
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
n
t
s
Response
9. This is a good place for people trying to get
ahead in their career.
Series1 0
Series2 8 10 3 2 0
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
N
o
o
f
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
n
t
s
Response
8. Is this a good place for Training and personal
development

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