Introduction
Different essential and critical aspects develop the overall facet of the business environment. It is important to have consideration of different features to better understand the whole phenomena. All the aspects related to the organization’s culture have their importance to determine the overall performance of the organization. Concerning the case study of Walmart, the focus will be to determine the overall impact of the communication structure, the organizational structure, and the organizational culture on the employees’ behavior and attitudes.
Walmart is known as one of the largest retail corporations which is successfully operating in different countries. Walmart is a big name in retail business internationally. The organization delivers its services in different parts of the world. The business company operates through the feature of the hypermarkets, discount stores, and grocery stores. It is notable that there are several business companies and subsidiaries under the name of Walmart Inc. in different countries. It is notable that the leadership, management, and overall organizational culture of Walmart effectively influence all the individuals of the organization to utilize their full potential. Here, the focus is to critically analyze the crucial aspect of the Walmart’s business environment to identify the overall impact of the leadership, management, structure, and the organizational culture on the employees’ behavior and attitude.
Critical Analysis
The structure of the Walmart business can be characterized as the combination of different crucial aspects of leadership, management, structure and the organizational culture. All these features play a crucial role to determine the approach of the Walmart business and the employees’ attitude. It is essential to mention that the business structure of Walmart comes with a distinctive and effective form of leadership. Leadership is the main aspect of Walmart which helps to organize all the functions of the organization properly. Leadership at Walmart follows the approach of the transactional and transformational leadership styles. Transactional leadership at Walmart provides necessary guidelines and direction to the workers of the organization. Managers at Walmart apply the approach of transformational leadership to motivate the employees to increase their potential and to perform their tasks effectively. It can be observed that the transformational leadership approach helps the managers to motivate the workers according to the requirements of the organization. Employees are encouraged by the leaders to participate in the decision-making process and to present their ideas and perspectives. This approach helps the workers to enhance their motivation and satisfaction in the workplace. The transactional leadership style is also applied in the organization to develop a clear structure and standards of the performance for the employees (Barney, 1986). Leaders at Walmart identify the duties and responsibilities of the workers to achieve the organizational objectives.
The aspect of the organizational management is also important to understand the overall performance of the Walmart business. Management at Walmart comes with the comprehensive approach of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. It can be observed that the organizational management plays a crucial role to manage all the operations of the company effectively. The managers at Walmart formulate the business plans and strategies to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. The leadership and management of the organization work in collaboration to enhance the overall productivity of the workers and the business. It is essential to identify that the management style of Walmart follows the approach of the autocratic and democratic management styles. The autocratic approach is used by the managers to take the quick and effective decisions for the organization. It can be observed that the managers involve the employees in the decision-making process when it is necessary to identify the workers’ ideas and perspectives. This approach helps the organization to improve the workers’ motivation and commitment. The management at Walmart emphasizes the proper communication with the workers to develop the effective working environment. Communication between the managers and workers plays an essential role to understand the workers’ needs, concerns, and problems. The management of the organization provides the appropriate support and guidance to the workers to perform their duties effectively.
Organizational structure is another significant feature which determines the overall business environment of Walmart. The organizational structure of Walmart can be characterized as the hierarchical functional structure. The hierarchy of the organization comes with different levels of management and authority. It can be observed that the hierarchical structure provides a clear direction and guidance to the employees. Every worker is aware of their duties and responsibilities and follows the orders of the higher management. The functional structure of the organization comes with different departments and functions. These departments include human resource management, marketing, finance, operations, and logistics. Every department performs its specific functions to achieve the organizational goals. The hierarchical functional structure provides the appropriate control to the higher management over all the departments and functions of the organization. However, the hierarchical structure can also create the communication barriers and delays in the decision-making process. The management at Walmart makes efforts to improve the communication among different levels of the organization to enhance the effectiveness of the organizational structure.
The organizational culture of Walmart is another crucial factor which affects the employees’ behavior and attitude. The organizational culture of Walmart emphasizes the values of respect, service to customers, excellence, and integrity. The workers are encouraged to follow these values in their daily activities and operations. The organization develops the culture of teamwork and cooperation among the workers. The employees work in collaboration to achieve the organizational goals and to provide the quality services to the customers. The culture of Walmart also focuses on the continuous improvement and innovation. The workers are encouraged to present their ideas and suggestions to improve the business operations and services. The organization provides the training and development opportunities to the workers to enhance their skills and knowledge. This approach improves the workers’ motivation, satisfaction, and commitment to the organization (Schein, 2010).
The communication structure of Walmart plays an important role to develop the effective business environment. The organization follows the formal and informal communication channels. The formal communication channels include meetings, reports, emails, and official announcements. These channels are used by the management to provide the necessary information and guidance to the workers. The informal communication channels include the personal interactions and discussions among the workers. These channels help the employees to share their ideas, concerns, and experiences. The effective communication structure improves the coordination and collaboration among the workers and departments. It also helps the management to understand the workers’ needs and problems. The organization makes efforts to maintain the transparent and open communication to enhance the workers’ trust and confidence in the management.
The leadership, management, organizational structure, and organizational culture of Walmart significantly influence the employees’ behavior and attitude. The transformational leadership approach enhances the workers’ motivation and encourages them to perform their duties effectively. The transactional leadership style provides the clear standards and expectations to the workers. The management style of the organization provides the appropriate guidance and support to the employees. The hierarchical functional structure defines the workers’ roles and responsibilities and provides the clear direction. The organizational culture develops the values of teamwork, respect, and customer service among the employees. The effective communication structure improves the workers’ participation and commitment. All these factors help the organization to achieve the high level of productivity and performance.
However, there are also some challenges and problems associated with the business environment of Walmart. The hierarchical structure can create the delays in communication and decision-making. The autocratic management approach can reduce the workers’ participation and creativity. The high pressure to achieve the performance targets can increase the workers’ stress and dissatisfaction. The management should address these issues to improve the workers’ motivation and well-being. The organization should provide the more opportunities for the workers to participate in the decision-making process. The managers should use the democratic and transformational approaches to enhance the workers’ engagement. The communication channels should be improved to reduce the barriers and delays. The organization should also provide the appropriate rewards and recognition to the workers for their performance and contributions.
Conclusion
To conclude the discussion, it can be said that the business environment of Walmart is developed through the combination of leadership, management, organizational structure, organizational culture, and communication. These aspects significantly affect the employees’ behavior and attitude. The transformational and transactional leadership styles provide the motivation, direction, and guidance to the workers. The management of the organization performs the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling functions to achieve the business objectives. The hierarchical functional structure provides the clear roles and responsibilities to the employees. The organizational culture develops the values of respect, teamwork, customer service, and excellence. The communication structure enhances the coordination and collaboration among the workers and departments. It is essential for the organization to address the challenges related to hierarchy, communication, and management style to enhance the workers’ satisfaction and productivity. Effective leadership and management can help Walmart to maintain its competitive position and to achieve long-term success.
References
Barney, J. B. (1986). Organizational culture: can it be a source of sustained competitive advantage? Academy of Management Review, 11(3), 656–665.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.
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