Wal-Mart Leadership Effort to Improve Employee Motivation

Abstract

This paper has looked to explore the concept of leadership in the context of Walmart as a way to successfully enhance the performance of Wal-mart. We have assessed the current situation of Wal-mart and the required changes that need to be incorporated in the context of shaping organizational performance of Wal-mart. We would explore the major intricacies of leadership within the aspect of working environment of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart Leadership Effort to Improve Employee Motivation

Chapter One

Introduction

Wal-Mart is a mega retailer existent within 27 countries, under various banners, with its 10,300 stores serving customers more than 200 million times every week. The giant retailer reported revenues of up to $ 444 Bn. by the end of 2012. It has employed over 2.2 million associates throughout the world. Employee motivation and development of leadership is not an easy task for such a large scale retailer. In order to overcome this issue, the CEO of Wal-Mart, Bill Simon, who himself served as a naval navigator, engaged Damian McKinney - who has served as a commando with the royal marines of Britain and also helps companies in executing their strategies through a consulting business, to prepare and train leaders as well as turn managers into leaders, with rising necessities for leaders. The issue at hand is whether Wal-Mart's Leadership effort can successfully improve employee motivation at the same time.

Discussion of the Problem

Wal-Mart is one of the most well renowned organizations in the context of fast moving consumer goods as it is characterized by a diverse set of clientele. It has customers from diverse regions and is a very well renowned retail chain on a globalized scale. Throughout its inception, it has offered a diverse category of p[products to its customers and the price advantage offered by Wal-Mart served as its core competency. Although Wal-Mart is characterized by different challenges, the managers at Wal-Mart are continuously striving to sustain its competency. The role of military in the training programs has been known to be quite significant in the context of successful organizations and thus Wal-Mart also looked to incorporate the role of commandoes for the training purposes. Since leadership is a necessary feature on the military side, the CEO of Wal-Mart involved the participation of a commando to successfully streamline the growth of Wal-Mart's personnel on the aspect of leadership. Since managers were not well equipped to deal with rising demand and directing people, such an action greatly assisted them in becoming successful leaders.

By combining the efforts of several colleagues, the commando McKinney established a leadership training program developed on the lines of staff college model. The specific method of this method was that the army personnel are required to take on the responsibility of leading soldiers in the different campaigns. The commando selected for the training program had the necessary skills and expertise and thus greatly augmented the overall success of the training program. The commando had the necessary experience to take on the intricacies of leadership ...