Wal-Mart. Workplace report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Wal-Mart. Workplace report - Essay Example The company encouraged through its business policies the consumers to save money and also lead an enhanced lifestyle. In the current era, Wal-Mart has enhanced its customer servicing initiatives through the incorporation of applications via mediums like websites and mobile phones. These activities contributed to the development of concepts related to online shopping. The company operates internationally through its branches spread over 27 countries under different retail formats. Strategic leadership, innovation and commitment to the stakeholders are some of the right keywords that can be effectively related to Wal-Mart operating in the international retail paradigm (â€Å"Our Store†). The organisational structure of the company available in the Appendix shows that it has a hybrid form and operates based on the creation of specialised units that take care of corresponding and related operations based on a global scale. In each department, specific heads are deputed that take c are of the legal, merchandising, sourcing, and electronic and web commerce and also financial and corporate affairs of Wal-Mart. Pertaining to the regions, effective decentralisation is practiced by creating heads and deputy heads for international regions relating to Asia and European countries (â€Å"Walmart†). Analysis of the Management of Wal-Mart The analysis of the management of Wal-Mart will be done based on the different management models related to decision-making and team building activities. Decision-Making Models The Rational Model The Rational Model related to decision-making functions rests on four main steps identified as follows. Firstly, the implementation of the model starts from identifying a potential problem; secondly, the model endeavours to generate effective solutions to the problem identified; thirdly and fourthly, the model probes to select a solution from the list of generated ones and tends to evaluate its feasibility in meeting desired ends respec tively. Thus, the Rational Model is based on a series of logical steps that aim at finding an optimal solution to the problem identified. The Rational Model is also based on some assumptions according to which the manager takes decisions in a well informed environment (Kreitner and Knicki 337). Simon’s Normative Model The Normative Model, as rendered by Herbert Simon, stands in contrast with the Rational Model and tends to operate in an environment of uncertainty. This model, being non-rational in nature, tends to follow assumptions according to which the manager is does not work in an informative work environment. Further, Simon’s Normative Model also reflects that decision-making activities of managers are largely bounded by a set of constraints generated from the personal and work atmosphere levels of the individual. These constraints, generated from the personal and work atmospheres of the individuals, create hindrances for the manager in retrieving the right amoun t of information for optimal decision-making functions. The manager, owing to the inability to identify and evaluate different alternative solutions to the problem, happens to take resort to the satisficing approach that appears to be good enough in the light of the problem identified. Through the process of satisficing, the solutions that are satisfactory enough are gained, in contrast to being optimal in addressing the problem (Kreitner and Knicki 340). The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) is a decision-making process where decisions are gained from involvement of people in groups rather than acting in an individual manner to come up with solutions. In this process, firstly, a group is convened in an organisational set up so that the problem is aptly discussed between the people in the group constructed.