Live Case Study Option B
Asda is one of the largest supermarket chains in the UK by market shares. The company was previously owned by Walmart but was recently acquired by EG Group and TDR Capital. Asda focuses on customer satisfaction and engagement as two key HR measures in managing its business performance. With over 160,000 employees, Asda has a recognised union GMB. The company reported a 16.7% decline in operating profit in the first quarter of 2021, losing £486.5m due to the costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic (Reuters, 2021). The company has made strategic decisions to meet the changes to work and consumer demand accelerated by the pandemic.
You are expected to step into the role of an HR Manager at ASDA to produce a report for the executive team following the recent acquisition. The executives are concerned with the HR implications of the changing consumer behaviours and the employee expectation of work.
You are tasked with (1) evaluating the HR decisions your company recently made, (1a) to layoff 1,200 staff to meet the changing customer demand that shifted from traditional in-store to online grocery shopping (Butler, 2021) and (1b) to adopt a hybrid model that allows its 4,000 head office staff to decide where they would like to work (Partridge, 2021).
Your report should (2) review evidence relevant to these decisions with a focus on (2a) the external, organisational, managerial, and behavioural factors that influenced these decisions and (2b) the impact of these decisions on different stakeholders.
You are required to (3) recommend future actions to improve the business performance, decision making, and talent management in the operational environment of the UK.
