Assignment Sample on Digital Behaviours
Introduction
Digital behaviors have influenced contemporary communication, relationships, and lifestyles in the digital age, including online activities such as surfing, utilising social media, purchasing online, and participating in virtual interactions. In reference, to it, the report highlights an understanding of the digital skills, attitudes, and behaviors of the company Walmart. There is an emphasis on the strengths and weaknesses of the company’s approach and evaluation of the risks and opportunities faced by Walmart in the area. Moreover, the firm has also suggested how to improve its digital behavior going forward.
Tasl 1 Understand the digital skills, attitudes, and behaviors of the company
The global retail company Walmart operates in an openly digital environment where innovation redefines how the company is run. Workers require various digital skills, attitudes, and behavioral patterns to succeed in such an environment which are as follows:
Technology adaptability:
The World Economic Forum highlights the need to be adaptable to technological advances (World Economic Forum, 2023). Walmart employees must be willing to pick up new skills and adopt cutting-edge technology. Workers should be able to quickly grasp and operate new gadgets given the retail industry’s increasing reliance on information analysis, artificial intelligence-driven knowledge, and online business platforms (Kliestik et al., 2023).
Customer-Driven Mindset:
Walmart’s success depends on its ability to recognise and cater to its consumers’ requirements. The importance of customer centricity is emphasised in the World Economic Forum (World Economic Forum, 2023). Workers must use digital tools to gather information on customer preferences, behaviors, and trends (Mishna et al., 2020). As a consequence, Walmart can improve the selection of its products and customise customer shopping experiences.
Collaborative Problem-Solving:
The forum emphasises the need for collaboration efforts as a major theme (World Economic Forum, 2023). Employees must work together across divisions and functions due to the complexity of Walmart’s operations. Through improved communication and problem-solving, digital technologies boost creativity and productivity (Soltanifar et al., 2021). To effectively explore these cooperative endeavors, employees should have strong relationship skills.
Continuous Learning:
Given the quickening speed of technological development, continuous education is essential. The World Economic Forum emphasises the need for a culture of lifelong learning (World Economic Forum, 2023). Walmart employees should actively seek out opportunities to advance their digital abilities and adopt a development mentality. By doing this, it is ensured that the staff will always be flexible and able to deal with disturbances (Dede and Richards, 2020).
Digital Ethics and Security Awareness:
As technology is increasingly incorporated into company processes, ethics and cybersecurity are of the highest significance (Syed et al., 2021). To ensure the ethical and transparent treatment of consumer data, Walmart workers must have a solid understanding of digital ethics. The forum also emphasises the value of developing digital capabilities while taking moral norms into account (World Economic Forum, 2023).
Agility and Innovation:
Innovation is at the heart of Walmart’s path toward digital transformation (Souza et al., 2020). The organisation promotes employees’ ability to think creatively and generate original ideas. World Economic Forum emphasizes how critical it is to foster innovative thinking to fuel economic growth (World Economic Forum, 2023).
Data Literacy and Analysis:
In the era of digital technology, data is a valuable resource (Orben and Przybylski, 2019). Walmart uses the information to make wise decisions, personalise customer service, and move projects along. Employees must be skilled in data literacy to comprehend and analyse data. The forum which highlights the importance of data fluency as a crucial digital talent for the workforce, supports Walmart’s data-driven approach (World Economic Forum, 2023).
Hence, it can be stated that Walmart’s workplace demands a wide range of digital abilities, attitudes, and behaviors from its workers to successfully handle the possibilities and difficulties posed by the digital era.
Task 2 Analysis of strengths and weaknesses of the organisation
Walmart’s strategy for fostering digital skills, attitudes, and behaviors within its staff reflects the opportunities and difficulties of working in a quickly evolving digital world. This strategy has several advantages as well as disadvantages.
Strengths:
- Walmart’s focus on development, innovation, and versatility adapts well to the demands of the computer age (Aggarwal et al., 2021). Walmart can stay on top of trends and have an impact by enabling employees to adopt new technologies and fostering a culture of development. With this strategy, the organisation is empowered to focus on customer interactions, business development, and functional effectiveness.
- Digital technologies for acquiring consumer information and Walmart’s customer-driven philosophy assist in increasing customer happiness and loyalty (Kumar and Venkatesan, 2021). Analysing consumer preferences and behaviors enables an organisation to tailor its products and services to meet changing customer demands, providing it an advantage in the retail market.
- The focus on data-driven decision-making is in keeping with how important information is becoming in the era of technology. The company’s capability to use data for informed choices, personalised customer experiences, and project developments is a strength that helps Walmart to optimise its strategy and operations ( Rangasamy et al., 2023).
- The company’s commitment to ongoing learning and technological flexibility is one of its strengths (Esteve, 2023). Representatives who successfully search for opportunities to develop their advanced skills remain flexible and prepared for disruptions despite rapid mechanical advancements. With the help of this proactive approach, Walmart can maintain its advantage and remain on top of emerging industry trends.
Weakness:
- Although Walmart’s approach is commendable, it may be difficult to provide adequate resources for ongoing learning and skill enhancement (Jaiswal et al.,2021). For certain repetitions, the availability of outstanding facilities, studios, and equipment may be restricted, harming their ability to keep up with technological advancements.
- It takes strong execution systems to implement computerised skills and behaviors throughout the labor force. If not all employees rapidly adapt or have equal access to the appropriate digital tools and training, disparities in the workforce may be developed (Shilcock, 2020).
- Even though Walmart is aware of the importance of digital ethics and security, the company still needs to make sure that its employees fully understand these concepts (Nuseir, 2020). If these problems are not sufficiently resolved, the company’s reputation and consumer confidence may suffer. The business may be vulnerable to security problems, data leaks, and privacy violations.
- The ability to manage persistent learning is a strength, but if it is not managed well, it might also be a weakness (Bojer and Meldgaard, 2020). To ensure the applicability of newly learned abilities, rapid technological changes need systematic education in addition to continual learning. Walmart has to make sure that its staff members are making educational efforts that are consistent with the strategic direction of the business and evolving technological trends.
Competitive analysis:
Walmart and its main rival, Amazon, both place a strong emphasis on customer-centricity and data analysis. Both organisations employ digital technology to accomplish the following two objectives: personalising consumer experiences and streamlining supply chain processes. However, Amazon may have an advantage in terms of functional efficacy due to its strong emphasis on automation and artificial intelligence (Tschang and Mezquita, 2020). Moreover, Walmart’s approach to using automated tools is more practical and customer-focused than that of a tech company like Google. Due to the nature of its tech-related company, Google places a strong emphasis on specialised skills and coding proficiency (Li, 2022). While Walmart’s approach works well for its retail operations, it could lack the in-depth technical expertise of firms that rely on technology.
Task 3 Identification of the risks and opportunities faced by the company
Organisations must adapt their labor force’s digital skills, attitudes, and behavioral patterns to remain competitive in a time of rapid mechanical advancements. With respect to it, Walmart encounters a range of threats and chances in these areas that will have a big influence on its performance in the future.
Risk:
- One of the biggest risks Walmart confronts is the lack of digital skills in the workforce (Crane et al., 2021). The fusion of online commerce, data analysis, and mechanisation is improving the retail industry. Walmart may struggle to improve its operations and provide consistent customer experiences if its reps fall short of having the necessary sophisticated skills to handle these advancements. According to a study by Liu et al., (2020), Walmart’s decision to evaluate its labor force for digital talents constitutes a significant risk. To stay up with the rapidly evolving world of automation, data use, and e-commerce, advanced skills are required. Without adequately talented employees, Walmart may struggle to improve operations and express constant client cooperation in this innovation-driven retail era.
- Significant technological improvements in the retail sector have led to an expanding digital skills gap. Walmart risks having a workforce that lacks the essential expertise needed to employ emerging technologies. Representatives lacking appropriate advanced skills may find it difficult to adapt when the organisation integrates more automation, data analysis, and online commerce into its operations. According to a study from Nassauer, (2018), Walmart’s efforts to implement automated checkout systems and online business platforms have run into problems because of representative obstruction and knowledge gaps. This suggests that there may be a digital skills gap in the workforce.
- As the digitization progresses, there is a higher risk of cybersecurity attacks. For example, Walmart experienced a data breach in 2020 that revealed the personal information of 2.3 million customers (Muncaster, 2020). This event shows how important strong security measures are in the digital world and how susceptible even large organisations are to cyberattacks. To avoid data breaches and cyberattacks that can put customer data and business operations in jeopardy, Walmart’s workforce must understand and practice safe web-based behaviors.
Opportunities:
- Walmart has a great opportunity to invest money in extensive training and upskilling programs to fill the gap in advanced skills. The organisation can equip its representatives with the necessary abilities to genuinely investigate the computerised landscape by providing constant learning opportunities that open doors. Walmart has initiated many preparedness campaigns, which is evidence. Programs for digital literacy training are available to employees through the Walmart Academy (Crowe, 2023). This demonstrates the organisation’s understanding of the value of workforce advancement in terms of advanced skill development.
- By fostering an environment where employees actively seek out and welcome technology developments, Walmart has the opportunity to foster a culture of innovation and digital experimentation. This mental shift may result in speedier acceptance of technological advances and quicker responses to advertised improvements. In recent times, Walmart Labs has been at the forefront of mechanical progress, developing systems like computer-generated reality training for salespeople and robotised bots for customer service demands (Wamart, 2023). These activities are a reflection of the company’s attempts to foster a creative mentality among its staff.
- Walmart employees can provide a customised and consistent buying experience across both online and unconnected channels with proper training in computerised skills and ways of acting. Talented salespeople may employ informational tidbits to understand client preferences, leading to increased customer loyalty and dependability. For example, the company has used technologies like data analytics for inventory management and AI-powered chatbots for customer service (Cao, 2021). These initiatives show Walmart’s attempts to integrate digital tools and behaviors into its everyday operations.
Task 4 Conclusion
From the above discussion, it can be stated that Walmart’s digital skills, attitudes, and behaviors highlight the importance of adjusting to the quickly evolving digital world. Walmart’s technique is characterised by its emphasis on innovation flexibility, client-driven mindset, collaborative problem-solving, persistent learning, computerized morality and security awareness, agility and innovation, and literacy and analysis. Walmart can successfully manage the benefits and difficulties of the digital era with these advantages. However, it was found that the business has a lot of weaknesses and risks. It can be challenging to get enough funding for continued education and skill development, which might make it harder for it to stay up with technological developments. Frameworks to avoid disparities are necessary for the implementation of advanced skills and methods of acting across the whole labor force, as well as areas of strength. In addition, while Walmart understands the necessity of computer ethics and security, it is necessary to ensure that employees fully understand and uphold these standards to protect the company’s reputation and customer confidence. The risk of a digital skills gap might limit the capacity of the company to successfully implement emerging advances.
Through extensive training and upskilling programs, there is a big chance to reduce this gap. If there is a culture of invention and experimentation, employees can adjust to technological advances more rapidly. Furthermore, it was analysed that opportunities exist for Walmart to address the digital skills gap and keep its position as a competitive retailer by utilising its investments in training and upskilling programs. A culture of innovation and experimentation can improve reactions to market developments and hasten the adoption of new technology. By using digital tools and behaviors, the company may also strengthen its position in the market, improve processes, and offer individualised consumer experiences. Walmart’s approach to enhancing the digital abilities approaches, and behaviors of its employees is in line with the demands of the digital age and well-positioned the business for success in the future. Walmart can maintain its strategic edge and navigate the challenges of the rapidly evolving advanced scene by attending to its flaws and seizing its opportunities.
Task 5 Recommendations
- Cross-Functional Collaboration Initiatives: Walmart should create cross-functional teams made up of individuals with different departments and skill sets. This strategy encourages teamwork and the sharing of cutting-edge knowledge and ideas. These teams may be tasked with researching cutting-edge solutions, such as improving customer experiences through data-driven personalisation or improving supply chain operations through the use of sophisticated analytics. Collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams may facilitate communication and idea-sharing between coworkers.
- Innovation Incubators and Idea Challenges: Walmart might create innovation incubators or organise idea barriers to encourage employees to suggest and nurture technological solutions that meet specific business concerns. In addition to engaging representatives to actively contribute to the organisation’s digital transformation, this strategy cultivates a culture of progress. Walmart might allocate resources, such as mentoring, funding, or access to certain tools, to aid in the development of potential ideas.
- Create a Digital Innovation Hub: Walmart can set up an area or stage just for employees to research new inventions and share their opinions to foster a culture of growth and trial and error. A venue where individuals may generate ideas, collaborate on digital projects, and gain knowledge from one another’s experiences might be this innovation center. Walmart can help its workforce to adopt new digital methods of behaving by equipping representatives to successfully draw in with emerging innovations and provide critique on their usability and predicted uses.
- Establish a Digital Ethics and Security Awareness Program: Given the growing importance of digital ethics and online safety, Walmart should establish a mandatory training program that instructs employees in responsible data management, security insurance, and safe internet-based practices. This program has to be updated often to reflect new risks and regulations. Walmart may collaborate with organisations and network security experts to develop training materials and workshops that help employees understand the ethical implications of their digital behaviors.
- Feedback Mechanisms and Continuous Improvement: Walmart should provide channels for employee input on the effectiveness of digital projects, training programs, and the overall digital work environment. Input Instruments and Continuous Improvement. Through frequent focus groups, questionnaires, or town hall meetings, staff members could be able to express their ideas and suggestions for development. The organisation will remain open to evolving expectations and requirements for its workforce thanks to this criticism-driven strategy.
References
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