WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED

Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL) is one of the top 40 companies listed on the JSE Limited securities exchange (JSE) with operations in Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia and New Zealand. WHL consists of three divisions, namely Woolworths SA, David Jones and the Country Road Group. The first Woolworths store opened its doors to the public in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1931. Its founder, Max Sonnenberg, captured the public's imagination with dynamic store policies that set Woolworths apart from its competitors. Three years later, a second branch opened in Durban and another year later, a third and fourth branch opened in Gqeberha and Johannesburg.

Customers are at the heart of all that WHL does. A seismic shift to digital engagement across all generations has taken place, not only in mobile and e-commerce, but also in the way that consumers engage with brands and experiences. To remain relevant and successful, WHL are accelerating the building of relevant online capabilities. In 2020 Woolworths has experienced a 118% growth in online food sales. They drive online sales by leading with mobile apps and increasing speed and functionality; introducing various initiatives; expanding delivery options; launching exciting product pages; and enhancing social media strategies. Woolworths is committed to growth through responsible retail. They devote a significant amount of energy and resources to ensure sustainable development allowing for the changing social and environmental needs of South Africa.

The Good Business Journey

The Good Business Journey facilitates our vision to be one of the world's most responsible retailers. It is our Group-wide plan to make a difference to our people, our communities, and the environment. It is one of the Group's strategic enablers. The Good Business Journey still has the same two overarching objectives:

To measure and manage the direct and indirect impact on the community and the planet around Woolworths, right across their value chain; and

To educate all Woolworths' employees, customers and suppliers about responsible production and consumption.

The Good Egg Award was first presented to Woolworths in 2014 by a major animal welfare charity organisation called Compassion in World Farming (CIWF). The Good Egg Award recognises organisations that have a written policy to source only cage-free, free-range whole eggs. Woolworths was South Africa's, and Africa's, first retailer to make the switch to selling exclusively free-range eggs in cartons. Back in 2004, Zyda Rylands, the Woolworths Executive Director of Food, had to choose between selling only free-range whole eggs or a combination of free-range and battery-cage eggs. Concerns raised by Woolworths' customers necessitated this decision. The fact that their favourite retailer sells eggs produced by hens kept in crowded, small cages on farms or in factories was an ethical issue for these customers.

Project: From mud to market

Deep in the rolling farmlands of Elukwatini, Mpumalanga, lie several small plots of land that bring renewed hope to an impoverished community of former subsistence farmers. Although Elukwatini's red soil produces healthy vegetable crops, the distance to the market had effectively destroyed any attempts by small-scale farmers to make a profit and forced them to remain subsistence farmers. Woolworths, in partnership with Technoserve (an enterprise development partner) and Qutom (Woolworths's tomato supplier), stepped in to provide training, mentoring and technical assistance, and to establish essential links to both finance and retail markets. The farmers were also assisted with a grant and have since used top-up and production loans.

The project formed part of Woolworths's Good Business Journey and was directed by Mr Sihle Mathaba who organised regular meetings with his team. The focus of these meetings was analysing both the external and internal environment of Woolworths, as well as the potential sources of risk. After the risks for Elukwatini had been determined, the project started. A key member of the team was Mr Tim Boardman. He had open lines of communication to the top management level of Woolworths through his colleague and fellow committee member, Ms Zyda Rynalds. This allowed him access to a greater number of contacts and networks in Woolworths's environment. Mr Boardman facilitated the Elukwatini project at the strategic level on behalf of Mr Chris Nissen, who was responsible for the execution and control of the project. Mr Nissen produced a plan that stated which member of the team was responsible for which specific task. On the team was Ms Zainab Aziz, Mr Lucky Malebane, Mr Nisha Patel and Mrs Tanya Stricker who were respectively responsible for training, communication with farmers, local community involvement, and resource allocation. Mrs Thabile Bhata assisted Mr Nissen to solve issues that occurred during the implementation of the project. The project administration hub was at the Woolworths regional office in Mpumalanga, close to Elukwatini. The leader of the hub, who was also responsible for setting the standards for the project, was Mrs Jane Claassen. Currently, the project is still running, and the team holds quarterly meetings to ensure that the project stays within budget and to make any changes that might be necessary.

1. In view of the objectives of the Good Business Journey, Woolworths is applying the _______ approach to social responsibility. 1 proactive 2 defensive 3 obstructionist 4 accommodative

2. The ethical rule Zyda Rylands followed when she decided that Woolworths would sell only free-range whole eggs in their stores, is called the _______ rule. 1 justice 2 practical 3 moral rights 4 utilitarianism

3. The Good Egg Award can be seen as a(n) _______ for Woolworths. 1 threat 2 strength 3 weakness 4 opportunity

4. Which corporate strategy did Woolworths follow in 1934? 1 Concentration on a single industry 2 International expansion 3 Related diversification 4 Forward integration

5. The Woolworths mobile initiatives form part of the _______ function in its value chain. 1 marketing 2 production 3 customer service 4 materials management

Read the section titled "Project: From mud to market" and answer questions 6 to 12. 6. Mr Sihle Mathaba is the _______ of the project. 1 programme manager 2 programme director 3 project manager 4 project sponsor

7. The project sponsor is _______. 1 Mr Chris Nissen 2 Mr Sihle Mathaba 3 Mrs Thabile Bhata 4 Mr Tim Boardman

8. Mr Chris Nissen is the _______ of the project. 1 tactical manager 2 strategic manager 3 operational manager 4 programme manager

9. _______ run(s) the project management office. 1 Ms Aziz, Mr Malebane, Mr Patel and Ms Stricker 2 Mrs Jane Claassen 3 Mr Tim Boardman 4 Mr Sihle Mathaba

10. The project is currently in the _______ stage. 1 closing 2 defining 3 planning 4 executing

11. The driver of project management evident in this project's objectives is _______. 1 an increased customer focus 2 the growth in new knowledge 3 a focus on the triple bottom line 4 the compression of the product life cycle

12. Mr Nissen's actions and responsibilities points to the _______ dimension of project management. 1 technical 2 sociocultural