Influence of Organizational Culture in Europe on Perceptions of the Role of POS Technology in the Store

Point Of Sale (POS) technology in supermarkets provides a common structure for fiduciary and organizational management, associate behaviors, and consumer interactions. Macroergonomic studies with two large European supermarket companies in Germany and Italy were completed. These studies included in-store observations, transaction processing measurement, associate and store management focus groups, and corporate management interviews. The store analyses revealed that organizational communication, social traditions, ergonomic standards, and legal restrictions were perceived barriers preventing the use of new technology to transform their business. In addition, conjoint analyses were conducted to determine technology solutions most critical to managing the business, and the expected benefits of implementing that technology. Results indicated that the North American retail model that uses new technology as the change agent of organizational does not directly apply to European supermarket retailers.