M&S Operational Strategy and Cloud Computing

This assignment analyzes Marks & Spencer's (M&S) operational strategy, emphasizing the role of cloud computing in its success. It delves into how M&S utilizes cloud services like Amazon EC2 and Google App Engine to enhance product delivery, cater to customer demand, and facilitate both domestic and international operations. The analysis draws upon various business theories and models to understand the impact of technology on M&S's overall organizational strategy.

University
MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION
Student Name
Lecturer Name
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................3
LO 1 Differentiate between the role of manager and leader...........................................................3
P1 Compare the characteristics of manager and leader with reference to the M&S with the
chosen organization......................................................................................................................3
LO 2 Applying the role of manager and leader...............................................................................5
P2 Role of manager and leader in different situational context with reference to M & S on
chosen scenario............................................................................................................................5
P3 Different models and theory including situational leadership, system leadership and
contingency with special reference..............................................................................................6
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................8
LO 3 Demonstrate the role of manager and leader in the operation function.................................8
P4 Discuss the key approaches to operation management and role of manager and leader with
special references.........................................................................................................................8
P5 Importance of value in operation management to meet the business objective......................9
LO4 Demonstrating an understanding of relationship between management and leadership in
business environment.....................................................................................................................11
P6 Assessing the factors that produces impact on the operational management of Marks &
Spencer.......................................................................................................................................11
References......................................................................................................................................13
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Introduction
Operation management is the area in the management that helps in the controlling the entire
production process with the better redesigning of business operation. The manager and leader
control the operation management through enhancement of better service or goods. The
management and operation are the main factors for developing the strength in the firm. In this
case, as appointed as the management consultant for the organization of M & S Ltd, I have to
find the appropriate characteristics carried by manager and leader in the context of situation.
There are certain concepts and theory followed in the leadership in the organization to meet the
set goals. M & S Ltd organization needs to identify the weakness and strength through leader as
well as manager to meet the necessary changes.
Task 1
LO 1 Differentiate between the role of manager and leader
P1 Compare the characteristics of manager and leader with reference to the M&S with the
chosen organization
Management provides the process for meeting the exact resources to meet the set objectives in an
effective manner. It helps to reduce the resource wastage and helps to increase the attainment to
achieve the proper capital to carry out the operation in M & S Ltd. There lies with the
hierarchical order that helps to meet the set objectives through the execution of proper roles and
responsibility.
Role of manager
The main role of management includes the planning to meet the objectives, proper managing of
resources, controlling the entire work and leading the staff members. The main characteristics of
manager are to focus on the allocated work provided among the staff members.
The role of leader
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It includes the enhancement of motivation and follows a fixed strategy in the management of the
organization. Leadership provides the entire monitor process with the achieving of set objectives
through the efficient staff members. The leader tries to understand the working environment and
develops a better planning process to complete the entire work (Baboli et al. 2014).
The main characteristics of the leader are to focus on the staff members to complete the given
job at the scheduled time through implementing of rewards and incentives that provides
motivation.
Manager Leader
Definition
Manager helps to meet the set objectives of the
M & S Ltd organization.
Definition
The leader tries to persuade on the set
objectives that have been developed by the
manager in the firm.
Roles
The role of a manager is to carry out the better
planning in the organization.
Roles
The role of leader helps to motivate the staff
members on the performance.
Characteristics
The main characteristics of manager are to
focus on the allocated work provided among
the staff members.
Characteristics
The main characteristics of the leader are to
focus on the staff members to complete the
given job at the scheduled time through
implementing of rewards and incentives that
provides motivation.
(M1) There is process that helps in the difference between the role of manager and leader with
the range of theories and concepts. There are three roles of management theory are followed as:
i. Interpersonal role
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The interpersonal role is involved in the relationship carried out by the management that has
influenced from the behaviour at the time of working with employees. The management tries to
performance the entire performance through the ensuring of figurehead to use the power of staff
members to complete the allocated work in the organization of M & S Ltd. In the interpersonal
role, manager sometimes performs like the leader to provide encouragement to the staff members
to increase the performance of the organization.
ii. Informational role
The informational role helps to monitor the entire performance and develops the productivity of
the person (Bolman and Deal, 2017).
iii. Decisional role
The management tries to take a better decision in the areas that the organization faced a problem.
The entrepreneur tries to take the decision on the behalf of management.
Role of leader is enhanced by leadership styles that are followed as:
i. Democratic leadership
Democratic leadership helps to take a decision with the help of manager in the company of M &
S. Various forms of thoughts and ideas could be developed from this leadership.
ii. Autocratic leadership
The effective style of leadership helps to monitor the staff members to implement the decision to
carry out the better decision (Burke, 2013).
LO 2 Applying the role of manager and leader
P2 Role of manager and leader in different situational context with reference to M & S on
chosen scenario
As referred by Eacott, (2015), role of leader and function of manager helps the company to carry
out the entire work in a proper direction to meet the set objectives. There are different types of
role practiced by the leader as well as the manager to meet the set objective in the situational
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context. M & S Ltd has faced the problem in the supply chain areas, the induced leader and
manager needs to practice the exact roles to mitigate the issues. From the proper planning of
manager through the management theory helps to carry out the better areas to supply the
products to meet the demand of customer of M & S Ltd. As stated by Ellis, P. and Bach (2015),
participative styles of leadership are practiced by the leader to implement decision-making
capacity upon the manager as well as the staff members to meet the demand of target customers.
The organization is highly specialized with the selling of clothes, luxury products and home
products among the consumers. Manager of M & S Ltd tries to hold the quality of products from
the introducing of supply chain to deliver the products properly. The leader tries to motivate the
staff members through the rewards and incentives to increase the performance of the company M
& S Ltd by the developing the supply chain. In order to develop the strategy to meet certain
changes of the situation, leader could implement the contingency theory. Both the manager as
well as leader carry out the role to meet the challenges and make certain changes depending on
the situation. Another problem faced by the organization of M & S Ltd is that the lack of
coordination among the staff members. The role played by the leader helps to implement a better
communication skills and conduct training among the staff members in the company M & S Ltd.
Leader tries to handle the entire situation in such a manner is to reduce the gap between staff
members and management in the organizational context. This helps the M & S Ltd tries to
implement high productivity through the high performance of staff members by reducing the
coordination problem. The manager is focus on the achieving of the entire work in the allocated
time (Giacalone and Rosenfeld, 2014). Example of role of leader is the better way of planning
and characteristics of manager includes with the focusing on the allocated work properly.
(M2) There exists certain strength and weakness in different approaches of situation in the work
environment.
In the working environment there lies with various approaches to the situation that depends on
the weakness and strength. The strength includes the effective way of communication among the
staff members that help to increase the performance. The effective communication helps to
provide important and vital information to the focused audiences. The strength includes the skills
and knowledge of staff members to increase the performance required in the working
environment of company M & S Ltd. The organization is currently facing two problems that
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include with the lack of coordination and supply chain. The leader through the proper leadership
styles might avoid the weakness from the development of strength. The weakness depends on the
weak communication practiced by staff members at the time of delivering of speech in the
organizational context (Miner, 2015).
P3 Different models and theory including situational leadership, system leadership and
contingency with special reference
There are various theory and models required in the leadership at the time of carrying out M & S
Ltd. These are followed as
i. Situational leadership
The situational leadership model provides the entire behaviour of the management in an
organized manner. Ken Blanchard and Paul Hersey have developed this theory. The Situational
leadership model provides the proper leadership style followed by the leader to tackle all sorts of
a situation faced by the organization of M & S Ltd. The successful leader tries to increase the
ability that provides the maximum amount of influence to meet the set goals. This leadership
style helps to increase the performance of the behaviour of leader that includes the coaching,
directing, supporting and delegating on the implementing of a better decision of various situation
in the context of an organization (Goetsch and Davis, 2014).Example lies within the organization
understanding the entire situation by leader.
ii. System leadership
The system leadership provides the leader a unique technique to face the problems and develops
an innovative form of systems to tackle the problem faced by the organization of M & S Ltd. The
system leadership provides the collaborative form of leadership in the network of people lying in
the various levels as well as place. It helps the leader to implement necessary things on the
significant changes carried out in the organization of M & S Ltd. The main characteristics of
system leadership are formed with different an area that helps in the success of the firm on the
existence of the limited project. The organization is facing the problem the lack of coordination
and supply chain at the time of carrying of business. From the implementing of system
leadership, the organization could able to reduce the problem (Hatziargyriou, 2014). Example
includes with the understanding the exact system to increase the performance.
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iii. Contingency leadership
It is the organizational theory that helps the firm to organize the entire process to meet the set
objectives. The contingency leadership helps to take better decisions from various situation lying
in external as well as internal areas. The faced problems by the organization of M & S Ltd
provide unique opportunity to progress from the contingency theory. Examples includes with the
decision making capacity by leader at any situation.
(D1) There are various approaches lies in the different theory of leadership. These are followed
as
i. Great man theory
ii. Trait theory
iii. Behavioural theory
iv. Contingency theory
v. Transactional theory of leadership
vi. Transformational theory of leadership
These different approaches to leadership provide the unique form of planning to reduce the
problem in the firm of M & S Ltd.
Task 2
LO 3 Demonstrate the role of manager and leader in the operation function
P4 Discuss the key approaches to operation management and role of manager and leader
with special references.
The key approaches in the operation management include with the not limited with the planning
of capacity, inventory management, measure the performance, total quality management and
supply chain design. The organization M & S Ltd needs to make a better approach to the
operation management. The manager and leader perform the respective task allocated to the
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organization. The manager tries to focus on the better outcomes from the allocated task provided
among the staff members. The leader tries to increase the performance of the allocated work by
motivating the staff members. The company M & S Ltd is currently facing problem from the
lack of supply chain and coordination of staff members. The manager and leader practice a
particular theory to increase the performance. However, the exact theory provides the concepts
that help to resolve the problem and implement the better productivity from the staff members.
The leader tries to motivate the employee by providing rewards and incentives (Johnston and
Marshall, 2016).
There includes with the six approaches that exists with just in time, total quality management,
management by objectives, six sigma, lean production and queuing theory
Just in time provides the approaches that helps in maintaining the entire activity properly that
makes the major examples. The quality can be managed through the Quality management that
makes the example. The main objectives could be enhanced through the working of
management. The six sigma helps in measuring the quality that helps in the better production,
example includes with manufactured products. Lean production provides lean process of
thinking in the development of services that makes the major examples. Queuing theory provides
the queuing length required to implement the business decisions, examples with the service
manufactured by company.
(M 3) The manager and leader help to improve the efficiency in operational management to meet
the business objectives through proper way of planning and developing of strategy. The
objectives could be met from the model or theory followed by the firm at the time of effective
working. Management tries to meet the objectives with the commitment and participation of staff
members to support the entire allocated work. The leader tries to increase to meet the objectives
by implementing of skills and knowledge through the effective form of training carried out by
the employee. The participation of staff members assists to meet the set goals and objectives with
the innovative way. The organization M & S Ltd tries to mitigate the problem from the set
business objectives followed by the leader as well as the manager. The effective theory and
model helps to meet the objectives required in the business to achieve the success (Scott-Jackson
and Michie, 2017).
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P5 Importance of value in operation management to meet the business objective
Operation management is largely related to the functioning of the organization and other ways in
which functioning is maintained within the organization. This commonly refers to the business
practices that an organization follows to create the efficiency in its highest stature in the
organization. However, the operations management of the Marks & Spencer is mainly concerned
with efficient and effective conversion of the materials as well as the labours in the organization
to maximize the profits in the organization so that the revenue is earned at best possible terms.
This part describes the value of operational management in Marks & Spencer to meet the
business objectives in the same.
M&S strives for the completion of their functioning through incorporation of two differential
objectives such as sales and organizational objective. High expectations from the staffs are
sought through proper time management. This is achieved by:
 Time management: Operational management is an important tool in making a positive
stature in proper time management in the organization. A proper time planning in the
organization to conduct all its functioning helps the organization to increase the
efficiency of the firm adding a greater essence of productivity to the functioning. This
ultimately helps in enhancing the customer satisfaction on the organization with better
delivery of products and services to the customers. Moreover, when the functioning of an
organization is completed on time it helps in effective management of the resources of
the organization including the financial and the human resources.
 Human resource and financial resource management: Once the operational
management is made perfect in the organization it helps in recognising the flaws and the
faults of the organization. Thus, the costs of implementation of the resources such as
financial and human resources are reduced on the apart of the organization. Thus, this
enhances the scope of effective execution of the resources thus raising tangible benefits
from its operations. Besides, the opportunity is raised to produce maximum outputs with
usage of minimum resources.
 Enhance performance within the organization: Operational management in an
organization is liable to enhance the performance of the employees in the organization
through effective use of the human resources in the organization thus this also helps in
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production of services or products with better quality. Thus, this is also profitable in
gaining the competitive edge in the market.
 Facilitates decision: An operational management is produced towards better functioning
of the company thus allowing the organization to plan its expenditure and the functions
beforehand (Van der Voet, 2014). Therefore, the decision making is facilitated in certain
areas such as minimization of the shipping costs, costing of the raw materials, calculating
the expenses and communication as well as transportation, etc.
The sales objectives of the company are sought through the implementation certain criteria:
 Production: Production has been seen to be improved through proper management and
implementation of manufacturing. Thus, this is profitable in areas of producing
successful deliveries at the right time. Therefore, the customer engagement is also
facilitated.
 Planning activities: Efficient operational management in an organization contributes
towards planning of the activities that the organization is destined to produce. Therefore,
it is helpful for the organization to plan the location of their plant for production, plan the
facilities required to produce their tasks and to schedule any other miscellaneous
activities (Saeed et al. 2016).
Therefore, the organization Marks & Spencer follows a proper planning management in the
organization so that there is greater implementation of the activities as well as efficient usage of
the company resources.
LO4 Demonstrating an understanding of relationship between management
and leadership in business environment
P6 Assessing the factors that produces impact on the operational management of Marks &
Spencer
The organization Marks & Spencer is a multinational retailer based in the city of Westminster in
London. It provides services to the customers to provide them with several kinds retail products.
The organization provides services and products to the customers within the national or domestic
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sector as well as in the international sector. However, this part of the project helps in explaining
the factors that are producing impacts on the operational management in the organization.
Internal environmental factors of the organization include barrs in proper development in
terms of producing highly qualified performances. This includes employee training, scheduling
of the training process as well as the functioning process in the organization.
 Employee training: Operational planning or the operational management of an
organization is largely dependent on the skills of the mangers in an organization.
Therefore, the Marks & Spencer should be providing proper induction to the mangers as
well as the employees’ that are an integral part of the organizational functioning. The
operations that are planned in the organization should be held under proper execution
st6artagies and the managers as well as the employees should be well equipped to
produce effective functioning in the organization (Northouse, 2015). Poor employee and
managers skills in the organization may disrupt the company functioning.
 Work processes: Within the operational planning the employees in the organization
should be provided with a proper and scheduled work processes. Therefore, if the work
processes in the organization is not scheduled it may affect the implementation of the
operational planning in the organization. Therefore, Marks & Spencer has taken an
outstanding functioning to have proper work processes in the organization.
 Scheduling: Scheduling incorporates planning of proper working processes such as hours
of working and the number of labours that are to be implemented in certain functioning.
Therefore, in case of low functionality of the mangers in an organization the scheduling
processes might be harmed making the operational management a failure in the
organization. As a consequence to this, the customer satisfaction is hampered due to fail
in delivery of the products on time. On the other hand, such coordination in an
organization is helpful in producing company services or products that tend to satisfy the
customers as well as improve their engagement in the organization (Miner, 2015).
Scheduling also enhances the various kinds of coordination such as ordering of the
shipments, raw material acquiring as well as pickups from the distributors. Hence, it is
important for Marks & Spencer to conduct a proper scheduling functioning in the
organization being a part of the retail industry.
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The external environment factors of the organization include certain factors that produces shift
in the working process. These are the political factors, social factors, technology
 Political factors: The effect of different legal policies of different countries is likely to
hold different kinds of functioning in different regions beyond the national boundaries.
As a result, the functioning of the organization is largely dependent on following of the
legal rules as levied by the government of the respective nations.
 Social factors: M&S functions on a worldwide basis and the functioning has been
transformed in order to match with the culture of the area where the services are
provided. This is important as there is difference in the preference of customers in
different areas. This intensely effects the decision making process of the organization in
order to choose the right process of functioning in differential areas.
 Technology: In order to carry out the entire operation in M & S there is a specific
technology used that lies with the cloud computing services. The various examples of
cloud computing services are Amazon EC2, Google App Engine, Microsoft Office
Online, Apple iCloud and Google Apps. The company use this technology to implement
a better services among the consumers.
Within the retail industry it is important that an organization is well equipped in providing the
goods and providing the customers with products on their demand. Therefore, it is very helpful
for the organization to operate in the domestic as well as international sector.
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