Operations Management in Business

This report presents the definition of management and leadership. It also demonstrates the roles, function, and characteristics of managers and leaders. It also explains the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches used by managers and leaders in different situations.

Running head: OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN BUSINESS
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN BUSINESS

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN BUSINESS 2
Executive summary
The main aim of this report is to focus on management and leadership within Debenhams. This
report demonstrates the roles, functions, and characteristics of managers and leaders such as
planning, organizing, directing and controlling. It explains the different management and
leadership theories that help to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of organizational
objectives.

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Table of Contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Definition of management and leadership.......................................................................................4
Roles, functions, and characteristics of managers and leaders........................................................4
Comparison between a leader and a manager in Debenhams..........................................................6
Strengths and weaknesses of the approaches used by managers and leaders in different situations
at Debenhams...................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
This report presents the definition of management and leadership. It also demonstrates the roles,
function, and characteristics of managers and leaders. It also explains the strengths and
weaknesses of the approaches used by managers and leaders in different situations.
Definition of management and leadership
Management is a set of principles associated to the function of organizing, planning, directing,
controlling and the use of these principles in controlling financial, physical, human and
informational resources for attaining the goal of an organization. Leadership is the art of
motivating the group of people for performing with respect to attaining the common goals
(Pihlainen, Kivinen, and Lammintakanen, 2016).
Roles, functions, and characteristics of managers and leaders
Roles of a manager
Planning
This function focuses on forecasting the future events as well as assessing the significant
potential activities for the company.
Commanding
This function emphasizes on how a manager can lead the employees in Debenhams like by using
the communication as well as managerial conduct, users can be rewarded and punished
(Pihlainen, Kivinen, and Lammintakanen, 2016).
Following are the functions of a manager:
Confidence
Managers should be confident and sticky to every decision with self-confidence in Debenhams.
Managers should demonstrate their competencies to make a good decision among customers.

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Communication
Managers should be able to interact with their team. Therefore, it is the responsibility of
managers to work with the team and accomplishes the high standard services within Debenhams
(Vaiginienė, et. al., 2018).
Roles of a leader
A leader is responsible for directing the team in the right way to attain the objectives in
Debenhams. They have good knowledge hence they should understand the ways in order to lead
the rest of the team (Storey, Beeman, and Flaherty-Oxler, 2019).
Functions of a leader
Planning
A leader may seek the data, define the tasks, and creates the aim, allocating the tasks, initiating
briefing and develops the standard in Debenhams (Vaiginienė, et. al., 2018).
Supporting
A leader can motivate their team members and integrating the morale in Debenhams (Pihlainen,
Kivinen, and Lammintakanen, 2016).
Characteristics of managers and leaders:
Manager:
Managers are the person within an organization who manages and designs the work of the
company in the direction of pre-determined objectives and goals of the company (Marchington,
et. al., 2016).
Leaders:
Leaders are an individual who supports the employees for attaining the goal and objectives of the
company. A leader plays a significant role to encourage the workforces via leadership and

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN BUSINESS 6
communication skills. This would be beneficial for attaining the vision and objectives of the
company (Khan, 2018).
Comparison between a leader and a manager in Debenhams
Leaders Managers
Roles of the leader should be innovative Role of managers is managerial
Leaders generally ask regarding why and what
regarding the task
Managers generally ask when with how
regarding the task.
Leaders highly emphasize on the chance of the
task (Gornall, Thomas, and Sweetman, 2018).
Managers emphasize on the bottom line of task
(McCaffery, 2018).
Strengths and weaknesses of the approaches used by managers and leaders in different
situations at Debenhams
In Debenhams, managers are passionate to direct their team and highly emphasizes on satisfying
each customer. It would ensure that positive experience would be obtained by the company. In
Debenhams, leaders would be liable for team performance and it will support for accomplishing
the goal and objectives of the company (Decman, et. al., 2018).

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References
Decman, J.M., Badgett, K., Shaughnessy, B., Randall, A., Nixon, L. and Lemley, B., 2018.
Organizational leadership through management: Superintendent perceptions. Educational
Management Administration & Leadership, 46(6), pp.997-1013.
Gornall, L., Thomas, B. and Sweetman, L. eds., 2018. Exploring Consensual Leadership in
Higher Education: Co-operation, Collaboration, and Partnership. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Khan, M.Y.H., 2018. Cross cultural leadership and the hospitality industry: a leadership style
towards success in organizational goals in France. Hos Tour Manage Int, 1(4), pp.20-25.
Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Donnelly, R. and Kynighou, A., 2016. Human resource
management at work. USA: Kogan Page Publishers.
McCaffery, P., 2018. The higher education manager's handbook: effective leadership and
management in universities and colleges. UK: Routledge.
Pihlainen, V., Kivinen, T. and Lammintakanen, J., 2016. Management and leadership
competence in hospitals: a systematic literature review. Leadership in Health Services, 29(1),
pp.95-110.
Storey, V.A., Beeman, T.E. and Flaherty-Oxler, K., 2019. Developing a Clinical Leadership
Pipeline: Planning, Operation, and Sustainability. In Preparing Physicians to Lead in the 21st
Century (pp. 164-182). USA: IGI Global.
Vaiginienė, E., Alonderienė, R., Pilkienė, M., Ramonienė, L., Savanevičienė, A. and
Stankevičiūtė, Ž., 2018. Management and Leadership Development Needs: The Case of
Lithuania. In Business and Society (pp. 115-135). USA: Springer, Cham.

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Appendix (Powerpoint)
Slide 1
Slide 2

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Operation management plays a significant role to attain the goal of the company in minimum
time and costs. Moreover, operation management may consider different activities such as
overseeing, production process control, business production and designing of products and
services. This is beneficial for the business procedure and controlling the whole procedure of
Debenhams (McCaffery, 2018).
Slide 3
Management theories
The scientific theory of management- by Fredrick Taylor
Federick Taylor’s illustrates the scientific management theory. This theory is also called classical
management theory that emphasizes on the efficiency. In such theory, Taylor recommended that
managers can hire the employees who are more able to perform the particular tasks (Storey,
Beeman, and Flaherty-Oxler, 2019). The scientific theory of management is used to pay
employees with regards to amount of work they generate as a motivation for finest output.

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Administrative theory of management – by Henri Fayol
Henri Fayol illustrated different function for managers in order to develop an effective plan.
Henri has evaluated 14 principles of management that are dependent on a fundamental truth.
These management principles provide guidelines to make decision and management actions
(Khan, 2018).
Slide 4
Theories of leadership
Action-centered theory of Leadership – by John Adair
The action-centered theory is a model that was developed by John Adair in the era of 1960. This
model uses a simple template that can be used by the manager for leading the teams. This
leadership is also called circle model that is demonstrated as follow:
Transformational theory of leadership

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A transformational leader should depict some behavior and characteristics to encourage and
motivate a team. Moreover, an organization can integrate the vision with a goal. These traits and
behaviors are intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, individual consideration and
charisma for each team and group members (Storey, Beeman, and Flaherty-Oxler, 2019).
Slide 5
a) Situational Theory (Hersey – Blanchard theory)
The situational theory contains the different style of leadership such as participating, delegating,
telling and selling style. This leadership style can be used by leaders of Debenhams to deals in a
different situation. In this manner, Telling is the direct form of leadership that could be used as a
way of communication. Under selling approach, team members convinced their leaders to use
the instruction in a feasible manner. Under participating leadership approach, team leader may
motivate the team members for providing their ideas. In the context of delegating leadership

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style, a leader distributes high amount of liabilities with respect to allocated task to different
team members.
b) Contingency theory (Fiedler’s contingency theory)
Contingency theory can be implemented by the managers of Debenhams for building the
relationship between working styles and situations (McCaffery, 2018). There are different kinds
of leadership style such as task oriented and relationship oriented. The efficiency of team leader
is relied on different components that are task structure, relation amid leader and staffs and
designation power.
C) Systems theory
As per this theory, a company will use perception, opinion, and feedback of the external people
and their customers in order to launch products for increasing the demand of product within an
organization. This theory focuses on all relationship with external environment as a stimulating
procedure. As per this theory, a company can use perception, views and feedback of external
people and their customers to launch any products for gaining the demand of products at the
marketplace.
Slide 6

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Six Sigma
An organization may use six sigma tool for improving the quality of the operation process by
identifying and correcting the cause for errors and limitations (McCaffery, 2018).
Company practices six sigma techniques for improving the quality of production process by
identifying and detecting the causes for errors as well as limitation.
Six sigma approaches are identified as the strategy that is used in disciplined nature and data
driven approach.
By implementing the six sigma approach under operation management, a company can provide
higher satisfaction by eliminating the defects.
Through this, company can improve the return on sale and investment in production process.
Slide 7

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Following are the roles of a leader in the operation management:
To ensure the effective consumption and participation of the whole workforces
Employees can deal in such activity and supports for solving the query with regards to allocated
work (Pihlainen, Kivinen, and Lammintakanen, 2016).
Roles of manager in the operation management
A manager can attain the suppliers to deliver the goods and services.
Managers can practice the six sigma technique to save the cost and attain the aim and objectives
of research issues (Vaiginienė, et. al., 2018).
Slide 8

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A leader can enhance the operational management for effectively accomplish the objective of
business by giving the following stages:
Empowering remote workforces to a work creatively
A leader can empower the employees by producing the highest degree during performing
remotely. It is an effective technique to empower the employees in order to motivate the team
members. It supports for producing the virtual environment by accessing the virtual private
networks (Storey, Beeman, and Flaherty-Oxler, 2019).
Managers can increase the operational efficiency for operation management to profitably attain
the business goal via given below techniques:
Improving Collaboration-
It is one of significant technique that each manager can emphasize on increasing the
effectiveness in the operation management. It supports building effective bonding and
understands the employees (Vaiginienė, et. al., 2018).

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Slide 9:
Corporate Culture
Culture is significant in operation management as employees of Debenhams contributed to the
culture of the company via the operation procedure. With the perspective of culture, a company
can develop a significant approach for retaining the workforces (Pihlainen, Kivinen, and
Lammintakanen, 2016).
Corporate values
Principle and standards of the individual are called corporate value. Corporate value entails the
operating philosophies that lead internal behavior of Debenhams in against the investors,
shareholders, and consumers (Khan, 2018).
Corporate ethics

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Debenhams can use ethical practices for attaining the responsibility of corporate social and
assesses the company’s practices to avoid the environmental concern as well as keep significant
liaison with the shareholders (Marchington, et. al., 2016).
Sustainability
This approach can be significant to attain the desired goal in a limited time period. Moreover,
CSR activity can be beneficial to enhance the environmental, economic and social
circumstances.
Slide 10:
A leader of a company can enhance the efficiency of operation management for attaining the aim
and objectives of Debenhams. Following factors could be used by Debenhams to enhance the
efficiency of operation management:
CSR:

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Debenhams should make sure that their products and services will not harm to environment and
health of people. The corporate social responsibility can make a relationship between the
organization and society (Khan, 2018).
Culture
The culture can be effective to make a decision within an organization. The culture can persuade
a large number of consumers in minimum time. An organization can persuade different culture
of people by increasing the understanding regarding the significance of diverse culture of people
(McCaffery, 2018).
Value
The value can be significant to make a significant decision and involves in different activities.
The value of customers can enable the company for making a plan with respect to the decision-
making process and implement it into the business procedure (Gornall, Thomas, and Sweetman,
2018).
Ethics
Ethics play a significant role in appropriate decision with regards to organizational condition. It
may enable the company to conduct feasible behavior within an organization. Furthermore, this
strategy can lead the workforces for attaining the allocated task in minimum time (Decman, et.
al., 2018).
Slide 11

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