Management and Operations Report

This report examines the roles of leadership and management in the context of UBER's operations. It explores the differences between leadership and management, examines various leadership theories and models, and analyzes the impact of internal and external factors on operational management and decision-making. The report uses UBER as a case study to illustrate these concepts.

MANAGEMENT AND
OPERATIONS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Define and compare roles and characteristics of leader and manager..............................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
P2 Examples how role of leader and function of manager implemented in different situations 3
P3 Application of different theories and models of approaches.............................................4
TASK 3 (Covered in PPT)...............................................................................................................6
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................6
P6 Factors of business environment which affects operational management and decision
making by leader and manager...............................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Management and operations means actions taken to control business operations to control
commercial activities of association which assist in proper production of product and services.
Management means actions which are taken to create link among different activities. There are
many departments such as marketing, research and development, purchase, etc. in organisation
which are working to attain goals and objectives (Jacobs, Chase and Lummus, 2014). Managers
in association are responsible to deal with them in order to perform business operations in
synchronise manner. When managers control business activities, then they are able to maintain
long term existence in society with earning proper revenue and profits. This report is based on
UBER which provides cab services, food delivery, bicycle sharing, etc. facilities to people. This
organisation has head quarter in San Francisco, California. In this report there is discussion about
difference between role of leader and function of manager, theories and model of management
approaches, importance and values of operations management, factors affecting business
operations.
TASK 1
P1 Define and compare roles and characteristics of leader and manager
Leader is the person who leads an group of people to attain specific goals and objectives
within specified time. Leader is the person who makes strategies so group of people can perform
operations in effective and relevant manner.
Manager is the individual who is responsible for the outcome from team mates. He is the
person who is responsible to managing resources among group of people to achieve specific
goals and objectives.
Role of manager
Hiring qualitative people- Managers of UBER are responsible to select best candidate in
organisation. There are many department which are working to achieve goals and objectives,
hence with qualitative staff it is easy to maintain good brand image.
Planning training program- These days, changes are taking place very frequently. For
instance: there is change in software, then managers of UBER are responsible to plan training
programme for polishing knowledge of workforce.
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Performance management- Performance management is also responsibility of managers
of UBER. With performance management, it is easy to make motivate workers to improve
performance and overall performance of UBER is also up t the mark.
Role of leader
Supporter- Leaders play role of supporter for team mates. In business environment, there
are any changes taking place, so it is responsibility of leader to support employees to work with
new techniques.
Team development- Leader is the person who is responsible for attaining assigned goals
and objectives. Hence they frame team according to skills and qualities of individuals. Thus
leader of UBER is responsible for framing effective team (Alderton and Saieva, 2013).
Difference on the basis of characteristic of Manager and Leader
There are some difference among managers and leaders on the basis of their
characteristics. But the main motto of both is to improve performance of employees and attain it
within specified limit. For instance: both manager as well as leader take decisions, creates
environment through which consumer can achieve assigned target.
Basis Leader Manager
Risk taking Leader of UBER are risk
taking. They are ready to face
risk.
Managers at UBER does not
take risk. They work on the
same set standards.
Adaptability to change Leaders are ready to accept
changes. They accepts changes
and perform work according to
external environment.
Managers do not take risk.
They avoids risk and pursue
actions by same benchmark.
Conflict management Leaders at UBER takes
conflict as part of business
operations, hence they take it
as learning.
While managers at UBER
avoids possibilities of conflict
among employees.
Supporter or opponent Leaders supports employees at
UBER to perform work with
new techniques. In case of
While managers of UBER
punish workforce in case of
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negative results, leader take it
as experience of avoiding
mistakes in near future.
negative results.
Copies or innovate Managers copies the set
benchmarks with which
activities are done.
Leaders does not copies they
innovate new ideas to
accomplish task.
There is important role of leader and manager in performing operations in UBER . This
can be understood with the help of Behavioural theory of leadership and system theory of
management.
As per behavioural theory, managers and leaders perform operations according to their
perception regarding situation. There is difference in mindset of managers at UBER so this
affects leadership style.
As per system theory, there is proper criteria to manage operations at UBER. There are
some specific ways in which managers and leaders has to perform activities and guide personnel
at UBER (Chiarini and Vagnoni, 2015).
TASK 2
P2 Examples how role of leader and function of manager implemented in different situations
There are different situations arise in UBER which affects business operations in negative
manner. In such case managers and leaders plays crucial role to deal with it. Some situations are
discussed under with roles of leader and manager-
Stable situation
These are the situations which does not changes frequently. In such situations alterations
are taking place very rarely. So in such situations role of leader and manager is not so crucial.
Example of this situation is change in legal laws and legislations.
In these situations, managers of UBER are responsible to understand alterations and then
convey to employees. They are responsible to make changes in working style to make long term
sustainability in industry.
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Leaders at UBER also take actions according to external market. They are responsible to
deal with alterations in legal laws. Leaders must analyse issue which may arise in implementing
changes and then take actions to rectify it.
Moderate situation
Moderate situation changes but with less frequency as compared to fast changes. These
changes includes change in demand of consumers, change in working software, etc. In such
cases role of manager to leader at UBER is to coop- up with changes and motivate employees to
deal with them.
For instance: there is change in software at UBER, then in this case, managers has to plan
training event with which knowledge of employees can be improved and they are able to work
with new software. Performance management is also responsibility of manager at UBER, so
positive impact can be analysed on performance of workforce.
Leaders in this case must analyse ways through which performance can be improved.
Team must be framed of people so other's can also learn with them. Leader at UBER must
motivate employees by bridging gap between personal and organisational goals (Kato, NEC
Corp, 2012).
Fast changing situation
Fast changing situations are the changes which are taking place in UBER such as
promotional strategies. Market analysis, etc. In transportation companies, there is competition, so
working style gets changing very frequently for the growth and development of association.
In this case role of managers is to analyse external market and then take actions
according to market analysis. For instance: there is change in working style of competitors, then
it is responsibility of managers at UBER to alter business policies for long term sustainability
and growth in industry.
Leaders has to be analyse performance of team mates and then actions are taken to
appraise them. Leader must communicate about promotion strategies to work force, so they can
concentrate on working style and hence they tries to give best.
P3 Application of different theories and models of approaches
Leadership is the process through which individual can take actions to make changes
which are relevant and crucial for performing operations in desired manner. There are some
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changes which has to be made in working style at UBER to make good image in industry. There
are three approaches in understanding requirement of leadership in business.
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP
This is the leadership which is implemented by managers at UBER. In this case, there is
use of different strategies as per change in perception of managers. This leadership can be
understood with the help of Hersey and Ken Blanchard's theory. In this theory, there is
synchronisation in behaviour of leader with change in situation. In this theory, there are three
stages of leadership and four stages of maturity.
Stages of leadership are-
Telling (S1)- In this stage, managers of UBER provide information about changes which
are taking place in environment. This apraoch is based on authoritative and directive approach.
Selling (S2)- In this style, manager of UBER provide ideas through which workforce can
use it at work place and achieve goals and objectives of association.
Participating (S3)- This is the stage, in which employees plays important role because in
this stage, workforce has more responsibility. Managers provide freedom to workers to take
decisions.
Delegating (S4)- As per this stage, managers of UBER delegate power to workers to take
part in decision making. This helps to implement changes according to external environment.
Maturity level happens after leadership stages. There are four levels of maturity which
helps workers to implement changes which are crucial and relevant to achieve business aims and
objectives. As per change in change in external; market, employees of UBER has to change their
working strategy (Ahuja, 2017).
Situational theory of leadership: Strengths: This leadership can be implemented according mind set of employees of
UBER to make them understand about completion of task. Hence different and
innovative ways are implemented under this leadership.
 Weakness: This leadership sometimes creates conflict among managers at UBER which
affects working environment in negative manner.
SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP
System leadership is the oldest approach of leadership. This strategy is less implemented
in current market trends because there are changes taking place very rapidly. There are some
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specific ways implemented to lead team in UBER. This theory was given by Rensis Likert.
There are four approaches in this system. They are as under-
Exploitative- This is the factor in which possibilities of conflict among employees are
more and managers use approaches through which they can control factors which improves
working style of workforce in UBER.
Benevolent- This is the approach in which managers at UBER have less control over
employees. Different motivational techniques such as monetary benefits which assist in making
long term, relations with consumers and possibilities of getting positive results are more.
Consultative- As per this approach, workforce at UBER are free to discuss their
grievance with him. This helps to understand mindset of workers and hence it is easy to take
actions according to external changes.
Participative- In this stage, there are some authority to employees to take part in decision
making which assist in creating good relations with workers. There is feeling of confidence and
trust among employees and employer.
System theory of leadership: Strengths: This is the leadership which helps to lead team in standard form, so employees
of UBER performance can be enhanced.
 Weakness: there is delay in decision making because employees at UBER are not able to
understand role and responsibilities.
CONTINGENCY LEADERSHIP
This is the leadership which is unused in case of emergency. There are varieties of
situation for UBER in which employees need motivation to get positive results. In case of
contingency, this theory is implemented to get positive results. In 1960, Fred. E. Fiedler launch
this theory. There are two components i.e. task oriented and people oriented.
Task oriented- When there is contingent situation, in this case leadership is implemented
according to task which is assigned to worker at UBER.
People oriented- Characteristic of employee is also crucial because they are the source
which interact with consumers and respond to changes taking place in environment (Burns,
2014).
Contingency theory of leadership:
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 Strengths: This is the approach which is beneficial because in this managers of UBER
can perform operations according to circumstance.
 Weaknesses: This leadership is based on characteristic of employees as well as task, so
there is no standard form to lead team which might create confusion.
TASK 3 (Covered in PPT)
TASK 4
P6 Factors of business environment which affects operational management and decision making
by leader and manager
UBER is the organisation which makes changes in their plans and policies according to
difference in external market. There is increment in demand of cab services, hence it is
responsibility of managers of UBER to accept changes which are taking place in environment or
alterations taken place by competitors. There are internal as well as external factors which
affects business operations of UBER. Hence there is impact on decision making techniques of
managers (Omansky and Kanner, Autodesk Inc, 2014).
INTERNAL FACTORS
Employees- Employees are the main asset through which UBER makes relations with
consumers. They are the component which affects decisions of managers. For instance: training
method is planned through on the job method and employees prefer to learn through off the job
method, then managers of UBER has to alter their decisions. If employees are not satisfied with
monitory benefits, then leader has to use non monetary methods as well.
Management structure- Management structure of UBER also affects decisions of
managers. Hierarchical organisational structure is followed by UBER. Hence in this structure,
there is requirement of taking approval from top level managers. In case of contingent situation,
there are possibilities of delay in operations and hence this affects decisions of managers at
UBER. Due to hierarchical structure, there is delay in decision making so commercial
operations of UBER gets affected.
EXTERNAL FACTORS
Political factor- This is the factor which is not in control of managers of UBER hence in
case of alteration in government policies managers has to alter their working style. This helps in
smooth running of business and attain long term sustainability. For instance: there is difference
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in road tax of different country, hence in this case decisions of managers ges affected because
they have to fix fare after analysing market. While leaders of UBER provide knowledge about
tax rate to workers
Economical factor- change in tax rate, GDP, loan rates, etc. are not in control so this
can be resolved through analyse them and make changes in working style. For instance: there is
change in loan rate then it affects decisions of managers related to selecting source of funds.
Hence this affects decisions of managers. Leader's decision gets affected related to motivation
of employees to complete task within specified time. (Song and Parola, 2015).
Social factor- Social factor includes cultural, religious, etc. values of consumers.
UBER is the company which operates in different parts of country such as China, US, UK, etc.
There is difference in demand of consumers as per difference in geographical region such as in
UK, there is requirement of bicycle but it is not so in Asian Countries. Hence to deal with social
factor, managers of UBER has to alter decision related to planning of services to consumers.
Leaders at UBER make decision such as promotions, job rotation, transfer, family vacations to
motivate employees to work with new and innovative methods to satisfy consumer demand.
Above discussed factors affects business operations in negative as well as positive
manner. For instance: when there is change in consumer preference, then marketing, research
and development departments also gets affected. Hence these factors affects wider community
in performing commercial activities of UBER. These factors can affect have positive as well as
negative impact. In case of change in basic pay rate of employees, then finance and accounts
departments performance gets affected. They have consider new pay rate and pay remuneration
accordingly.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it is clear that operations management is essential department
in current era because this assist operations to operate in appropriate manner. Role of managers
and leader are important because they plan training programmes analyse market, etc. according
to change in situation. Situational leadership is the best approach because this make manager to
guide workforce according to circumstances. Total quality management and contentious
improvement are two approaches of operations management with which organisation to maintain
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long term sustainability with good consumer base. At last there is discussion about some internal
as well as external factors such as management structure, political policies, etc. which affects
decision of managers.
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