Roles and Characteristics of Manager and Leader in M&S

Management and
Operations

INTRODUCTION
Management and Operation is related with conversion of raw materials and resources into
final services and products with the aim of acquiring maximum profitability. These are
concerned with manufacturing and redesigning the products as per customer’s demand so that
their satisfaction level can be enhanced (Ageron, Gunasekaran and Spalanzani, 2012). This will
benefit the business organisation in attain high revenues and profits. This assignment is based on
M&S which is a UK based multinational retailer dealing in clothing, food items and home
products. Company is headquartered in Westminster, London. This report will cover roles and
characteristics of manager and leader in context with organisation. Also, role of leader and
function of manager in different situations are discussed. Different theories of management and
leadership are discussed along with value and importance of operations. At last, the impact of
business environment on management and decision making of both manager and leader is
discussed.
TASK 1
P1
Leader: A leader is capable of getting work accomplished from other person by motivating
and directing them. This accomplishment is achieved with the help of leadership styles. In
context with M&S, leader of company is required to support its workforce so that organisational
activities can be performed in a desired manner. Leader of company can guide them through
learning programs and training sessions.
Manager: A manager is the person in a business firm who monitors and manages the
activities that is performed by the workforce. Manager of a company is held responsible for
attainment of goals and objectives in an organisation. In case of M&S, manager has the duty to
direct workforce towards goal attainment by implementing plans and procedures.
Role of a leaders
 Creative vision: Leader plays the role in which they lead their team with creative vision.
They characterize their team about how they can reach different goals in timely manner
and the way in which their personal interest can be aligned with organizational benefits.

For instance, role of manager in M&S is to formulate effective plans so that vision of
company can be accomplished properly (Barnard, 2017).
 Coach potential: Leader has to play the role of a coach as it is the duty of a leader to
increase the ability of their team individuals and take care of the issues which have are
facing by their team. This will help in enhancing overall productivity of company in a
desired manner. Example, in M&S leader have overall control on their business due to
which they execute activities in an organized manner.
Characteristics of a leader:
 Communication: Main characteristic of a leader is to have effective communication
skills through which they can provide their assistance and guidance to the employees
regarding their various issues so that the issues can be resolved effectively. M&S is
providing clothing and food items due to which it is essential for workers to generate new
ideas so that high competitive advantage can be gained. It is not possible without
appropriate communication with leader.
Role of manager
 Resource allocator: Manager of a firm has the role to appropriately appoint the
resources to employees so that business goals can be achieved. For instance, in M&S,
managers give the resources such as labor, reserves etc. so that organizational operations
can smooth running.
 Assigning roles and responsibilities: Managers have the role to delegate responsibilities
to the workers according to their abilities and knowledge. This is a basic role of managers
so that organisational goals can be attained. For example, Managers at M&S appoint
duties to employees dependent on their capabilities, this will helps in accomplishing work
in a timely manner (Beske and Seuring, 2014).
Characteristics of a manager:
 Knowledge: Manager have different duties, for example, planning, organizing,
coordinating, controlling and so on to gain competitive advantage over rivals. For this,
Manager needs to have proper information and knowledge regarding the strategies that