Management and Operations: A Case Study of Monsoons Accessorize Ltd

This report examines the role of leadership and management in the context of Monsoons Accessorize Ltd, a retail organization. It explores the differences between leadership and management, applying various theories like situational leadership, systems leadership, and contingency theory. The report also delves into key operations management approaches, including Six Sigma and Just-in-Time, and their impact on achieving business objectives. Furthermore, it analyzes external environmental factors affecting operational management and decision-making, highlighting how leaders and managers can improve efficiency to meet business goals.

MANAGEMENT AND
OPERATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Part A...............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.........1
P2, M1 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts........................................................................................................3
P3, M2 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership,
systems leadership, and contingency...........................................................................................5
Part B...............................................................................................................................................8
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play............................................................................................................................12
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives...................................................................................................................................15
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by leaders and management...............................................17
M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management
to successfully meet business objectives...................................................................................19
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider community
...................................................................................................................................................21
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................26
References......................................................................................................................................27

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Organisational chart of Monsoons...................................................................................1
Figure 2: Situational theory of leadership.......................................................................................6
Figure 3: Contingency theory..........................................................................................................7

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Leadership VS management..............................................................................................2
Table 2: Manager and leaders in different situations.......................................................................4

Introduction
Operation management is concerned with overall managing of operations that will lead to reduce
cost and increase efficiency of the business. Report will discuss the case study of Monsoons
Accessorize ltd that is one of the retail organisations dealing with clothing and accessories.
Different roles of managers and leaders will be discussed in different situations supporting with
different theories and models. Also report will discuss about different approaches of operational
management that will lead towards achieving business objectives. External environmental impact
will also be discussed in which role of leader and manager is assessed.
1

Part A
Introduction to organisation and management structure
Monsoon Accessorize is one of retail organisation registered in London that deals in retail of
different clothing and accessories. It operates in different countries with having more than 1300
stores in 75 countries. Store section divided into two parts one for clothing and one for
Accessory (About monsoons Accessorize ltd, 2018). Below mentioned is the well formatted
structure of retail enterprise:
Figure 1: Organisational chart of Monsoons
(Source: edrawsoft.com, 2018)
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager
Definition and roles of both managers and leaders
1

Manager: These are the person that is responsible for designing and managing the work that are
linked with predetermined goals and objectives. Managers perform suitable role that will form
suitable strategies and plans with gaining proper support of staff. Here, training is provided by
managers regarding respective staffs that are interlinked with objectives of the business. Each
department will have different managers that are responsible to perform different functions such
as marketing, finance, production, sales, research and development, etc (Mackenzie et.al. 2018).
Managers develop different relations with employees that take concerns about appraisals of
employees with performing employee appraisals in regular interval of time. They are just
responsible for getting work done from other and have main role to just take decisions and
supervise business operations.
Leader: These people are responsible to prepare employees and also work with them to achieve
common objectives. Leaders will motivate employees with application of different leadership
and communicative skills to follow the suitable vision of the business. Employees are prepared
in such a manner that they will be able to achieve both personal and professional objectives.
Leaders inspire employees and contribute their efforts to achieve efficiency and productivity of
the organisation (Mone and London, 2018).
Differences between management and leadership
Table 1: Leadership VS management
Basis of difference leadership Management
Objective Leaders of the business are
responsible for producing change
and movement. They inherent
different leadership skills for
taking employees towards
achieving organisational
objective (Bratton and Gold,
2017).
Manager are responsible to
produce order and manage
different functions such as
planning, organising, staffing,
controlling, etc for maintaining
consistency level in business.
Roles It establishes suitable direction
by creating a vision and planning
suitable strategies to have the
Planning functions are sole that
is needed to be performed
effectively. Manager perform
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clear image of business in front
of employees
such role by setting agendas,
allocating resources and
structuring plan that is needed to
be achieved in suitable period of
time (Bolman and Deal, 2014).
People Leader produces communication
skills and perform task along
with them to form effective
relations. It helps in building
teams and forming coalitions and
alliances (Crane and Matten,
2016)
Staffing functions is
responsibility of manager that is
associated with providing
formatted structure, making job
fills and ensuring the follow of
rules and regulations according
to policies.
Motivation These persons are one of the
important parts that motivate and
inspire team towards producing
best efforts by empowering them
and meeting with their needs by
intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
(Bolden, 2016.).
Generally managers perform
functions of controlling and take
actions to solve the particular
problem. Moreover, incentives
are decided by managers based
on adequate performances of
employees and making
discussions with organisational
leaders.
P2, M1 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts
Chaos theory: This theory is responsible for taking different decisions that are only based on
organisational development. This theory presents complex system environment and managers of
the business are responsible to present suitable mechanism. In this, managers and leaders of
Monsoons are responsible to identify the problems that are faced within the business and will
take specific decisions regarding betterment of the business. This includes chaos such as
absenteeism, employee turnover, changes in behaviour, etc. Potential decisions will lead business
to gain sustainability and business growth. Overcoming such problem will generate more
efficiency (Miner, 2015). Training and development will be provided to the employees for
3

increasing the skills and knowledge and managers will motivate them to achieve higher
standards of quality that will enhance customer satisfaction.
Management by objectives: Here, decisions of the Monsoons will be taken on the basis of
management and employees. Performances of the organisations and employees are altered as per
objectives of the business. Managers and employees will work together to set and monitor goals
for suitable period of time (D’Innocenzo et.al. 2016). Goals and planning of organisation are
based on meeting both organisational and personal objectives of employees. Better relationships
within Monsoons will help management to have sustainable results and achieved growth in
competitive markets.
Role of managers and leader in different situations
Table 2: Manager and leaders in different situations
Situation Role of manager Role of leader
Impact of external environmental
factors such as increase in rate of
inflation in economic conditions.
Leaders will take efforts to
perform market research with the
team and analyse the possible
reasons for such change. It will
motivate team to work according
to producing efficiency and
information will be transferred in
accordance with enabling proper
communication between
employees and the leaders
Manager will take specific
decisions regarding financial
planning and allocation of
resources and changes in
production system. Cost will be
focussed as major element that is
needed to be reduced and
operations will be handled with
care. Regular meeting will be
organised that will help to
communicate regularly about
working as per the current
situations (Oc, 2017).
Dissatisfaction of employees due
to unfulfilled demand
Manager will tend to have
discussions with the employees
and will offer appropriate
incentives by meeting with
demands of the workers by
listening to them. Decisions are
Leaders will assess the needs of
the employees and will try to
discuss with managers and
promote bargain from both the
sides that will meet with
organisational needs and also
4

taken under guidance of senior
management and that are always
for betterment of employees.
workers will also be motivated to
produce their best efforts within
the business.
P3, M2 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership,
systems leadership, and contingency
Situational leadership:
Situational theory is concerned with taking decisions in terms of considering different factors.
Such theory in context to Monsoons is explained below in detail:
 Task behaviour: Different tasks are performed by employees and managers and leaders
are responsible to offer task on the basis of achieving organisational objectives. Task in
Monsoons are needed to be divided along with qualifications and skills of the employees.
Managers are responsible to create a competitive environment that will overcome the
conflict and differences within the organisation (Dubey et.al. 2017).
 Relational behaviour: This includes management to form effective form of relationships
within the business that will lead to better decision making and efficiency is attained in
better manner.
 Telling: In this, leaders are just responsible for providing guiding employees about their
roles and techniques to perform suitable task. Leader will not actually participate but will
guide employees to perform objectives in effective manner.
 Participating: here, leaders are taking more participation and less guidance is offered to
the employees. However, staffs are invited to take decisions and come up with ideas for
achieving organisational productivity.
 Selling: Leaders generally sell their direction and ideas and motivate them in such a
manner that will take active interest in achieving group and overall organisational
objectives (Grant, 2016).
 Delegating: Decisions making is depended on staff members and leaders have no or less
involvement. Staff members tend to make several decisions and sole responsible to
perform their task in effective manner.
5

Figure 2: Situational theory of leadership
(Source: technofunc.com, 2018)
System leadership:
Leaders seek for development of the structure of the organisation and also allocation suitable
resources to different departments. This structure is developed to divide the workload among
different departments and achieve targets with support and efficiency of employees. Monsoons
can apply this approach for mainly handling different functions of operational management.
Productive objectives can be achieved through meeting customer satisfaction. For example,
customer centric and goal oriented objectives can be attained with motivating employees to
greater extent with adjusting behaviour of the employees (Miner, 2015).
Contingency leadership:
This theory is concerned with considering both internal and external situations that impact on
different aims and objectives of the business. This theory is interplay between the application of
management and behaviours in specific situations that depends upon the circumstances. In this,
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power is distributed in equal manner to avoid future chaos. Leaders and managers have sole
responsibility to look after chaos and take certain decisions (Dopson et.al. 2016).. Positive
relationships will enhance the managerial capability that will help Monsoons to gain sustainable
objectives and growth of the business.
Figure 3: Contingency theory
(Source: Author)
Conclusion and recommendation for future improvement
With reference to above task, managers and leaders play one of the important roles in achieving
productivity and optimised growth of the business. Decision making can be improved within the
business by having regular discussions on suitable topics along with increasing employee
engagement. Training and development by senior management can be organised for all the levels
of managers and departments with bringing more efficiency in productivity of the organisation.
Such tactics can lead to bring improvement in business sustainable growth.
7

Part B
8

9

Introduction to key operations of organisation
Monsoon accessorize ltd is one of the private retail organisation that handles several operations
that includes store designing, customer service, financial management, workforce management,
inventory management, supply chain, marketing, etc. Retail operations include managing day to
day activities of retail along with achieving organisational objectives as a whole. In handling
such operations managers and leaders have different roles and responsibilities that take
organisations towards achieving objectives. Some of the operations are discussed below:
Store designing: Manager of Monsoon is solely responsible maintaining the image of the
organisation. Managers prepare plans and strategies for maximising the visibility and customer
traffic with perfect display of products. Leaders play role of handing the team that will be placed
at the store for meeting with needs of the customers. Leaders motivate staff and train them in
such a manner that will deliver positive experience in front of customers.
Supply chain and inventory management: For business success, it is necessary for manager to
satisfy its customer by having regular monitoring and provision of managing the inventory along
with having positive relationships of the suppliers. Manager is responsible to order merchandise,
and pricing and also avoiding bottlenecks that can occur in supply chain. Leaders are responsible
10

to have strict monitoring towards optimising cost and time and improve revenues along with
generating efficiency of the employees.
Marketing: Leader and managers are responsible to build a team that is highly competent,
customer centric, revenue accountable, etc. Both of them will focus on decisions that are based
on increasing social presence, commencing market research, pricings, ads, etc.
Customer services and Workforce management: Role of leaders is responsible for providing
quality and efficient customer’s services with proper management of team that includes hiring,
staffing, motivating and rewarding employees for providing efficient customer services. Manager
is responsible for supervising that staff are producing best efforts in reducing the customer
complaints and responding towards queries mainly with the objective of enhancing customer
satisfaction.
Finance management: Mangers have strict role towards financial health of the organisation. The
produce financial reports, direct investments and develop strategies for enhancing long term
financial goals of the business. Similarly, leaders produce specific skills and knowledge in areas
of financial reporting, tax and treasury with strategic planning and delivering interpersonal skills.
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P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and managers
play
In any organisation several different ways are adopted to perform the management operations
effectively. These ways are of great significance in creating and managing the activities which
12

helps in promotion of the products and increase the yield in the organisation. Following are the
approaches adopted in the organisation:
Six-sigma: This approach basically emphasise on team efficiency which helps in proper
execution of task with greater productivity. Monsoon is the organisation which handles
operations in which requirement of trained and a skilled worker is important. To accomplish this
approach leaders and managers plays a significant role.
 Managers play the vital role in managing the organisation by the creation of new
innovative marketing strategies. Monsoon need to adopt this approach for improving the
process in production and waste management. This helps to manage human and potential
resource.
 Leaders are the vital part of the company as they are the ones who do comradeship and
improvisation in team work. They accomplish the planned objectives by effective
coordination with the other team members by using their skills. Monsoon must introduce
skilled leaders in the firm to enhance the overall productivity and profitability.
13

Just in time approach: This approach helps to manage activities in scheduled time. It plays role
of ordering material when it is essentially required on demand. To implement this approach
organisation must maintain the healthy relationship with the suppliers so that they will deliver
the orders on scheduled time. Monsoon can do lots of improvisation by implanting this approach
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which regulates the waste removal and effective management. Monitoring the resources and
regulating the process of production on regular basis by the help of managers in Monsoon lead to
improvisation in the business operations.
Leaders in Monsoon are held responsible to manage the stock and managing the documented
record of employee’s performance so that they can make remarkable changes to improve the
team work with higher efficiency. They are the ones who have responsibility of evaluating the
overall productivity of the Monsoon.
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business objectives
15

Operation management is one of the important aspect for Monsoon accessorize that will help to
meet with different organisational objectives. Main objectives of Monsoon include providing
quality of products to meet the extended level of customer satisfaction. Another objective
includes gaining competitive advantage and utilising the profits in such a manner that will offer
long term advantage. There is some of the importance of operation management in achieving
Monsoons objectives that is explained below:
Overall productivity: ratio of balance between input and output is termed as productivity.
Monsoon will maintain positive relationships with the suppliers in order to maintain proper
efficiency in providing products to the customers. Managers will take necessary decisions
regarding labour, raw material, money and other resources to achieve objective of meeting
customer satisfaction.
Aligning customer requirements: Operations management is concerned with taking actions and
managing activities that will add to benefits of the customers. Sales and marketing functions are
managed for attracting customers and optimising revenues of the business. Objectives of
Monsoons revolve around providing best to the customers. Leaders prepare team that will be
trained and motivated towards organisational objectives. Managers will supervise team and will
take actions to maintain workflow in optimised manner.
16

Increase efficiency of employees: managers of Monsoons are based on optimising the resources
and handling proper functioning of retail operations. Managers and leaders of organisation will
handles different issues regarding design, maintenance, operations, etc for handling retail.
Leaders need to have the skilled and knowledgeable team that is responsible for performing their
task and different operatives based on the common objectives of delivering quality and
enhancing customer satisfaction.
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational management
and decision-making by leaders and management
External environmental factors are those that are uncontrollable by management of the business.
Some of the factors include social, political, technological and economical factors that influence
on decisions making strategy of the business. These factors are explained below in detail:
Political factors: These factors include government ideology, foreign policy, country’s image,
etc. Monsoon accessorise is currently operating in UK that is currently following liberal policy
that somehow affects business operations. Managers and leaders can find impact on taking
decisions regarding restricting trade. Sometimes such conditions are favourable that will help
managers to take decisions to gain mere competitive advantage.
17

Economic environment: This comprises the fluctuation in rate of inflations, interest rate,
currency rate, etc. UK is currently having favourable economic conditions where managers and
leaders of organisation can take better pricing decisions and also maintaining balance between
demand and supply. However, at the times of recessions generally managers need to keep prices
high of products by reducing the profit margins with offering attractive discounts.
Social environment: People demand, tastes and preferences regarding offering products impact
on business decisions with meeting satisfaction of customers. Sometimes to increase sales
manager of Monsoon plans to offer sale and people demand is affected by people attitude,
custom sales, cultural forces and other related forces. Higher demand needs Monsoon to produce
adequate supply of products for meeting with the customer satisfaction objectives.
Technological factors: It is concerned with business making investments in technological
application, investments and effect of technology in markets. These advancements affect
business in terms of offering quality of products and services and types of systems used in the
business. Monsoons are one of the developing businesses that need effective application of such
tools for gaining competitive advantages. For example, marketing decisions of managers are
changed from traditional means and now business is effective to use the platform of internet and
social media sites to attract more and more customers.
18

M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management to
successfully meet business objectives
Leaders:
In order to achieve business operations effectively leaders plays the central; role in the
organisation by using their leadership skills. Leaders have that much capability to lead the whole
organisation. They are the one who manage the team work by establishing the healthy relation
between employees also they analyse the each and everybody’s skill and utilise them for the long
term benefits. Monsoon’s culture has to be maintained by communication and collaborating the
team work to enhance the productivity.
19

Managers: They are the ones who manage and make sure that overall working of employee
should run parallel for common functional objective. They are held responsible for creation of
new marketing strategies and their execution in the market to make sure that Monsoon achieves
business objectives or goals. Managers of Monsoon in operational department work with human
resources and their enhanced skill to run the business effectively.
20

M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider community
With analysing the above different factors business environment is effectively impacted on
taking decisions of the business that are depend on organisational objectives. These external
environment factors leave greater impact that includes:
 Favourable economic conditions of the economy will have business to offer better pricing
decisions and members of the community will be able to have reasonable cost of products
from the business. Negative impact can occur when period of inflation occurs and prices
of the goods are kept high and customers need to move towards lower substitute
products.
 Political conditions of the economy plays major role in decision making in operations of
the business. Community is also majorly affected by decisions of the government such as
poor level of income, imbalance flow of trade; etc will harm the operations of the
business. Government support in different manner such as low tax rates business will be
able to earn more profits and revenues.
 Social factors include business to make decisions on the basis of demands, tastes and
preferences of the customers. These factors will impact on business marketing decisions
and strategies are planned in effective manner to meet with organisational objectives.
21

 Technological factors usually had positive impact on reducing the cost and time to
complete the operational activities. Though it increases the capital investments but more
productive outputs can be obtained and quality can be offered to the customers.
Conclusions and supported recommendations for future improvements to be taken by the
organisation
22

23

Overall management of the operations is based on meeting with different requirements and
achieve objectives in better manner that will gain long term benefits from operational activities.
Monsoons can take future actions such as:
24

 Staffing: Managers of the Monsoons will talker positive decisions handle operations with
more qualified staff. Training and development can be organised regularly and authority
will be delegated to inform employees about their sole roles and responsibility.
Professional trainer can be hired that will provide training regarding each operative
functions to different employees of different departments. This can overcome the issue of
making mistakes and managerial approaches and leadership approaches can lead to
deliver effective customer satisfaction objectives. Communication: Monsoons is facing the problem of increasing gap between managers
and employees within the workplace. However, it is necessary for establishing suitable
communication channel that can be through formal and informal or with different
methods such as meetings, events, etc. Moreover, regular interaction between employees
and managers will be able to engage employees in process of decision making and can
encourage their moral to increase productivity of the business.
25

Conclusion
Management and leadership are different terms and are performed by different person but for
achieving the common organisational objectives. As per study, both manager and leader motivate
employee to follow suitable direction and as per resources to achieve end targets. Report has
applied different theories and approaches that is associated with manager and leaders to bring
productivity in the organisation. Concept of operational management and its approaches is
applied for sole objectives of increasing efficiency and productivity of the organisation.
However, with such approaches management will be able to reduce cost and generate optimised
output of the organisation.
26

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