Role of a Leader and Manager in Operations Management

This article discusses the characteristics and roles of a leader and a manager in operations management. It explores the key approaches to operation management and the role played by a leader and manager. The article also provides insights into various theories and models of leadership in different situational contexts.

Management and
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................4
P1. Compare and define characteristics and roles of a leader and a manager.............................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
P2. How role of a leader and function of a manager apply in several situational contexts........7
P3. Several theories and models of approach including system, situational and contingency
leadership....................................................................................................................................8
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
P4. Key approaches to operation management and role played by manager and a leader..........9
P5. Important value of operation management to achieve business objectives........................11
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................12
P6. Impact of business environment on operational management and decision making by
manager and leader...................................................................................................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15
REFERENCE.................................................................................................................................16

INTRODUCTION
Operations management refers to the administrative of overall business practices in order
to develop highest level of efficiency which shows the possibility within the firm. On the other
hand, it is also concerned as the converting materials and labours into the finish goods in order to
increase entire profits of an organisation. Along with this operations team always allow to their
employees to make better balance costs with good revenue to achieve organisational profits in a
proper way. Apart from this, it is very helpful approach for firms by which they can deliver their
overall goods and services for satisfying people desires and needs on time (Ellitan, 2017). This
assignment is based on Marks and Spencer, it was formed in the year of 1884 by Michael Marks
and Thomas Spencer which is headquartered in London. Along with this, it is currently operating
959 stores across the UK by including 615 that only sell food items. Moreover discussion will
be based on, difference between role of a leader and function of a manager, appreciation of
leader roles and managers play in operation function within the firm. At last understanding of
relationship between management and leadership within business environment will get covered.
TASK 1
P1. Compare and define characteristics and roles of a leader and a manager.
Management theories:
These theories refers to the combination of various guide and roles which is managed by
manager within the organisation in order to achieve organisational goals. Along with this, it
mainly consist seminal and contemporary theories of management, those are described below:
Classical theory of Management:
It is generally known as ideology theory, by which manager is responsible to maximise
its learning skills to gain better results towards an organisation. In relation with M&S, managers
always meets employees and group members needs so that they can make company effective and
profitable (Boyd and Dougherty, 2016).
Behavioural theory of management:
It is also known as behavioural psychology which is based upon different types of ideas
and thoughts to manage different type of issues and situations within the management system of
an organisation. In regards with Marks and Spencer this is very useful and effective theory by
which people can interact with each other and able to achieve targeted goals.

Contingency theory:
It is very useful theory which claims that there is no another better way to manage
corporation and encourage firm to take better decision towards managerial activities and
operations. It is also known as organisational theory which is generally used to manage and
organize a corporation, to lead a company, optimal course of action and in order to make
decision to manage external situation easily. In context with M&S, sometimes they use this
approach to improve their own style at right manner.
Within the current period of time managers and leaders play very significant role within
the organisation in order to achieve predetermined goals in an appropriate manner. By giving
better performance within firm or any business they can make firm qualitative and attractive in
front of people (Fan, Liu and Zhang, 2015). With the help of this firms can achieve their goals
and able to attain huge profits in a perfect manner. Thus, leaders and managers are defined as
below:
Leaders:
Leader is a person who provide guidance, supervision and motivation to his subordinates
which helps them to achieve business goals (Situational Leadership, 2019). They always have
responsibility in order to motivate and encourage its team members to achieve organisational
goals effectively. Therefore, they also have unique personality which always influence other
people within the organisation positively. In context with Marks and Spencer, leaders generally
make strong relationship with their employees so that they can work easily and achieve
appropriate goals.
Roles & Characteristics of a Leader in Marks and Spencer
Roles Characteristics
Within the M&S leaders always formulates good and effective vision by which they can
take care of their team members and able to encourage their motivation level within the firm.
Leaders always have effective communication skills by which they can manage their work
within the team or a particular group.
Manager:

Manager is always considered as an individual who always conduct different types of
research and programmes within the firm in order to achieve same goals and objectives within
short period of time (Eraki, 2015). Along with this he has a duty to develop positive working
environment effectively. In context with Marks and Spencer, manager generally makes better
solution for each and every issues which is faced by an organisation.
Roles & Characteristics of a manager in Marks and Spencer
Roles Characteristics
In context with Marks and Spencer they always focus to maximise entire growth of an
organization to gain better success for better future. Managers of M&S have creative thoughts so
that they can easily influence people and able to implements on innovative ideas and thoughts.
Functions of management:
Management can be described as the social process which mainly involves
responsibilities for overall effective and economic planning to operate overall business activities
to fulfil organisations' needs and demand in an effective manner. Along with this there are five
types of functions in context with M&S, those are discussed bellow:
Planning: It is mainly considered as a basic function of management. It deals with future
course of action plan and advance course of actions. In context with M&S, manager use this
function to make appropriate actions to achieve goals within short period of time (Ma and Sun,
2012). apart from this with the help of making better plan firm is able to face competitive
scenario and achieve better growth in a proper manner.
Organising: It refers to the process of bringing financial, human resource, physical
resource to develop productive relationship to achieve targeted goals within M&S. While using
this function firm is able to determine those factors by which they can manage its work
appropriately.
Directing: It is mainly known as organisational method and part of managerial function
to achieve organisational goals effectively. In context with M&S, with the help of this function
manager can easily direct and influence their team in a proper way. Along with this, manager of
M&S can directly provide different types of managing tool to their employees which increase
firms value and increase growth of business.

Staffing: With the help of this function M&S can easily manage and organise their
overall functions in a proper way. Along with manage can take right decision in order to achieve
predetermined goals.
Controlling: It is the last function of management by which respective firm can see the
appropriate standards and deviation to achieve organisational goals effectively. Therefore, all
these functions are necessary for M&S to manage every day operations (Idris, 2016).
Transactional leadership:
This leadership style is more important in order to maintain flows of operations by which
respective firm can analyse different types of powers and motivates employees in a perfect way.
It is very helpful sector for every firm to develop various strategies for doing different operations
in order to make better leadership skills in firm.
Transformational leadership:
According to this, leader of Marks and Spencer manage every day operations by applying
different types of strategies in order to perform various sorts of actions to gain better
achievements in future. Within this, leaders also able to implemented on those strategies which is
helpful for firm to make them attractive and encourage employees towards increasing working
performance. Therefore, this style of leadership is unique.
TASK 2
P2. How role of a leader and function of a manager apply in several situational contexts.
Manager and leaders play significant role in order to achieve organisational goals in an
effective manner. In reference with Marks and Spencer manager always deals with numerous
situations to make better decision for betterment of future. Whereas, leader also the most
important part of an organisation who always tries to achieve predetermined goals towards an
organisation in a better way (Han and et. al., 2017). Therefore, there are few situations in which
manager and a leader play very important roles, those are going to discussed below:
On the basis of situational leadership style manager and leaders are required to adjust
their development level of followers so that they can influence them and able to achieve
organisational goals in an appropriate manner. According to this theory, there are two type of
situations within Marks and Spencer which is managed by manager and a leader, those are
explained below:

Employee resistivity: According to this situation manager and leader always provide
better strategies to their all over employees in order to provide equality within the company. In
context with Marks and Spencer, employee engagement is most essential aspect in order to
achieve desired goals. But sometimes engagement of employees creates few conflicts within firm
which directly influence overall operations and functions of an organisation by which they face
huge issues and not able to attain their needs. Therefore, manager usually makes unique policies
and use better ways to recover all over issues effectively. Along with this, proper engagement of
employees in firm increase growth successfully (Williams, 2015).
Diverse culture: It refers to the different types of culture which is generally used to
know overall variety of human cultures and societies within a particular region. On the basis of
respective firm this can be said that sometimes manager and leader are not able to focus and
provide equal opportunities for every employees so that it negatively affect people within the
firm and not able to perform their activities properly (Ma and Sun, 2012). In order to maintain
this situation manager and leader needed to have equal aspect or few incentives aspects by which
employees can get highly motivated and gives their better performance for increasing entire
growth of an organisation.
P3. Several theories and models of approach including system, situational and contingency
leadership.
Leadership generally considered as a process of conducting appropriate research on team
members or group like how they are working and how they perform their activities in an
appropriate manner. It also include formulates a better vision and data in order to improve entire
performance of employees within the organisation (Plesser and et. al., 2014). In context with
Marks and Spencer, manager and leader implements on various theories by which they can take
care of its employees and encourage them to make better ways of business for achieving
predetermined goals and objectives. There are some different theories, in relation with an
organisation those are going to discussed below:
Task oriented leadership theory:
This theory mainly identify about leaders like how they are managing their work and
motivating its employees to achieve specific tasks for overall employees. Therefore, task
oriented leaders always develop procedure, policies and inform that policies to their superior in

order to make Marks and Spencer better to improve employees performance in a particular way
(Wen-chao, Fan and Wen-wen, 2012).
Relationship oriented leadership theory:
This theory defines a leader who generally motivates their employees by having good and
effective interaction with people. As leader play efficient role like mentors and subordinates to
their employees and team members by which they can easily make good relations with its
employees and achieve targeted goals within M&S.
Chaos theory:
It refers to the mathematics branch which is generally used to focus on the overall
behaviour of dynamic systems which is highly sensitive to initial conditions to manage overall
organisation activities in an effective manner. In context with Marks and Spencer this theory is
use by manager and leader by which they can differentiate firms value to evaluate feedback from
customers (Eraki, 2015). With the help of this they can bring few changes and able to meet
desired goals and objectives.
Therefore, it can be analysed that, on the basis of above theories Marks and Spencer can
achieve their management goals by applying sorts of techniques and strategies and able to
increase customers satisfaction as well as increase employees motivation towards firm. All these
theories are much helpful for manager and leader in order to apply different concepts and
strategies to influence others and it also increase their followers in a stipulated manner (Wang,
Jie and Abareshi, 2015).
TASK 3
P4. Key approaches to operation management and role played by manager and a leader.
Operation management play crucial role within the overall management activities of a
firm or a business in order to convert goods to finish goods. It is also considered as a best
practice which is mainly used by management to run their business in a successful way. In
reference with Marks and Spencer, main motive of this practice is to provide better ways for an
organisation to achieve their goals without any issues. Along with this, there are few forms of
functional activities within operation management in context with M&S, mentioned below:
Control and distribution system: This function refers to the process of automation
industries by which they can control their overall programmes and activities in a proper way.

Along with this, Marks and Spencer mainly distribute their services to employees and control by
the manufacturing process. With the help of this they can achieve their goals in an effective
manner.
Transportation: This is very essential function which is used to transfer goods from one
place to another place in a proper way. In relation with Marks and Spencer they used this
function by which they can improve their manufacturing level and satisfy customers needs on
time.
Process design: It is considered as the act which is used by firm to transforming overall
goals, vision, available resources into the discernible also measuring the achievements of vision
within Marks and Spencer (Tristancho and Gutiérrez, 2012).
Capacity management: It is a act which ensures that business can be maximise by
having potential activities as well as better output of production timely. In reference with M&S,
they always evaluates overall goods and services so that they can increase its sells in a proper
way.
Production: It is the best function or activity which is always associated with an
organisation that have combination of raw material in to the end goods and services. It helps
M&S to achieve organisational goals.
There are different types of theories of operation and management which is going to be
elaborated below:
Six Sigma: It refers to the different types of tools and techniques which is used by firm to
improve overall business process in a perfect scenario. Along with this, six sigma usually used
by managers and leaders by which Marks and Spencer can increase job opportunities for people
and able to gain their targeted goals without any issues appropriately. This approach help firm to
formulates so many tools and strategies to increase business at higher level by reducing huge
errors from the manufacturing process. Apart from this there are two types of principles which is
used by this approach to determine overall performance of employees effectively. Therefore,
they are segmented in two parts such as DMADV and DMAIC. With the help of these types of
tools firm is able to meet its desired goals and able to bring few changes within standard quality
of goods and services (Plesser and et. al., 2014).
Lean production: This is the management approach which concentrates on cutting out
waste and ensure about good quality that can be applicable on each and every business aspect. In

reference with M&S, this approach is mainly used to reduce cost by making efficient business
and fulfil entire needs and demand of market. For examples: Toyota was the first organisation in
automotive sector which adopted lean ideology in order to improve their manufacturing process
in a perfect way (Nayak, 2015). Therefore, it is necessary for Marks and Spencer as well to adopt
this technology and make their each and every function in a well manner.
Queueing theory: It is the way of mathematical studies of queues and waiting lines in
order to construct appropriate model in order to the exact waiting time and queue length in a
proper way. In context with M&S, sometimes leaders and managers used this theory to evaluate
its overall financial activities and goods and services so that they can deliver entire services on
time.
Just in time approach: This is efficiently used by Marks and Spencer in order to
manage its overall manufacturing systems to make better decisions at that time to achieve
organisational goals in a proper manner. By using this sorts of approach they can increase
employees working capacity and able to make organisation effective towards achievements of
common goals (Fan, Liu and Zhang, 2015).
Total Quality Management: This approach is very helpful for each and every
organisation by which firms can manage their overall availability of resources and able to
enhance brand value at marketplace. In relation with Marks and Spencer, this is one of the best
usable approach by which they reduce wastage and make unique quality of goods and services
for customers in an effective manner. Therefore, manager and leader played very significant
roles within the organisation to increase overall value of this firm and manage employees
performance so that they can get desired outcomes without any problems and issues into the
organisation (Nayak, 2015).
From the above mentioned approaches towards operation management this can be said
that Marks and Spencer should analyse their different types of functions by which they can give
huge satisfaction to their customer's and employees as well and increase their productivity in a
perfect way. Therefore, all the above approaches are mandatory for firms to achieve desired
goals and objectives.
P5. Important value of operation management to achieve business objectives.
Operation management is very essential aspect for business which helps them to achieve
organisational goals and objectives in an appropriate way. In reference with Marks and Spencer,

on the basis of this they can achieve their goals and objectives by satisfying customers needs and
demand within short period of time (Idris, 2016). Along with this there are few important values
of operation management to achieve goals, those are described below:
Increasing overall productivity: By having proper functions and operations within the
Marks and Spencer, leader and manager always play very important role as they applied different
types of theories and strategies in order to increase employees working performance. By
increasing overall performance of employee’s firm can achieve their goals and able to maximise
productivity of business appropriately.
Cost reduction: Within the Marks and Spencer, manager always find better cost or
search those ideas by which they can reduce errors from the manufacturing cost and make better
product with unique quality. According to this the can also focus on training and development
programmes to increase entire value of firm (Yun and et. al., 2018).
TASK 4
P6. Impact of business environment on operational management and decision making by
manager and leader.
Business environment refers to the internal and external factors such as clients,
customers, technological innovations, competitors and so on. So the process of decision taking
always based on leaders and managers of a firm (Han and et. al., 2017). Internal and external
factor in context with Marks and Spencer are described below:
Internal Factors
These sorts of factors directly influence that how an organisation meets their goals and
objectives in a proper manner. Along with if company have favourable impact then they can
increase its business properly. Some of the internal factors are discussed below:
Human Resource: It is considered as a main internal function of Marks and Spencer in
which HR manager always hire skilled and knowledgable candidates in order to increase firms
value as well as efficiency. By having talented employees in the firm they can achieve their
predetermined goal. On the basis of HR firm can deal with each and every situation in business
and able to increase its business at high level. As per the dynamic business environment, having
educated people in firm then they can achieve competitive scenario.

Owners (Shareholders): They are the person or an individual who invests fund in order
to gain huge profit at marketplace. In relation with Marks and Spencer, leaders and managers
focus on so many strategies or policies by which they can increase its followers and able to
achieve targeted goals perfectly (XIANG, Chen and Zhang, 2013).
External Factors
These sorts of factors always come from the outside of an organisation which increase
firms productivity in both positive and negative manner, there are some external factors those are
explain below:
Legal factors: In relation with Marks and Spencer, as they are operating different stores
and several places, so every country has their own rules and regulations. Therefore, M&S is
needed to follow all these sorts of legal laws and rules in order to increase its business value and
it also helps manager and leader to take better decision towards expending business at more
places.
Technological factors: It is one of the most influencing factor within the firm, this is
because as per the current scenario techniques are going increasingly which influence people
easily. Therefore, M&S needed to apply new technologies by which they can influence people
and able to give better facilities to them. For example: Internet connectivity, engine efficiency,
existence of unique technologies and so on. With the help of this, respective organisation is able
to attain targeted goals and gives better services with innovative techniques at marketplace (Yun
and et. al., 2018).
Intrapreneurship: It is always considered as an individual or a person who mainly focus
on overall environmental issues. By observing so many marketing situations leaders always
make better ways in M&S by which they can fulfil all types of needs and demand of people at
marketplace. For example: Different types of brand like Sony, Facebook and such kind of brand
who are dealing with unique goods and services for satisfying people needs.
Corporate Social Responsibility: It involves different course of business and action
which is generally used by firms to manage their overall activities like accountability, financial
terms and so on. Therefore, it is important for Marks and Spencer by which leader and manager
can manage values of firm in a proper way. Along with this, it also increase employees working
performance in an appropriate manner (Ma and Sun, 2012).

Sustainability: It mainly includes economic and social environmental factors by which
firms can check their sustainability of goods and services and able to make few alternatives in
order to stay for long period of time at marketplace. Apart from this, it is mainly used to focus on
different types of needs and wants of people at marketplace without any comparison of other
goods and services. On the basis of this, respective organisation is able to make their sustainable
products and satisfy needs of people.

CONCLUSION
On the basis of above representative report it has been concluded that, operational
management is very essential aspect for each and every type of firm by which they can manage
their manufacturing activities in a proper way. With the help of this leader and a manager is able
ti implement on various theories and concepts to increase overall growth in future successfully.
Apart from this there are different sorts of concepts and principles approaches of operational
management has been described which helps firm to make their clear vision and achieve
particular goals in stipulated way.

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Situational Leadership. 2019. [Online]. Available through: <https://www.situational.com/the-cls-
difference/situational-leadership-what-we-do/>