Roles and Characteristics of a Leader and Manager in Operations Management

Management and
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................1
P1: Define the comparative roles and characteristics of a leader and manager..........................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
P2: Explain the roles of leader and functions of manager in various situations.........................3
P3 Different Theories & Models of Leadership..........................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
P4 Key approaches to operations management and role of leader and manager........................7
P5: Define the importance and values of operation management in accomplishment of
business objectives......................................................................................................................8
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
P6 Assess factors in business environment impact on operational management and decision
making.........................................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Operations management refers to an area that tends to control, develop and design the
business operations undertaking the effective procedure of manufacturing. It is an administrative
function of management, used to design and controlling of the production process of goods and
services and re-designing the of the business operations in the process. Operations management
ensures the conversion of raw materials into goods and services. Operation management helps in
maintaining the effectiveness of production.
To carry froward this report, Wilko Ltd. is considered which the British high street chain
that deals in household and home-ware products. Moreover, company is founded in 1930 by
James Kemsey Wilkinson and after that Tony Wilkinson join company as a Branch Manager in
1960 as it is situated in Liecester.
In this report different roles and characteristic of leader and manager introduced with
comparison. Further roles and functions of leader and manger in difference situations with
leadership styles are included in the report. Approaches and importance of operational
management and factors that affect it also included in this report.
Task 1
P1: Define the comparative roles and characteristics of a leader and manager.
A leader is a person who leads a group, organisation or entire country. In terms of
business, leader is responsible for all the activities related to the monitor & guide, motivate &
influence employees for the effectiveness of production which helps in the achievement of
organisational goals (Saucedo-Martínez and et. al., 2018). Different roles and characteristic of a
leader and manager can be defined as follows:
Characteristic of a leader:- Special feature and characteristic posses by a leader can be
introduced by following points: Trustworthy:- One of the most important characteristic of a good leader is trustworthy. A
leader should build the trust among employees in terms of character as well as vision.
Lack of trust among employees about the character and vision of a leader, doesn't
motivate them to work with full potential.
 Creative:- Another important characteristic of a leader is creativity. A leader should be
creative and innovative. This characteristic allows a leader to generate new opportunities
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in the organisation and seeking opportunities from external environment for the growth of
the organisation.
Roles of a good leader:- A leader plays crucial role in the growth of the organisation.
Theses roles are defined as follows: Development of the strength of employees :- A leader plays important role in the
development of the strength of employees by assigning task and duties as per the skills
and capacity of employees. It is the responsibility of a good leader to know which
employee is master in which task and then assign duties appropriately. This increases the
strength of employees.
 Guiding and motivating the team:- Another important role performs by a leader is
guiding, motivating & encouraging employees for better performance. A leader is
responsible for guide the employees in their duties and motivating them to work with full
potential.
A manager is a person, responsible for the administrating activities such as- planning,
managing and controlling of the group of people or entire organisation (Reid and Sanders, 2019)
. Following are the characteristic of a effective manager:
 Understanding the values of employees:- Employees are the important part of the
organisation and a good manager should understand the values and importance of
them within the organisation. Understanding and appreciating the values of
employees helps in the smooth functioning of the business.
 Expertise from past experiences:- The important characteristic of a good manger
is the expertise gained by past experiences. A manager shouldn't repeat the
mistakes and try to learn and not repeat the same mistake twice for the successful
operation of business.
Roles of a manger:-A manager plays vital role in the successful administrative of the
organisation. The important roles perform by the manager in the achievement of the business
objectives can be described as follows:
 Decision-making:- A manger is responsible for taking right decisions for the
successful operation and growth of the organisation. Managers doesn't engage
employees in their decision-making process as the authority is in their own hands.
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