Qualitative Case Studies in Operations Management

This assignment delves into the realm of qualitative case studies in operations management, showcasing a collection of academic papers that explore various aspects of operational excellence. From the analysis of electric energy systems to the co-operative management of local fisheries, this compilation offers insights into innovative approaches to managing complex systems and promoting sustainable development. The works presented demonstrate a commitment to advancing knowledge in the field, with a focus on practical applications and real-world scenarios.

MANAGEMENT AND
OPERATIONS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Roles of leaders and managers in an organisation with their characteristics....................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
P2 Application of roles of leaders and function of managers in different situations of a
company.................................................................................................................................2
P3 Application of different theories and models of leadership approach..............................3
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................5
P4 Key approaches to operations management and role of leader and manager...................5
P5 Value and importance of operational management in an organisation.............................6
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
P6 Factors within business environment which impacts upon operational management and
decision...................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Management and operations is a department of an organisation whose main function is to
get all resources with each other so that they can accomplish goals and objectives on time. These
resources include raw materials, capital, manpower, machinery equipment and more which are
used to make products or services. They must assure that demands of customers are met on time
in an adequate manner with the help of employees. In context with this, following assignment
describes role of management and operations in a multinational organisation of UK i.e. Amazon
which is headquartered in 1994. Business of this company is based on e-commerce that deals in
domestic products and delivers services accordingly (Barratt, Choi and 2011). This assignment
shows managers’ and leaders’ roles in cited firm as well as differentiate their functions. Both of
them are always engaged in improving performance of its employees which impact on
organisation as well. They play a crucial role in decision making process of Amazon so that this
company will acquire its strong position at marketplace.
TASK 1
P1 Roles of leaders and managers in an organisation with their characteristics
Management and operations is a necessary part of an organisation without whom it
cannot control activities as well. If a company lost control over working of its employees and
other resources, then it will fail in attaining all targets and mission in a given period of time.
Managers: These people are responsible to manage the processes of each activity by
designing, creating, managing and controlling the operations of organisation. Their main
function is to get right work of people for maximising profitability of a company (Expósito and
et. al., 2016). For better performance and productivity of employees and employers, managers
timely provide appraisals to them as well.
Leaders: They are used to lead human resources in a proper direction in order to
generate high productivity out of them. They are responsible to motivate workers towards
accomplishment of a mission.
In Amazon Company, the main functions of managers in operational management are to
plan, organise, direct and control working operation of whole sectors. Their responsibilities in
operations are to keep company on track as well as must ensure that all processes are done in an
ethical manner. Therefore, they formulate strategies and policies which are needed to be
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followed by workers to do their part of work in an appropriate manner. Similarly, leaders of
enterprise also engage in maintaining work of people and giving them proper direction so that
they can accomplish the task with efficiencies. Thus, these processes of managers and leaders
assist enterprises in getting competitive advantages at marketplace and move one step forward
from their rivals (Jeston and Nelis, 2014). Both of them should have some special abilities like-
managerial skills to attain goals of enterprises, behave properly with employees etc. Along with
this, they must have resentment abilities. Apart from this, main duty of managers and leaders in
Amazon is to deliver products to customers on time as well as meet their every desire with full
efficiencies. This process will help in getting high customer satisfaction and their retention too.
Some major differences of functions of managers and leaders in a company can be elaborated
as:-
Managers Leaders
 Managers monitor performance of each
department as well as for better
outcomes, they frame strategies for
them.
 They are responsible for providing safe
and secure environment for workers.
 For better productivity, managers
ensure effectiveness.
 Leaders monitor performance of each
employee in order to evaluate their
strengths and weaknesses and provide
training to them for enhancing abilities.
 They provide training programs so that
workers become able to face challenges
and protect themselves from hazardous
situations.
 For better productivity, leaders ensure
efficiencies.
TASK 2
P2 Application of roles of leaders and function of managers in different situations of a company
Today in competitive world, every organisation needs effective operational management
so that they can gain better positions and stabilities at marketplace. With this assistance, they
require high skilled manpower in their workforce who can help in accomplishing goals and
objectives of a company with high proficiencies (Kerzner and Kerzner, 2017). For getting right
work of people, enterprises need good leaders and managers who can provide proper directions
to them. Most important work of superiors is to construct relationship with associated members
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of enterprises and brings their motivations up so that they can perform their duties in an
appropriate way. In Amazon, employers and employees work together to complete orders of
customers on time. In some situations, where managers and leaders are required to work together
for better outcomes are:-
Employee engagement: In a company, workers are taken as most valued resource whose
contribution help in attaining targets and goals in given period of time. Therefore, managers and
leaders are required to work together in developing skills of employees (Kim, Kumar and
Kumar, 2012). Their main responsibility is to engage people in group and manage their
relationship so that they can cooperate each other in completing a task successfully. Along with
this, employee engagement help employers to reduce conflicts among workers and provide good
atmosphere to them.
Delegation of authority: Prior duties of managers and leaders is to make effective
communications with all persons in organisations whether they are employees or employers.
Managers require to distribute some part of responsibilities to associated persons so that they can
feel equally and responsible. Leaders must ensure that subordinates who get special duties must
complete on time and if necessary provide them directions like how to perform the same with
efficiencies.
Decision making process: The most difficult task of managers is to make decisions in
context with profitability of organisation. Appropriate decisions help in increasing performance
of an organisation in a desired manner (LaGanga, 2011). But sometimes decisions like change
management is not accepted by workers easily. Therefore, managers should include workers in
making decisions and try to get their opinion and feedback on the same. This will help in
reducing employee resistivity as well as boost up morale of them also. With this assistance,
leaders require to influence people to take participation in decision-making process.
There are some issues as well as problems which occur at workplace of the company. All
are as follows: Occur conflicts among workers: It is important for leader to motivate their workers at
the time of performing their activities which may leads in motivating them. With the
help of this, employees execute entire activities in order to attain better results.
 Proper planning: It is important for manager to prepare effective planning process in
order to take right decision, by which they improve their overall performance level.
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Along with this they easily formulate better strategies to improve workers performance
level at market place.
P3 Application of different theories and models of leadership approach
Functions of operational management in a company would be effective when it has good
managers and leaders. They should have effective leadership qualities to influence associated
people of enterprises in a positive way. Apart from this, it is duty of management and operations
to conduct seminars on regular basis for employers. This would help them in learning skills and
knowledge through which they can help workers in increasing their capabilities too. By adopting
various leadership qualities, managers and leaders become able to carry out functions in an
appropriate manner which helps in enhancing position of a company at market as well. Since,
business of Amazon is completely based on providing services to customers through online
process therefore, its association always engages in making proper communication with
customers in order to meet their demands on time (Laudon and Laudon, 2016). With this
assistance, superiors of Amazon apply following theories in working to influence people for
providing effective customer service in a proper way:-
Situational leadership theory: This theory suggests employers to encourage human
resource to work according to situations of marketplace. Due to customer-orientation, working
hours of people in Amazon is not flexible, so its managers need to encourage them to work hard.
They motivate workers and provide accommodation to them so that they can work for long hours
and give appraisals accordingly (McNeil, Frey and Embrechts, 2015). In order to face difficult
situations in a company with different perspectives, this leadership theory allows managers to
change their style for resolving such problems.
Strengths Weaknesses
This theory helps managers or leaders in
making coordination and good
communications with other people of
organisation.
It fails in keeping people happy and getting
their retention in firms.
Contingency leadership theory: Using this theory of leadership, employers can evaluate
strengths and weaknesses of each employee. For facing different situations, they can enrol those
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workers in solving a specific task who has desired skills. Like in Amazon, its business are mainly
based on demands of customer, therefore, in order to know needs of each consumer, this
company wants employees who can communicate them in their languages (Mollenkopf, Frankel
and Russo, 2011). Therefore, according to type of customers, its managers allot work to
employees in the same manner so that they can get success in dealing with them in a proficient
way
Strengths Weaknesses
Through this theory, leaders can understand
skills of employees and assign duties
accordingly.
It fails in making workers creative as well as
they can't improve their skills and knowledge
too.
System leadership theory: According to this theory, in order to get better outcomes,
managers need to build strategies and influence people to work accordingly. This theory shows
strong characteristics of managers, it suggest them to encourage human resource to work
properly and systematically so that the company can gain its competitive advantages from rivals
at marketplace easily.
Strengths Weaknesses
System leadership theory helps superiors in
formulating policies and rules for workers so
that they can work in systematic manner.
Sometimes, leaders have to be strict with
employees for getting their right work which
may create negativity in working organisation.
TASK 3
P4 Key approaches to operations management and role of leader and manager
Operational managers are always engages in arranging work of people properly which
would help in achieving desired goals and objectives on time. For getting right things from
workers, managers develop policies and set targets for each department in order to run whole
business activities appropriately . Along with managing and controlling activities, they monitor
performance of each departments and provide necessary training to employers and employees so
that they can help in developing quality of product or services accurately. While leaders help in
measuring strengths and weaknesses of each employee and provide training according to their
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needs (Thaler, Priest and Fuchs, 2016). In Amazon, such trained employees aid to generate high
customers satisfaction which would help in attracting more consumers towards its services. With
this assistance, some key approaches of management are described below that help in raising
productivity and profitability of a firm adequately:-
Total quality management: It is a systematic approach which told that managers should
have control on employees and influenced them to be committed with their work. This would
help in maintaining high standards of products. Like in Amazon which is conducting its business
operations in e-commerce sector, commitment of employees would help in providing effective
services to its clients on time. Maintaining high quality of standards aid a firm in increasing
performance of business which would generate more financial benefits and competitive
advantage.
Lean production: This key approach of management suggest employers how to manage
activities of organisations. It includes three steps process i.e. designing the workforce, preparing
employees and implement strategies. This will enable them to utilise resources in an efficient
manner which consequently brings cost effectiveness in a firm. This approach helps management
to gain revenue and return on investment by reducing manufacturing cost (Tian and et. al., 2016).
In Amazon, utilisation of resources will help in providing effective services to clients.
Just-in-time: This approach helps in keeping sufficient inventories in stock in a proper
manner. Therefore, managers of Amazon use this feature in order to reduce unnecessary cost on
safekeeping of extra products. Along with this, this company will be able to meet demands of
customers on time. This would also help in increasing goodwill of a company at marketplace.
Continuous improvement: In order to improve the quality of work and product-service of
a company, managers use this kind of approach in their management. Continuous improvement
in qualities aid managers to gain customer satisfaction and their retention too. This process of
management help companies in raising productivity and profitability also.
Six Sigma: It is a set of tools which is used by companies for process management. It
helps managers to locate deficiency in system so that they have good control over productions.
Through six sigma approach, they become able to eliminate defects in products or services easily
and on time so that they can get customer satisfaction.
Leaders role in operational management: Leaders have most important role in
management and operations (Rushton, Croucher and Baker, 2014). They help employees in
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completing their task successfully on time. Using above approaches they are used to
communicate employees about companies policies, rules and regulations and tell them what they
have to do for achievement of business objectives. In Amazon, leaders set targets for employees
so that they can become able to give effective quality of services to its customer's.
Managers Role in operational management:: Their main role in a company is to
manage and control work of all departments. Through above approaches, they can handle these
responsibilities in a proper manner and can develop plan for gaining high customer satisfaction.
P5 Value and importance of operational management in an organisation
Persons working in operations and management department always enrol in making
coordination of all divisions. This help in achieving targets of a company in a given time frame.
Thus, such process of management aid a firm to gain better effectiveness and efficiencies of
work. In order to gain long term sustainability and competitive advancement, operational
management helps in utilising resources by using several approaches. From above key
approaches, managers of Amazon use continuous improvement strategies which helps in
controlling quality of products as well. For giving effective services to clients all department like
human resource management, finance and accounts sector, research and development, etc.
cooperate each other in integrating the operational process for producing good quality of
products.
Importance of operations management for an organisation in Amazon are as
follows: Instead of increase sales, operational management mainly focus on reducing cost of a
company which would help in increasing profitability (Pinkerton, 2011). In Amazon, operational
process is a costly one as compared to others but it plays a vital role in running business
activities like planning, controlling and organising the work by improvising the services in
effective manner. Managers formulate strategies for employers and employees which will help in
completing demands of clients on time. This process would aid company to increase profitability
and goodwill of association as well. Along with this, for customer satisfaction, managers and
leaders monitor performance of each employees as well as for completing their need, they
provide necessary training to them also. For retention of talented and skilled workforce who have
better communication skills, they provide appraisals like incentives, bonuses and extra wages to
them.
Role of manager for improving efficiencies of operation management:
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For improving efficiencies, managers used to communicate with workers and
subordinates in a proper way which help in reducing conflicts among all people as well as in
maintaining positivity among workers (Peng and Lai 2012). For better communications, they use
to organise meetings and conferences for discussing new strategies and policies of company for
better customer service. Along with this, manager provide better training and development
programs to their workers as per their needs in which they easily enhance their working
capabilities at workplace in order to attain better results.
Role of leaders for improving efficiencies of operations management:
Since managers used to communicate with workers for getting their feedback, in the same
way leaders used to make workers happy with environment. They try to understand needs of
each employee and fulfil needs accordingly. This would help in getting employability and
productivity of workers which would help a company like Amazon to gain retention of talented
workforce. Furthermore, leader also responsible for motivating as well as directing all the
workers in order attain positive outcomes in most effective manner.
TASK 4
P6 Factors within business environment which impacts upon operational management and
decision
Amazon Company is concerning much about maintaining values, ethics and
sustainability in their management and operations. This would help in carrying out operations in
a proper manner as well as for improving its relationship with customers. With this assistance,
managers and leaders play an important role in performing activities like CSR i.e. corporation of
social responsibilities (White, 2016). Maintaining such activities help in developing
sustainability of a business. For running business operations properly, managers require to
measure internal and external factors which affect business environment. In Amazon, some
factors that impacts on its working organisation are:-
Internal Factors: These factors are arise within in business environment, therefore, it
can be controllable for management. These elements include the following:-
Employees: Human resources are the most important factor of an organisation whose
efforts help a company to achieve its goals on time. Thus, they impact directly on production and
operations of a company (Oakland, 2014). Therefore, its a duty of managers and leaders to
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provide them necessary accommodations and timely appraisals so that they can retain them in
company as long as possible.
Innovation and Commercialisation: Advancement of technology and commercialisation
helps a company to acquire its goals within less time. So, leaders should try to bring innovations
in management and new technologies in business operations. For working on new techniques
with efficiencies, managers need to provide effective training and development to them. While
leaders require to keep an eye workers to see what they have learnt from such programs.
External Factors: These factors occur in external environment of a company so these
are not possible to control by management. Some factors which affect Amazon's business are:-
Corporate Social responsibilities: CSR activities help an enterprise to bring
sustainability in its business (Nassiri and et. al., 2016). Therefore, managers of Amazon are
required to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits to its stakeholders. Such factors
impacts directly on decision-making process of managers. Thus, managers and leaders require to
ensure that whole activities should be done in concerning with environment.
Business ethics: This is the most important factors which impacts on every type of
companies, therefore, Amazon are also used to follow business ethics in its organisation. This
will help in providing welfare to its stakeholders. In regarding with this, leaders and managers
concern on following ethics in a proper manner.
CONCLUSION
From this assignment it has concluded that management and operations is an important
part of an organisation which control activities of all departments and employees in a proper
manner. It is equally important in all type of industries whether it is dealing in manufacture or
service sectors. It mainly focuses on arranging works of all departments and people in a right
way which will help in achieving goals and objectives with efficiencies. Along with this, role of
leaders and functions of managers are used to make human resource able to work in an
organisation according to its rules and conditions.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Barratt, M., Choi, T. Y. and Li, M., 2011. Qualitative case studies in operations management:
Trends, research outcomes, and future research implications. Journal of Operations
Management. 29(4). pp.329-342.
Expósito, A. G. and at. al., 2016. Electric energy systems: analysis and operation. CRC press.
Jeston, J. and Nelis, J., 2014. Business process management. Routledge.
Kerzner, H. and Kerzner, H. R., 2017. Project management: a systems approach to planning,
scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
Kim, D. Y., Kumar, V. and Kumar, U., 2012. Relationship between quality management
practices and innovation. Journal of operations management. 30(4). pp.295-315.
LaGanga, L. R., 2011. Lean service operations: Reflections and new directions for capacity
expansion in outpatient clinics. Journal of Operations Management. 29(5). pp.422-433.
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McNeil, A. J., Frey, R. and Embrechts, P., 2015. Quantitative risk management: Concepts,
techniques and tools. Princeton university press.
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