Management and Operations Research Papers Analysis

This document provides a detailed summary of several management research papers. The papers cover topics such as operations management, supply chain management, marketing, and environmental strategy. The analysis includes key findings, methodologies, and contributions of each paper. Additionally, the document discusses the relevance and implications of these studies for management practice and policy-making.

MANAGEMENT
AND
OPERATIONS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
P1 Different roles and characteristic of a leader and manager....................................................1
M1 Role of a leader and function of a manager by applying theories and concepts..................2
D1 Different theories and approaches to leadership in the given context...................................3
TASK 2 ...........................................................................................................................................3
P2 Role of a leader and function of a manager in different organisational context....................3
P3 Different theories and approach models................................................................................4
M2 Strength and weakness of different approach.......................................................................5
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................6
P4 Key approaches of operational management and role of leader and manager.......................6
P5 Importance and value of operational management................................................................8
M3 Role of leader and manager in improving efficiency of operational management...............8
D2 Applications of operational management and factors that impact wider organisational
environment.................................................................................................................................9
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
P6 Factors that impact upon operational management and decision making.............................9
M4 Effect of these factors on business environment and wider community............................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
In the era of competitive global business, management play a vital role in shaping the
company's future. There are various kinds of operations that are taking place within an
organisation and all has be to managed in order to properly utilise its resources. Management and
operations can be considered as managing several activities like production, marketing, sales,
delivery of product etc. Managing operations means making plans that can be used for operating
activities that are efficient and effective (Ashby, Leat and Hudson-Smith, 2012). There are
several operations that are going in the company like Mark and Spencer. This company was
established in the year 1884 by Michael and Thomas Spencer. It is major British multinational
that deals with the selling of luxury food items, home products and clothings. It has approx 959
stores with around 82,904 employee. This report focuses on roles of manager and characteristic
of a leader in an organisation. It also highlights various factors that influences operation
management of any firm and the role they play in the decision making process.
TASK 1
P1 Different roles and characteristic of a leader and manager.
Mark and Spencer is one of the largest retailers of Luxury food items, clothings and home
products. Number of stores (approx 960) is managed by following flat organisational structure
where there limited levels between the top management and front line workers. It is followed in
such a way that every worker have their view on decision making process.
In management role of leader and manager is important. Leaders have different
characteristic upon which their leadership styles depends. Mangers at different levels have
different roles. Leader are those personalities who assigns roles, task within an organisation to
different workers (Brandenburg and et.al., 2014). They set targets that are in order to achieve
successful business operations. They are prime decision makers and motivates employees so as
to achieve company's goals. On the other hand managers are those who works on achieving goals
generally short term according to the available resources.
Comparison between roles and characteristics of leader and manager
Leaders Managers
1. Leaders motivates employees and sub 1. Managers are those who directs, manages
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ordinates which helps them to achieve task
efficiently.
2. Leaders have characteristics like Being
charismatic, having mercurial personalities and
usually are motivators.
3. They make decisions according to the
problems.
4. Leaders focuses on making changes that is
healthier for an organisation's future.
5. Leaders have to make policies that are
according to different types types of stores that
are under Mark and Spencer.
6. Leaders are generally facilitative i.e. they fill
various requirements of workplace.
7. Leaders role is to achieve long term goals of
organisation.
and controls the team like a coordinator that
helps them in making their work easier.
2. They have a characteristic like being risk
avoiders, control program handlers and are
rational in nature.
3. Managers make strategies that are used for
achieving desired goals.
4. Mangers brings stability in the firm's
working environment.
5. Managers have role that helps in managing
with daily requirements of its various stores.
6. Managers are analytic in nature, posses
strong will and are persistent in their assigned
work.
7. Managers role is to achieve short term and
daily based goals.
M1 Role of a leader and function of a manager by applying theories and concepts.
Every leader and manager has to face various situations in the day to day working of an
organisation. They just do not have to face technical or intellectual competencies rather it is
essential to organise themselves according to attitudes and behaviour according to the situations
(Bryan and et. al., 2013).
Various Concepts and theories are as follows:
 Trait theory: This theory explains that not every leader are are inborn some learn these
skills during the coarse their life time.
 Situational theory: Mark and Spencer faces many situations in its business activities,
leaders and managers make decisions according to the situations they face.
 Transactional theory: This theory shows that there are certain exchanges that are taking
place between leaders, managers and workers (Bureau and Hua, 2010).
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 Path goal theory: Many obstacle arises in day to day activities of a firm and these have to
be tackled in order to achieve organisational objectives.
 Transformational theory: This theory suggests that leaders are able to motivate their their
subordinates that helps in achievement of task in a effective manner.
D1 Different theories and approaches to leadership in the given context.
Above mentioned theories and approaches are very effective in managing different
organisational activities. These theories gives idea of how a leader leads in an organisation
according to the problem encountered by them. Trait theory is general as well as important in the
given context. Situational and path goal theories are applied in the day to day activities where
leaders change their behaviour as per arisen situation (Closs, Speier and Meacham, 2011).
Transactional and transformational theory suggests that leaders mus be a good communicator
and must be facilitative so that employees work in the direction of achieving desired task.
TASK 2
P2 Role of a leader and function of a manager in different organisational context.
In an organisation there are various activities that are taking place. Both leader and
managers have different roles and functions that are specific and flexible as per the situations
that helps in achieving organisational objectives.
Role of a leader are as follows:
 Communicative: Leader must be a good communicator. It helps to motivate workers and
sub ordinates by energising them with their words. This helps to bring customer
satisfaction (Cook, Husband and Boxall, 2016). These communication can be in the oral
or verbal form. Since Mark and Spencer has its outlets in many countries so Emails and
online conferences can be used to communicate with workers.
 Facilitator: Leaders have role to fulfil various requirement that arises in day to day
activities of an organisation. There are various demands of worker that needs to be
fulfilled in order to achieve worker's satisfaction in order to increase their productivity.
Basic needs includes, salary hike, requirements of employees at the work place.
 Conflict resolution: There are some conflicts that arises in operations of organisation.
These can be among workers or management and workers. It is a desired role of a leader
to resolve these conflicts.
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 Thinker: Leaders needs to be excellent thinker which is essential decision making
process. Since they are coordinators of organisational functionality. Thinking process
should be according to the functionality of the organisation.
 Decision makers: Leaders have role of being a decision makers which is required for
various activities. This is achieved after rigorous thinking process (Darkins and et. al.,
2013). Leaders some time include other workers also in this process and that depends on
his his/her style of leadership.
Functions of managers:
 Planning: It is managers role to plan out working of an organisation. This must be
planned out so as to achieved organisations desired goals.
 Team coordinator: At certain times managers has to lead a certain group in order to
achieve assigned task. They work towards harmonising situations so that team works
efficiently.
 Organising: It is a role of a leader to organise its resources according to plans made. This
also includes assigning responsibilities to different workers and mangers.
 Staffing: It is managers role to full fill staffing needs of a particular task. They place
workers according to requirement of the departments.
P3 Different theories and approach models.
Understanding the approaches to leadership is the fundamental of management. Among
various theories and models of approach prevailing around the world. some of them are as
follows:
 Trait theory: This theory acknowledges that either the people are born with leadership
quality or they develop it in due coarse of their life time. These qualities helps them in
excelling their leadership roles (DeHoratius and Rabinovich, 2011). Excellent leaders
must have certain qualities like responsibility sense, intelligence and must be creative in
doing their work.
 Contingency theory: It suggests that there are no rigid rules or methods of leading. This
can be flexible from time to time and according to the situations. This flexibility in
leadership style helps in handling the arisen situation in a proper manner. It is extension
of the trait theory. It also suggests that people performs at highest level when subjected to
be under pressure of any condition.
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 Behaviour theory: This theory gives psychometric analysis of leader's behaviour. This
theory helps in comparing, effecting and analysing relationship of human behaviour
from leaders point of view.
 Transactional theory: It suggests that some leaders make exchanges between them and
their sub ordinates. This can be in the form of rewards as per workers performance
(Drake and Spinler, 2013). This motivates employees for working more harder under any
leader.
 System Theory: It is open system approach. This theory suggests that leaders gets input
from the external environment in the form of resources, machinery, workers etc. they
process it and finally gives output back to the environment only in terms of finished
goods and services. This approach is very much realistic. It is systematic theory and
approach of leadership. System approach entertains starting process and ending result.
 Transformational theory: This theory suggests that leaders make interactions with their
workers in order to motivate them. These motivations helps them in increasing their
performance which ultimately be reflected in the productivity of the organisations.
Leaders has to inculcate felling of trust in employees mind.
 Situational theory: It is also termed as life cycle theory of leadership. It also suggests
that there is no single way of leading. Leadership style that is according to task is the best
one. Most successful leaders are those who adapt themselves as per situations they
encounter (Ellison and Boyd, 2013). This shows that leadership style must have a lot of
variation. Leaders have to work according feedback they receive from their clients and
there style must be according to requirement.
M2 Strength and weakness of different approach.
Every theory and approach has certain weaknesses and strength and depends on the
different situation in which it is applied.
Situational theory
It is highly effective in management. It is more valid and trusted approach. It has been used over
the decades.
Strengths
 It is based on grounded experimental research.
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 It has been tested and has been trustable for many years.
 It tells what a leader must do and what not.
 It gives the idea that leaders must be flexible.
Weakness
 It does not provide any picture of how leaders are developed through sub ordinate levels.
 It is unclear to define that how commitment is conceptualised (Hammill and Tanner,
2011).
 Model that is based on demographic characteristics is not provided by this approach.
System approach
Strengths
 It helps in the achievement of final goals.
 It focusses on identity of group.
Weakness
 Accessing outcome from this approach is difficult.
 Decision making process is irrational.
 It is Difficult to identify needs of smaller tasks.
TASK 3
P4 Key approaches of operational management and role of leader and manager.
Managing operations helps in achieving objectives of an organisation in a limited frame
of time. This helps in achieving goals at lower cost by properly utilising its resources. Flow of
information and raw material of Mark and Spencer so as to convert it into finished goods and
products needs to be examined. Managing operations helps in achieving the customer
satisfaction with the available resources (Jørgensen and Zaccour, 2012). Various operations like
production, selling and marketing of products and services etc. needs to be managed.
There are various functions of a manager that includes processes that must be involved to
produce the expected products and services.
 Proper selection of resources: It is the role of a manager that they must select resources
that is within the cost limit of the company and is best suitable for final product and
services.
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 Proper processing mechanism: It is also managers role to use best available machines and
talents that produces desired products and services.
 Using SOP: In processing of raw material standard operating procedures must be used.
 Use quality checks: It is managers role to ensure quality of products and it can be done by
using quality measures to check finished goods and products (Kanchev and et. al., 2011).
Other roles of leader and manger:
 Human resource management: It is the role of a leader to manage its human resource as it
is one of most essential assets of an organisation and manages all other resources. Mark
and Spencer requires best human talents for its operations.
 Decision-making: It is managers or leaders role to make decisions as per requirement of
the situation so as to achieve long and short term goals. Cited company has decision
making process in which each employee has a role in decision making process.
 Cost management: It involves costing that are done in purchasing resources, processing
them and delivering final goods and services to users. In order to have competitive edge
of Mark and Spencer's rivals it has to manage its cost.
 Asset management: It is a role of manager and leader handle and manage assets of the
company like its infrastructure and other facilities. Various stores of the cited company
needs to managed on regular basis.
Various approaches to operational management:
 Lean production: It is a method that is systematic in nature and focusses on
minimization of waste within manufacturing system without compromising with
productivity. It also takes account of waste produced due to overburden and unevenness
in work load (Nagurney, Masoumi and Yu, 2012). Lean manufacturing makes obvious
that adds value, by limiting everything that does not adds value as value is that action or
process for which customer pays for.
 Total quality management:It is the overall assessment of quality and focuses on
planning and organising everything that is important for improvement process. TQM is
beneficial for an organisation for becoming the best. It also says that poor quality can
lead to loss of money, reputation and market share of an organisation.
 Just in Time: It is inventory strategy that companies employ in order to increase the
efficiency and decrease waste by receiving products only as they are required for the
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production process which helps to reduce inventory cost (Neck and Manz, 2010). It
emphasize that producers must forecast demand accurately.
 Continuous improvement: It is important for the organisation to make continuous
improvement in the operating procedures. It is ongoing effort to improve products,
services or processes over time.
P5 Importance and value of operational management.
Operational management is important in order to achieve task as per available resources
and that too in a limited interval of time. It includes operating, designing and improvement of
products and services. The cited organisation has to develop products as per the market
requirement. It has business in the clothing industry which needs continuous evaluations and up
gradation in term of style and quality. Luxury products must be designed after feedbacks so that
company will be able to achieve its desired objectives. Operational management helps to acquire
raw materials according to requirements (Oakland, 2014). Quality must be ensured before
delivering it to customers as improper product management can lead to lose of company's
reputation. Operational management adds value to the products as it eliminates all those
procedures that do not add value to the product. Proper waste management can help company in
adding value to its products and services.
M3 Role of leader and manager in improving efficiency of operational management.
Leaders and managers works towards improving the efficiency of operational
management and their role can be understood by following points:
 Organisational works: It is managers work to ensure that correct people are at right place
at the required time.
 Constructing efficient ideas:It is managers role to construct ideas that are efficient and
will assist in achieving desired goals and objectives. It helps in generating quality
products and services.
 Talent management: Managers must hire people as per the requirement of the firm.
Hiring and training labourers in orders to increase their skills as per the requirement of
job is necessary (Pinkerton, 2011). This can be done by training programs.
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D2 Applications of operational management and factors that impact wider organisational
environment.
Operational management is very helpful for the organisations and can be understood
through following points:
 It helps to utilise resources efficiently.
 It helps in making quality products.
 It assists in achieving task easily.
Factors that impact wider organisational environment
 Political: Policies and regulations made by government effect the operations of the
organisations and has to make decisions according to these policies.
 Economical: Health of economy decides the growth of the organisation. Better health
facilitates increased growth rate whereas poor economy leads to poor growth rate.
 Social: Society is changing so is its requirements. Mark and Spencer has to develop its
products accordingly in order to have sustainable growth.
 Technological: Use of technology has become the requirement of business operations.
 Legal: Various legalities involved in performing operations of the organisation bounds
companies to work under that framework.
 Environmental: Waste recycle mechanism has become important for the companies as
global demand for clean business operations are increasing.
TASK 4
P6 Factors that impact upon operational management and decision making.
There are several factors that effect the operational management some of them are as
follows:
 Corporate Social responsibility: Every company has to make plans according to its
social responsibility (Rosemann and vom Brocke, 2015). Organisations cannot develop
management strategies only for earning profit but also has to consider this factor.
 Global competitiveness: Operation management is performed as per the competition an
organisation is facing throughout the world.
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 Business ethics: It is moral principle or ethical problems that arises in business
environment. Any operational management must apply all aspects of business conduct
and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire firm.
 Stakeholders: Operational management must be based upon evaluating profit of
stakeholders. It must assign the responsibility to each and every stakeholder.
Factors that effect decision making are as follows:
 Return on investment: In general sense it is the amount of profit that a company
receives after a particular investment (Simpson and Samson, 2010). Every decision made
must be based on profitability that it will ensure.
 Availability of resources: Any decision made in an organisation must be based on the
amount of resources available with them. In determining its profitability resources plays
an important role.
 Brand name: Any decision made by the company is based on the brand name it has in
the market. Mark and Spencer has a good image in the minds of people and hence
decisions must be made carefully.
M4 Effect of these factors on business environment and wider community.
Number of factors effect the business environment. As mentioned above factors like ROI,
band name, social responsibility, competition, availability of resources determines the profit of
an organisation and decisions must be made sighting all these factors. CSR and business ethics
plays an important role in shaping management operations (Storbacka, 2011). Operational
management is done so as to provide maximum profit to its stakeholders.
CONCLUSION
Management and operations is a term used for managing activities within a firm. It plays
an important role in increasing productivity of an organisation. In managing operations leaders
and managers plays an important role. Trait, situational, contingency, system etc. are some of
theories approaches that is prevalent all over the world. These provides picture of function of a
leader and manager. Various environmental factors effects the working environment. ROI, CSR,
resource availability, stakeholder, business ethic etc. have larger impact on operational
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management and decision making process. It can be concluded from the above report that
operational management helps in achieving business goals effectively in a given time frame
which is essential for Mark and Spencer for having competitive edge over others.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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Ashby, A., Leat, M. and Hudson-Smith, M., 2012. Making connections: a review of supply chain
management and sustainability literature.Supply Chain Management: An International
Journal. 17(5). pp.497-516.
Brandenburg, M. and et.al., 2014. Quantitative models for sustainable supply chain management:
Developments and directions.European Journal of Operational Research. 233(2).
pp.299-312.
Bryan, B.A., and et. al., 2013. Ecohydrological and socioeconomic integration for the
operational management of environmental flows. Ecological Applications. 23(5). pp.
999-1016.
Bureau, D.P. and Hua, K., 2010. Towards effective nutritional management of waste outputs in
aquaculture, with particular reference to salmonid aquaculture operations.Aquaculture
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Closs, D.J., Speier, C. and Meacham, N., 2011. Sustainability to support end-to-end value
chains: the role of supply chain management. Journal of the Academy of Marketing
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Cook, D.M., Husband, P.S. and Boxall, J.B., 2016. Operational management of trunk main
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Darkins, A., and et. al., 2013. The design, implementation, and operational management of a
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Telemedicine and e-Health. 19(7). pp. 557-564.
DeHoratius, N. and Rabinovich, E., 2011. Field research in operations and supply chain
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Drake, D.F. and Spinler, S., 2013. OM Forum—Sustainable Operations Management: An
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Ellison, N.B. and Boyd, D.M., 2013. Sociality through social network sites. InThe Oxford
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Kanchev, H., and et. al., 2011. Energy management and operational planning of a microgrid with
a PV-based active generator for smart grid applications. IEEE transactions on industrial
electronics. 58(10). pp. 4583-4592.
Nagurney, A., Masoumi, A.H. and Yu, M., 2012. Supply chain network operations management
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Nakayama, F.S and Bucks, D.A. eds., 2012.Trickle irrigation for crop production: design,
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Oakland, J.S., 2014. Total quality management and operational excellence: text with cases.
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Pinkerton, E. ed., 2011.Co-operative management of local fisheries: new directions for improved
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Rosemann, M. and vom Brocke, J., 2015. The six core elements of business process
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Simpson, D. and Samson, D., 2010. Environmental strategy and low waste operations: exploring
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Storbacka, K., 2011. A solution business model: Capabilities and management practices for
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