Operations Management and Crisis Operations

This assignment delves into the world of operations management and crisis operations, covering various research papers and studies on the topic. It highlights the differences between being a leader and a manager, and provides insights into managing difficult situations. The assignment also explores the practice of burden sharing in European crisis management operations and the globalization of operations in Eastern and Western countries.

Management and
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Comparison of roles and characteristics of leaders and managers....................................1
P2 Application of leader's role and function of a manager in a situation...............................3
P3 Theories and models in management................................................................................4
P4 Various Approaches to operations management and the role of managers and leaders . .6
P5 Importance and value of operation management and its role in achieving objectives......7
P6 Factors that affect operational management and decision making...................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Management in business is defined as the process of controlling and managing the
resources in such a manner that organisational objectives are fulfilled. The management is
responsible for integration of all business functions to achieve a expected outcome. Different
sizes of the business organisation determines size of management as well. Operations
management focuses on achieving operational efficiency and attainment of goals of the
organisation in a profitable manner(Akkerman, Farahani and Grunow, 2010). This assignment
focuses on the operation efficiencies of the TESCO. Company is one of the leading retail chains
in the United Kingdom. This assignment will focus on the roles and responsibilities of leaders
and managers in organisation. Models and theories which are applied to sustain growth in the
company will also be described here.
TASK 1
P1 Comparison of roles and characteristics of leaders and managers
Both; leader and manager play a crucial role in the functioning of business. Leader
focuses on the providing vision to its employees whereas the manager is focused on
implementing and executing the policies which are formulated by the leader (Barratt, Choi and
Li, 2011). TESCO is catering the grocery, foods and clothing needs of people at a single place.
The association with major companies help in enhancing the brand value of the company. The
working environment of organisation supports development and innovation. To promote the
same the management of the company has formulated the policies which endures development
and participation of all the employees. Constructing policies will not fulfil the objectives,
organisation requires effective leaders and managers to ensure that organisational goals are
achieved along with their personal and professional development.
A leader in organisation is a person who is responsible for the achievement of
organisational objectives. He is that powerful figure which directs people towards the
organisational objectives. The leader opts for policy of leading to make sure that the employees
are influenced and followed the leader. Contrary to that managers are the individual who use
transactional form of leading which promotes the use of power and money in order to get the
work done from the employees (Differences Between Being A Leader And A Manager, 2016). He
establishes goals for each employee which they have to achieve in specified period of time.
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(Source: Difference between a leader and manager, 2014)
The difference between a leader and manager is stated in the table below:
Grounds Leader Manager
Definition Leaders are the person who
leads team by example. The
fans see him as a role mode.
Manager are the people who
ensure that task assigned
should be fulfilled with
minimum risk.
following The leader focuses on creating
fans and promoters rather than
followers.
Managers carry a bunch of
people who follow him due to
the fear of position.
Risk Leader take risks. Managers focus on completing
the task with minimum risk.
Innovation The leader focuses on
alternative or creative ways of
accomplishing a task (Binder
and Edwards, 2010).
Managers follow the rule book
and are often orthodox when it
comes to innovation.
Long term vision Leaders think for long term. Managers focus on fulfilment
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Illustration 1: Difference between a leader and manager

They promote a long term goal
in the organisation.
of short term objectives.
The above table makes role which managers play in the organisation very clear.
Managers are confined to achievement of the task with efficiencies and minimum risk which is
totally in contrast with the leaders in TESCO. The management looks for ways in which the
leadership quality can be developed in the employees of the organisation so as to promote
individual as well as organisational growth (Galindo and Batta, 2013). The major differences in
the role and responsibilities of manager are as follows:
Leader:
Role:
 Involves innovation in the work process
of the organisation
 Influencing people into achieving goals
 He establishes long term goals of the
organisation.
Character:
 Visionary
 Risk taking
 Influential
 Innovator
 leads the team by example
Manager:
Role:
 He ensures that work is accomplished
in a timely manner.
 Planning and managing the resources.
 Ensures harmonious environment
within the organisation.
Character:
 Fulfil the task assigned
 Get the work done from employees
 Use of authority to influenced
 Decision maker
 Conflict resolution
P2 Application of leader's role and function of a manager in a situation
The employees working for an organisation share the same goal and vision irrespective of
their department of the employee. Tesco wishes to retain its position as the market leader in the
United Kingdom. The company requires a balance of the leader's role and managerial functions
in order to achieve the objectives of the company. Company when exposed to certain
circumstances which needs vision of the leadership and decision making of the manager to
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successfully overcome the situation (Giegerich, 2010). The application of role of leader and
functions of manager in respect to different situation is as follows:
Grievances Handling: the organisation is exposed to such circumstances on a regular
basis at a regular period of time. The situation is unavoidable in an organisation. This particular
task involves function of a manager in order to resolve the conflict. The leader can help motivate
the its workforce to maintain harmony in the organisation and direct their energy towards the
achievement of the organisational objectives (Ivanov, Sokolov and Kaeschel, 2010). The
manager can use his grievances solving tool such as negotiation, agreement and harmony in the
organisation.
Decision making: Tesco is faced with the alternate choices on a regular interval. The
decisions can be regarding the marketing strategies, choosing the supplier, techniques and
methodology adopted while accomplishing a task. Example: the choice of a marketing strategy is
one of crucial decisions which is to be made by the management. Tesco dealing in the retail
sector wishes to achieve its position of #1 retailer in the country. The evaluation of alternatives
are done by manager and decision are made inculcating long term vision of leaders of the
company.
Motivating Workforce: Motivating the workforce is to be done by the management on
the regular basis. It is very crucial for Tesco to develop a team of motivated individuals to
complete the task in a efficient and effective manner. Example: For the purpose of retaining top
position in the market management focuses on attaining operational efficiency of the employees.
The managerial function can utilise the various set of tool to enhance the motivation level
such financial rewards and recognition to boost the morale of the employees.
leader involve innovation and leads by example which can also act as a motivator for its
promoters in this situation. The tool of guidance and support are major tool employed to
motivate supporters of a leader.
Training and Development:The evaluation of performance of the workforce helps in
assessing the training and development of the employees (Jacobs, Chase and Lummus, 2011).
Example: the introduction of the latest technology in the Tesco manifests requirement of
the training and development in the employees. The managers opt for the orthodox techniques
such as simulation, guidance, coaching seminars and on-the-job training.
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Leaders on the other hand employ conventional ways such as mirror reality and visceral
involvement to train and develop employees in an organisation.
P3 Theories and models in management
The use of the theories and models of management help in effectively carrying out the
day to day business operations. The theories have been formed with the help of observation of
the managers and mathematical models. The theories are beneficial in effective management of
the people and can provide a way out of the certain situation to managers. Implementation of
models of management help in improving the productivity of the organisation through its
employees. The managers use a combination of theories according to circumstances. The most
used theories and models of management by Tesco are as follows:
Situational Theory
Situational theory is termed to be the “best” theory of leadership management. This
theory was matured by Ken Blanchard and Paul Hershey. This theory often called as the adaptive
style of leadership. As the name suggests it provides the flexibility to the leaders as this theory
adapts to the existing circumstances of the company. The theory given by Blanchard and Hersey
takes into consideration two thoughts i.e. leadership and development of the promoters. The
mentioned style in this model are:
1. Telling leaders (S1): This model includes specific guidance by the leaders to its fans. The
effective use of communication is to be used in this model. It helps in communicating the
policies and decisions to the subordinates and their acceptance (Krajewski, Ritzman and
Malhotra, 2013).
2. Selling (S2): this step takes into consideration the leaders selling their ideas to its fans. It
is done basically to gain the support of the fans to work towards the goal attainment.
3. Participation (S3): This step involves participation of the promoters in the decision
making. The decisions taken by them will be considered.
4. Delegating (S4): Delegation is assigning of the task to others along with balanced
authority. Guidance is being provided to the workers in times of need and resolve their
queries.
Systems Theory
This theory is another crucial theory used in the management of the organisation. Tesco
treats its organisation as a system. A system comprises of a complex integrated parts. This model
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helps in determining the level of profitability of the business. The interaction between a system
and external environment is done through inputs and outputs of the company (Lewis and Brown,
2012). This theory suggest that change in one part of business invites changes in other parts
simultaneously. The positive changes in the system promotes positive growth in the organisation.
Example: the Tesco 's new adoption of manufacturing technology not only influence the
speedy manufacturing process but also enhances the quality and improvement in the profit
margin of the company.
Contingency Theory
The contingency theory was given by Fred Edward Fielder in the year 1964. this model
states that the application of theory is totally dependent upon the circumstances (Difficult
Situations Managers Face… And How to Deal With Them, 2012). The best way to overcome a
obstacle is to understand it carefully and then make the decisions. There is no existence of model
of theory which is applicable to all the circumstances. It relies on the leaders understanding of
the situation and how he wishes to deal with it.
Example: Every employee in the organisation is different therefore a company can not
use the standard evaluation model on all the employees as every person is different in one or
another way.
P4 Various Approaches to operations management and the role of managers and leaders
Operations management includes the policies and efforts made to ensure a certain level of
operational efficiency. The main emphasis is on the optimization of process of converting raw
material to final outputs (Mérand and Rayroux, 2016). The optimization leads to efficiencies and
profitability in the output. The main decisions taken under this are in regards to the size,
methodology, and technology adopted in the same. The approaches are the ways through which
operational effectiveness can be achieved. The various approaches to operational management
are as follows: Continuous improvement: This approach takes into consideration the performance of the
employees. The management should make continuous efforts towards increasing the
performance of the employee to achieve operational skilfulness. This approach can help
in providing quality goods and services to consumer at a higher profit margin for the
company.
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 Just in time: It is the approach which focuses on reducing the inventory costs. The
approach is dependent upon the demand forecasting done by the management. The goods
are received by the company only when they are needed which helps in minimizing the
wastage of the raw material therefore reducing the inventory costs. The another name of
this approach is Toyota production system (TPS) as it was popularised by them only.
The role that leaders and managers play in achieving the operational management for
Tesco are:
 Planning: Planning is one of the most important component in achieving organisational
efficiency. It helps in building the gap between where the company is and where it wishes
to be. The company in the planning process can focus on the areas which can improved to
achieve the desired results (Naor, Linderman and Schroeder, 2010). Introduction of new
methodology, training of employees and adoption of technology are the major grounds
that carries a scope for improvement.
 Managing: The main task that managers play is the efficient managing of the resources
of the organisation. The various resources are human resources, raw material, financial
and output capacities are the resources when managed properly can result in the better
profitability of the business.
 Coordinate: A business is treated as a complex system which involves various integrated
parts performing simultaneously. The manager is person who is responsible for
maintaining coordination among all the performing components. It is essential as it helps
in overcoming the hindrances in the ideal performance of the company.
 Forecasting: This is another most crucial task that is to be done by the managers in the
company. It is the process which involves predicting about the future demand of the
product and estimating the future trends will be. The Tesco have predicted the use of
internet in the coming times which helped them in developed the web portal and online
applications. The correct forecasting helped in increasing the sales volume of the
company.
 Flexible specialisation: It is an contemporary approach which is being employed in
operations management. It defines the capacity of a business to produce variety of
products within a short span of time. It is necessary to possess certain amount of
flexibility in terms of technology and labour so that ideal results can be achieved.
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 Lean production: This process aims to provide extended value goods to customer with
minimal resources. The attention is paid to critical functions and are maximised so that
value creation is achieved with making sure that there is minimum wastages of resources.
P5 Importance and value of operation management and its role in achieving objectives
Operational management is one of the important part which helps in achieving
profitability and efficiency in the operation of the company. It helps in minimizing the wastage
of resources and eliminating unnecessary activities in the organisation (Pohl, 2013). Manager use
this tool continuously to accomplish the defined set of goals in a competent manner. The major
benefits of operational management in Tesco are:
1. Enhanced productivity: Elimination of the wastage helps in achieving the defined level
of productivity. It can be defined as the ratio to input and output. Operational
management ensures that resources are utilised in the optimum manner therefore
resulting in better productivity.
2. Improved level of profitability: the operational management ensures that similar output is
produced with lesser resources. The cost of input falls which increases the margin of per
product sold therefore enhancing the profitability of the business (Rose and et. al., 2013).
3. Better employee satisfaction: the improvement in the quality have a direct relation with
the level of employee satisfaction. By achieving operational efficiency the company is
able to provide better quality products at similar price. This results in positive word of
mouth of the company.
4. Empowerment: the manager in an organisation are empowered as they possess the ability
to make decision and work in the manner they feel comfortable and productive. This
features gives rise to productive and competitive environment in an organisation.
5. Technological up-gradation: The operations management ensures that technology and
processes of production are upgraded so that quality output can be attained at competitive
prices.
Value proposition defines why people should buy that product or service. It is marketing
strategy which differentiates the product from its competitors. The emphasis is on the benefits
that are offered with the product. The company by achieving operational efficiency can provide
quality and innovative products at the same prices. The operation department in the financial
function ensures adequate utilisation of funds and free flow of information in the IT department.
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Manager is an important for a business as he ensures ideal application of operations
management on the business activities. The role of operational manager is as follows:
Quality: The operational manager have to determine the level of quality to be produced
to fulfil needs of customers. Production of qualitative products is the highest priority to a
manager confined within budget allocated.
Speed: this is another role played by manager which ensures adequate speed is adopted
so that product is delivered on time to its final users.
Cost: Cost control is another challenge to operational manager. The efforts of the same
are aimed to control the cost incurred so that a business can attain higher level of profitability.
He is responsible for managing and assigning budgets to various business functions.
P6 Factors that affect operational management and decision making
Tesco is also influenced by the changes in the external environment of the company. It is
essential to carefully analyse the factors in the environment so that effective policies and
decision can be made. The ecosystem of the company can be categorised into two major parts:
 Internal Environment: these are the factors which lies in the internal environment of the
company inclusive of employees, suppliers, management etc. These factors can be
influenced and managed by the company for its personal gain (Slack, 2015). These carry
a direct influence on decision making of an organisation. The manager or leader have to
carefully evaluate all the factors and impact of decision-making upon them to take the
ideal alternative among available ones.
 External Factors: These outside factors are beyond the control of the company. The best a
company can do is to adapt to the changes in the external environment. The environment
comprises of political,economic, social, , legal, technological and environmental factors.
The external factor cannot be manipulated by the company for self gain. Therefore it is
necessary to evaluate each and every factor of the external environment before
formulation a decision as they have a deep and gradual impact on business functioning.
Example: the change in the policies of the government will affect the decision-making
process of the company. The company have to adhere to rules and regulation established by the
government.
The above mentioned factors impact the environment of the company in a huge manner.
The effective adaptation to the environment help in achieving the obligations which are:
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 Stakeholder: These are the parties which carry a direct influence on the decision making
of the company. The various parties which are undertaken in this field are employees,
suppliers, Creditors and shareholders of business. the achievement of the operational
management will enable the company to save higher level of profits which can be later
utilised to fulfil the needs and expectations of the stakeholders which can be in the form
of community benefits activities, dividend and rewards to the employees. Corporate social responsibilities: Corporate social responsibility is defined as self-
mechanism adopted by the company to regulate is activities. The main reason CSR
activities are adopted is to make sure that organisational activities and decision are
adhered to laws and regulation formed by the government and ethically acceptable. The
organisation is expected to fulfil its responsibilities of being a corporate citizen in
economic, social and environmental domains. The decision which are formulated by the
manages should conform with the various ethical and non ethical standards. Tesco have
always been concerned about the community. The company after achievement of
operational skilfulness can minimize the use of natural resources and would be able to
afford renewable sources of energy. Development of various programs is done by Tesco
as well.
 Ethics: The ethics in the task fulfilled can be achieved through operational skilfulness.
This equips the company with the efficiency and encourages the capabilities of the
organisation (Subramanian and Ramanathan, 2012).
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above report that operation management is much needed
function as it helps in achievement of objectives in a efficient and profitable manner. Leaders
and managers are the two pillars which contribute to the effective goal achievement of the firm.
The leaders set the vision and managers execute the same in the organisation. The leader can
make proper use of the leadership theories of management such as situational, systems and
contingency. There is a necessity of incorporating operations management in the organisation as
it equips the management with the ability to accomplish the established goals of the organisation.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Akkerman, R., Farahani, P. and Grunow, M., 2010. Quality, safety and sustainability in food
distribution: a review of quantitative operations management approaches and
challenges. Or Spectrum. 32(4). pp.863-904.
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.
Binder, M. and Edwards, J.S., 2010. Using grounded theory method for theory building in
operations management research: A study on inter-firm relationship
governance. International Journal of Operations & Production Management. 30(3).
pp.232-259.
Galindo, G. and Batta, R., 2013. Review of recent developments in OR/MS research in disaster
operations management. European Journal of Operational Research. 230(2). pp.201-211.
Giegerich, B., 2010. Chapter two: military and civilian capabilities for EU-led crisis-
management operations. Adelphi Paper. 50(414-415). pp.41-58.
Ivanov, D., Sokolov, B. and Kaeschel, J., 2010. A multi-structural framework for adaptive
supply chain planning and operations control with structure dynamics
siderations. European Journal of Operational Research. 200(2). pp.409-420.
Jacobs, F. R., Chase, R. B. and Lummus, R. R., 2011. Operations and supply chain
management (Vol. 567). McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Krajewski, L. J., Ritzman, L. P. and Malhotra, M. K., 2013. Operations management: processes
and supply chains (Vol. 1). New York, NY: Pearson.
Lewis, M. A. and Brown, A. D., 2012. How different is professional service operations
management?. Journal of Operations Management. 30(1). pp.1-11.
Mérand, F. and Rayroux, A., 2016. The practice of burden sharing in European crisis
management operations. European security. 25(4). pp.442-460.
Naor, M., Linderman, K. and Schroeder, R., 2010. The globalization of operations in Eastern and
Western countries: Unpacking the relationship between national and organizational
culture and its impact on manufacturing performance. Journal of operations
management. 28(3). pp.194-205.
Pohl, B., 2013. The logic underpinning EU crisis management operations. European
security. 22(3). pp.307-325.
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Rose, L. and et. al., 2013. Genericity for model management operations. Software & Systems
Modeling. 12(1). pp.201-219.
Slack, N., 2015. Operations strategy. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Subramanian, N. and Ramanathan, R., 2012. A review of applications of Analytic Hierarchy
Process in operations management. International Journal of Production
Economics. 138(2). pp.215-241.
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