Roles and Characteristics of a Leader and a Manager in Operations Management

MANAGEMENT
AND OPERATIONS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1 Different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager...........................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
P2 Role of leader and function of a manger apply in different situational context................4
P3 Theories and modules of approach, including situational leadership, system leadership and
contingency.............................................................................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
P4 Key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and managers play8
P5 The importance and value of operations management in achieving business objectives. 9
TASK 4 .........................................................................................................................................10
P6 The factors within the business environment that impact upon operational management
and decision-making by leaders and managers....................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFRENCES ...............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Operation management department plays an important role in achievement of various pre
decided goals and objectives of respective business firm, ensuring effective utilisation of
valuable resources of the business firm. A sound management of an organisation is defined by its
effective managing of various efforts being produced by various individuals working in an
organisational firm (Benuyenah, 2021). Present report is being conducted by taking operational
management of Tesco into consideration. It works in retail industry and its headquarters are
situated at England, UK. The company was founded in 1919 by its founder Jack Cohen.
This report has been developed based on a mini primary research conducted with two
interviews—a line manager (Manager) and the store manager (leader) of the organisation. The
presented report is developed by conducting primary researches on the subject matter of the topic
provided. It includes differences between leader and manager, application of roles and functions
in different situational context and key approaches of operational management. It also discusses
about importance and values concerned with operation management and factors that impacts
decision making of leaders and managers. In the concerned organisation, manager and leaders
analysed that there was lack of motivational techniques amongst various staffs working in the
workforce. Due to this issue, firm is facing various difficulties regarding internal conflicts and
lack of coordination between its departments of the business organisation. Therefore, various
motivational and management techniques I being followed up by Ken Murphy, who is also the
current CEO of the selected firm.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
P1 Different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager
A person being a manager of a company is defined as a person who is concerned for
managing respective operational activities of the company. On the other hand, leader of a firm is
an individual that provides direction to respective employees of the business firm which enables
various staffs working in an organisation to perform their job tasks effectively towards

attainment of effective business goals and objectives (Campbell Pickford and Joy, 2016).
Different roles and characteristics of leader as well as manager of a firm are as follows:
Role of a Leader:
Decision-making: Decision making proves to be an important operational activity which
is played by a manager of the company. It is been said that sound working of a business firm
depends on effectiveness of decisions being passed and made by leader of the respective firm.
Setting up of vision: By shaping up of clear vision to every employees working in a
company provides better way of working in the workforce and provides optimum utilisation of
resources. It helps in wastage of limited resources of the business firm and enables firm to firmly
carry out business activities towards boosting of of it's new sales.
Role of a Manager
Allocation of resources: Respective manager of a firm performs different tasks for
conduction of respective operational activities of a business organisation towards achievement of
it's desired goals and objectives. With light to the fact that, company's resources are limited in
nature and it becomes important for a firm to manage them effectively. This helps the firm to
carry it's respective business activities ensuring growth and attainment of profit maximisation
objectives of the workforce.
Evaluating and Monitoring: The managers of respective firms keeps regular check on
various business activities being performed in the structure. They ensures all tasks are performed
following healthy techniques and are proving to be beneficial for organisation as a whole. It
helps business firm to cope up with it's changing environment ensuring high growth rate of sales
of an organisation.
Characteristics of a Leader:
Communication: It is the most important characteristics that every leaders of a business
firm should posses. It enables carrying out operational activities of a business effectively
avoiding any sort of disputes. A leader of a firm establishes effective communication between
companies respective departments which helps in increased productivity and sense of
responsibilities for each department in an organisation.
Trustworthy: In order to implement various plans and policies of an organisation, a
leader of the business firm should be trustworthy to it's respective employees working towards
betterment of the company.