Key Approaches to Operation Management and the Role of Leaders and Managers

Management and Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
P1. Define and compare the roles and characteristics of leader and manager.............................3
LO2..................................................................................................................................................5
P2. Roles of leaders and managers in different situational context.............................................5
P3. Situational, system and contingency leadership theory and their applicability.....................6
LO3 .................................................................................................................................................7
P4. Key approaches to operation management and the role that leaders and managers play......7
P5. Importance and value of operations management in achieving business objectives.............8
LO4................................................................................................................................................10
P6. Factors within the business environment that impact operational management and
decision-making by leaders and managers................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Operation management is defined as managing all different responsibility associated with
the organization. This report is based on the case study of Sainsbury Company in respect to its
operation management practices. Sainsbury Company is a retail sector organization based in
United Kingdom. Company initiated its business operations in the year 1869 by the founder John
James Sainsbury. Headquarter of the company is located in London, United Kingdom. Company
has been engaged selling different retail sectors products only in United Kingdom. Company
deals in hypermarket, super store, super market, convenience store and forecourt shop. This
report would emphasis over the operation management practices used in the Sainsbury
Company. Henceforth, report will emphasis on the comparative analysis between role of leader
and function of manager in organization. This report would also assess how the role of leader
and function of manager applies in various situational contexts. Various leadership theories
would also discuss in this report. Furthermore, report will also emphasis over key approaches
related to the operation management in company. Importance and value of operation
management would also discuss in this report. Factors within business environment impact on
operation management in company.
LO1
P1. Define and compare the roles and characteristics of leader and manager
Differentiation between role of leader and characteristics of manager can be
demonstrated in the following points.
Point of difference Leader Manager
Definition Leadership is defined as
guiding employees of
company towards achieving
the common objectives of the
business.
Leadership is all about
guiding and supporting the
employees of company in
such a way that they can
achieve the overall objectives
behind the operations
undertaken by company.
Management is all about
managing various operational
responsibilities in such a way
that overall objectives behind
the company’s operation can
be achieved by company.
Managers are the higher
authorities involved in the
organization hierarchy that
involve in all the superior
functions like planning,
controlling and all other
functions.
Role Leadership involve guiding Manager play role in

employees of company
towards a strategic direction
that can allow them meeting
their individual roles and
responsibility in the
organization.
Leaders motivate employees
of company so that they can
timely fulfil all their
responsibilities in Sainsbury
Company (Keahey, Riteau
and Timkovich, 2017).
Leaders also personally
involve in solving all the
different issues organization
becomes a part off at both
level internal and external.
Every times employees of
Sainsbury Company face any
issue leaders get the personal
involvement in dealing with
such issues. Their
involvement in solving issues
creates a huge impact over
the process and it also results
that the issues get solve in
timely manner.
In change management
process leaders take personal
involvement in implementing
changes in the company.
managing, planning,
controlling the operations at
Sainsbury Company.
All these roles are the
authorized roles managers
need to play in organization.
In term of solving issues of
organization they follow the
guidelines and code of
conducts of company to deal
with such issues.
Managers do not put personal
involvement in solving the
issues.
In respect to change
management function
manages do not take personal
involvement in implementing
the change. They only
introduce the areas that
would be change in company
(Albrecht and Dasigi, 2016).
Theories Leaders follow theories like
contingency leadership,
system leadership, situational
leadership theories to meet
the responsibilities attached
with them (Mojarabi-
Kermani and et.al., 2019).
All these theories guide them
in achieving the overall
objectives behind the position
they hold in company.
Management also take
support of theories like
system management theory,
contingency management
theory to meet all their
individual roles and
responsibilities in Sainsbury
Company.