Leadership Theories and Approaches in H&M

This assignment discusses the importance of leadership and management in achieving goals and objectives within an organization. It highlights the role of leaders and managers in H&M, a fast-fashion company, and explains various leadership theories and approaches such as situational leadership, system leadership, and contingency leadership. The document emphasizes the significance of operation management in taking useful decisions for the enterprise and remaining competitive in the marketplace.

Management
and
Operations

INTRODUCTION
In an organisation operation transform resources or data inputs into desired goods,
services or results and create as well as deliver value to customers. Management is defined as all
activities and task that are undertaken for purpose of achieving objectives and gaols of an
organisation. Both operation and management are concerned with converting materials and
labours into good service in an appropriate manner in order to maximise profit of an organisation
(De Roover, 2017). In this report organisation chosen is H&M, a multinational clothing retail
company. It is known for fast fashion clothing for men, women, teenagers and children. This
report is going to differentiate role of a leader and function of managers in different context of
organisation. Moreover, analysing different theories and models of leadership and key
approaches to operation management that help in achieving business objectives of an
organisation. Furthermore, understanding relationship between leadership and management in
contemporary business environment as well as its impact upon operational management and
decision-making process.
TASK 1
P1 Different role and characteristics of a leader and manager
H&M is a multinational clothing retail company which is known for its fast fashion
clothing brand. It offers fashion and quality at best price in a sustainable way for women, men
teenagers and children. Herein, H&M is following a functional organisational structure, which
focus on job function and functional areas. In operation management leader and manger plays a
pivotal role in operating business. A strong operation leader understand that employees are
valuable resources and can effectively communicate with each other. Moreover, a manager in an
organisation is a master or commander of managing input and output resources.
Leader: A leader is an individual who lead, guide and influence behaviour as well as
work of other towards accomplishment of specific goals in a crucial situation (Fayol, 2016).
Leader has the ability of a manger to induce subordinates to work with confidence and zeal.
Role of Leader
Representatives of organisation: A leader is a representative of an enterprise. The leader
of H&M represents conferences, seminars and general meetings. Its essential role is to
communicate rational of enterprise outside to general public.

Formulating strategies: In an organisation the role of a leader is to develop right
strategies in order to achieve goals and objectives. Leader of H&M are capturing more intension
in formulating strategies that create value for their customers.
Characteristics of leader
Decision-making capabilities: A good leader should have ability to take right decision at
right time. Herein, a leader of H&M should analysis situation and appropriate before taking
decision that create profound impact on masses.
Creative and innovative: In order to get ahead in today's fast paced work, leader must be
creative and innovative in nature. Leader of H&M must have ability of creative thinking and
constant innovation to think out of box and come up with unique ideas as well as turn those ideas
into gaols.
Manger: A person who is responsible for controlling or administering an organisation
(Handschin and Petroianu, 2012). Hence, it can be define an individual who is expert in his or
her field and a support system for employees.
Role of Manager
Decisional role: An manager is assumed with certain risk which can affect organisation.
Herein, manager of H&M need to take decision-making like expansion or diversification, initial
of new projects, handling conflicts, resource allocator and negotiator in order to achieve
objectives of organisation.
Informational role: Informational role of a manger in an organisation involves receiving
and collecting information and distributing them as required. The managers of H&M monitor,
collects information and distribute information to subordinates in an effective manner. Moreover,
a manger represents its organisation with interacting outsiders.
Characteristic of Manager
Communication: A good manager must able to communicate in an appropriate manner to
its subordinates. Managers of H&M should have ability to listen effectively to their subordinate
and able to act as mediator between worker and superior.
Problem solving: In an organisation managers are able to identify and solve problems.
Herein, managers of H&M take responsibilities of problems that arises rather seeing it as
someone else's responsibilities and take an ethical approach in solving problem.

The above characteristics and roles of manager and leader are different from each other
and has their own significance. The above comparison between manager and leader can be better
understood by the difference between leadership and management which is performed below:
Difference between leadership and management
Basis Leadership Management
Job responsibilities Leadership of H&M are
responsible in carrying out
objectives and accomplish
them with his subordinate.
Whereas, management of H&
M are responsible for gaols
and objectives as well as
manages entire organisation.
Focus Herein, leadership of H&M
implements strategies and
innovative ideas in order to
fulfil objectives of an
organisation.
Management of H&M come
up with various strategies
formulation that help in growth
and expansion of an
organisation.
TASK 2
P2 Role of a leader and function of manager in different situational contexts
In an organisation, leader and manger plays a pivotal role in attaining growth and long
term profitability of an enterprise. Herein, H&M leader and manger have different role and
function in different situation in an organisation.
Conflict management: In an organisation arising conflicts are natural. It can be arise due to
cultural difference, unappropriated working environment, beliefs and miscommunication
(Jacobs, Chase and Lummus, 2014). Herein, in this situation leader and manger have different
role and functions in handling conflict management. With the help of management by
objectives H&M can resolve conflicts in their workplace. Such as by setting targets of each
employees according to their job designation, skills and responsibilities. From these process of
dividing roles and responsibilities an organisation can manage conflicts in an organisation.
Herein, role of leader and function of manger in conflict management are determined below:
 A role of a leader is involved in defining and communicating an organisation’s long term
vision and mission while conflict resolution typically deals with situation at hand. Leader
of H&M should use their position, expertise or persuasive ability to exercise control over

their subordinates. Eventually, identifying root cause of problem, encouraging active
listening and reminding employees to forgive each other once conflict is over. Leadership
is a function which has a main role to lead the employees of an organisation in which
concepts like conflict resolution can help the leaders. The function of mangers in conflict management is to investigate, listen and ask question
to fully understand what's is the actual issue. According manger's of H&M should
collaboratively identifying solutions with employees to bring conflict peaceful resolution.
Moreover, managers serves as representatives of organisational values and maintain team
harmony. Management is a set of organisational functions which helps the organisation
like H&M to manage all the process which are necessary to carry out business operations.
HRM, a function of management can use concept of conflict resolution as a role of
management for smooth business activities.
Planning: Planning is fundamental management function in an organisation. It is an intellectual
process which lays down organisation's objectives and develop various course of action. It help
an organisation in achieving those objectives with appropriate planning structure.
With help of Chaos theory an organisation can do their planning in order to achieve goals and
objectives. Such as this theory indicates a small change in an operating business can lead to
drastic changes in an organisation. For this purpose H&M need to develop their planning
strategies in such a manner so that they can deal with unpredictable situation in an effective
manner. Herein, both leader and manager have different role in planning function of an
organisation such as:
 In order to become successful H&M needs both strong leader and manger to get their
team on board to follow their vision of success. Here, role of leader is about getting
people to understand and believe in vision and work to achieve goals. While role of a
manger is about administrating and making sure that actives are done in an appropriate
manner in order to fulfil goals and objectives of an organisation.
 Management has a pivotal role as planning in which they plan future policies and proved
and the theory of chaos can help manager to effective comply this role. Leadership has an
important role to remove confusion from organisation and bring clarity and chaos theory
enables leader to lead organisation like H&M in an effective way.

Thus from above discussion it has been determined that a leader has different role in
handling conflict management and planning function. Moreover, manger has different aspect of
function in resolving conflicts within organisation and in planning function in order to achieve
goals and objectives in appropriate manner.
P3 Different theories and models of approaches of leadership
Leadership is ability to set and achieve challenging goals, take decisive action and inspire
other to perform well in an organisation (Kerzne and Kerzner, 2017). Herein, H&M are
practising different approaches of leadership in order to achieve goals and objectives of an
organisation. The approaches are determined below:
Situational leadership: Situational leadership is an adaptive leadership style. It basically
work on assumption that most effective style of leadership changes from situation to situation.
Herein, a leader of H&M should adopt this style of leadership in order to become most effective
and successful in diverse circumstances. In this situational leadership, situation may change
continually to meet need and demand of organisation on different circumstances. Such as
directing and coaching employees in order to make effective decision for achieving objectives of
an organisation in a critical situational.
System leadership: System leadership enables a leader in an organisation to create
conditions where people at all levels can work productively to their potential. Herein, it help
leader of H&M to create models, organisational strategies and system design to predict an
individual behaviour and potential of their work. Moreover, this leadership helps to build
effective system which drive productive behaviour and lead out more effective realisation of
organisation purpose.
Contingency leadership: Contingency leadership states that a leader's effectiveness is
contingent upon how an individual leadership style matches to a situation (Lópezand et. al.,
2015). Herein, a leader of H&M ensure that an individual performance is examine in order to
anticipate and analyses different situation in an organisation. Moreover, leaders has given power
to analyse performance of each and every employee and reward them accordingly as well as
punish them depending on their working criteria.
The above mention are theories and approaches of leadership that help a leader to deal in
complex situation of an organisation.

H&M is a fast fashion company which has a strong team of manager and leaders,
managed and lead by their best managers and leaders. These two kind of personnel has a major
impact on the performance of an organisation. In order to attain profitability, growth and
development in future, H&M should ensure proper usage of concepts and theories so that
functions of leadership and management can be effectively performed as they are essence of the
company.
TASK 3 & TASK 4

CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it has been determined that management and operation plays
an essential role in an organisation. In an organisation a leader and managers has its different
role and function but both work towards achieving gaols and objectives of an organisation.
Moreover, with help of different theories and approaches of leadership an leader is able to deal
with different situation whenever need to take correct and useful decision. Furthermore, with the
adoption six sigma mangers of H&M are able to measure about their variation and work upon in
order to meet up customer's requirement. Their are various environment factors that affect
operation management in taking an useful decision for an enterprise. Hence, operation
management help in achieving goals and objectives in an appropriate manner as well as remain
competitive in marketplace.