Management & Operations : Next Plc

Management
and
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK A...........................................................................................................................................3
(a)............................................................................................................................................3
(b)...........................................................................................................................................3
(c)............................................................................................................................................4
(d)...........................................................................................................................................5
(e)............................................................................................................................................6
(f)............................................................................................................................................6
(g)...........................................................................................................................................8
(h)...........................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFRENCES.................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Management refers to the methods or tool which are used by manager as well as leader of
an organization for complete task or practices in successful style that lead to achievement of
target successfully. Whereas operation is describe as practices which are conducted by a
company for attaining their target as well as goal in successful and impressive way (Burke,
2013). Company selected for conducting this report is Next Plc that is a public limited company
which is operating in retail industry. This is founded by Joseph Hepworth in the year 1864 and
its headquarter is situated at England, United Kingdom. Topics going to explained in this
assignment are introduction of company, difference role and characteristic of leader as well as
manager and difference between role of leader as well as function of manager by using theories.
Along with this, it will also include role of leader and function in diverse situation, diverse type
of theories and model of leadership, strength and weakness of different approaches and critical
evaluation of those theories.
TASK A
(a)
Next Plc is a British clothing, footwear and home product company which operating at
multinational level. It is a public limited company established by Joseph Hephworth in 1864 and
its headquarter is situated at England, United Kingdom. The respective company have around
700 stores from which 200 are operating at across Europe, Middle East and Asia and 500 are
operating at United Kingdom (Gokhale and Vibhor, 2017). They offer huge range of products for
all men, women and kids as well as they also have huge variety of home appliances. Next Plc
have their stores at worldwide level such as Asia, United kingdom, Europe and many others.
(b)
Definition of Leader:
 Leader is a person in an organisation who will hold higher or superior position at
workplace. These peoples are generally exercise high range of control on their staff or
team members. They also have power to influence others so that they conduct work
properly.
Definition of Manager:

 Manager is defined as a person who have responsibility to direct other so that they
conduct work effectively which lead company to attain goal. There are huge number of
person or staffs who report to them (Handschin and Petroianu, 2012).
Comparison of role and characteristic of leader and manager
Basis Manager Leader
Characteristic-
Working style or method
It is characteristic of Next Plc
manager that they are conduct
are highly concern with
conducting the practices in the
right manner because it will
help them in attaining goal
effectively.
Where as respective company
leaders are more focus to the
conducting right things so that
they can employees will
effectively do their work for
achieving objective.
Role-
Approach to conduct work
According to the role play by
respective company manager
they predetermine all the work
or plan of action so that all the
activities conduct properly
(Hasegawa2014).
On the other hand leader of
Next Plc will direct their team
members so that they conduct
work accordingly to attaining
goal effectively.
(c)
Leader as well as manager both are essential for an organisation because both put their
full efforts in accomplishing work that aid them to achieving target and goal in impressive way.
In respect of Next Plc manager as well as leader they have contrastive role as well as functions
for dealing a particular situation, which are mentioned below:-
Role of leader Function of manager
 The main role of Next Plc leader is to
develop vision according to which team
conduct work.
 They also guide their team members
that who can they effectively
accomplish their work.
 It is main function of Next Plc manager
that they conduct planing of activities
or process accordingly which staff
conduct work.
 They also organize all the work or team
so that assigned work will accomplish

 It is also their role to develop trust
among the team members so that they
can follow them.
successfully for attaining goal and
objective (Kato, 2014).
By analysing role of leader as well as function of manager of Next Plc it can be
determine that they can adopt different theories and models in order to conduct their work more
effectively. Such as leader of respective company may adopt contingency theory as well as
manager can implement motivational theory. This is so because through it able to conduct work
appropriately and successfully.
(d)
At Next Plc there are several situation arise at which leader as well as manager plays an
essential role and function respectively. From which some situations are mentioned below:-
Situation 1: For decreasing staff turnover ratio
Role of leader
 In this situation leader of Next Plc will develop training and development programmes
which help in motivating staffs (Lind, 2013). They must also conduct counselling session in order to understand requirement as well as
issues of staffs.
Function of manager
 In this situation manager of respective firm will design the plans related to training and
development which lead to motivating employees and encouraging them to retain with
company.
Situation 2: Minimising Conflict
Role of leader It is role of leader of Next Plc to use or mould particular situation as an assets, at which
they will conduct debate in order to get new and innovate ideas through that company can
attain competitive advancement.
Function of manager
 In respect of function of respective company manager will conduct personal as well as
group meeting through which they able to know main issues which lead to conflict. Then
accordingly they will plan the things and strategies.

This will show how manager and leader of Next Plc plays different function as well as
role respectively in different situation. This is so because both have different style or method for
dealing to a particular situation.
(e)
There are various contrastive approaches of leadership which leaders within an
organisation adopts for to carrying out business practices with full potential. Style of leadership
which leader inherit usually tends to decide the level of profitability which an organisation can
earn in long run (Lindström and et. al., 2012). Following are different leadership approaches:
 Situational Leadership: This is a kind of leadership approach wherein leaders tends to
implement diverse type of leadership style according to situation. This is one of the most
effective way of leadership because all the major business related decision are taking
accordingly. With regard to Next Plc, leaders can effectively adopt this leadership style
through business objective can be accomplished.
 System Leadership: Under system leadership approach leaders identifies inter-
dependencies as well as inter-relations among several parts within an organisation which
essentially aids to get holistic review while dealing with business related issues. Through
adoption of this leadership style organisation's adaptability to business changes is
increased. Leaders within Next Plc can also tend to adopt this style of leadership.
 Contingency Leadership: This leadership style states that no single leadership can fit in
every business situations. Leaders under this adopts their own style in carry to carry out
business activities (Liu and et. al., 2014). Next plc, leaders can also adopt this leadership
approach in order to deal with variety of situation.
However, in order to carry out business operation with full efficiency and productivity
leadership approach adopted by Next Plc is situational wherein business related decision are
taken keeping in kind the conditions prevailing.
(f)
It is essential for a company to evaluate strength and weakness of approaches which they
are adopting in order to conduct work effectively. Pros and Corns of theories which are adopted
by Next Plc are given below:-
Situational Leadership

Strength Weakness
 This will help leader of Next Plc to
develop decision or strategies
according to situation which currently
they are facing (Nakayama and Bucks,
2012).
 While adopting this leader able to
develop comfortable working
environment.
 This method or leadership is not much
appropriate for long term requirements
of respective company.
System Leadership
Strength Weakness
 Through adopting this leadership style
leader of Next Plc able to attain their
objective and target effectively.
 This leadership theory will also help
them in focussing more effectively to
the operations and functions at
workplace.
 This theory of leadership required huge
time duration for developing decision
effectively.
 Sometime leader of Next Plc may go
through difficulties while implementing
this tool.
Contingency Leadership
Strength Weakness
 This leadership theory help Next Plc
leader to analyse impact of specific
situation at workplace.
 For implementation this theory it is not
essential that each and every employee
must be productive in particular
situation or condition.
 This theory can not be appropriate for
regular changing situation or
environment (Pelley, 2015).
 For implementing this theory of
leadership, leader of Next Plc didn't
have approached guidelines.

(g)
As per the perspective of Zhang and Chen, 2014, there are various leadership theories and
approaches which can be adopted by a company in order to conduct their business operations and
functions in effective manner. Through this they also able attain objective as well as target
successfully that lead to enhance in profitability ratio and markets shares. In respect of Next Plc
their leader may adopt several theories and approaches such as Situational Leadership, System
Leadership and Contingency Leadership. Through situational leadership style respective
company able to develop strategies according to situation but this approach is time taking
(White, 2016). Along with this, by adopting situational approach respective company firm able
to conduct develop proper decision which help them in developing proper strategies which lead
to attainment of goal as well as objective effectively it is not effective for long term requirement.
Moreover, their management may also adopt contingency approach which help leaders in
analysing situation in appropriate manner which help in accomplishing work effectively and
successful. But like other this approach is also have negative impact i.e. it is not able appropriate
for type of situations.
(h)
Through conducting analysis of all the senior of report it can be determine that leader and
manager both play significant role in an organisation through which they also able to attain their
objective successful. But in respect of this there are several recommendation for Next Plc which
are mentioned below:-
 The leader and manager of Next Plc can adopt situational leadership approach so that
they can develop plan of actions according to the situation which lead to handling it in
effective and successful manner.
 They must also develop training and development programmes according to the
requirement of employees because through it they able to enhance work quality and
motivation level.
 Manager and leader must also consider their staffs or member in decision making process
through which employees get motivated as well as management able to get more
innovative ideas.
By adopting these recommendation Next Plc leader and manager able to conduct their
operations in effective manner which lead to attainment of goal properly as well as successfully.

CONCLUSION
By above discussed topics it can be analyse and summarise that in a company both leader
and manager plays essential role because they manage each and every operations in effective
manner which help them in attaining goal effectively. During conducting practises leader and
manager plays diverse roles as well as they also have different characteristic which help them in
accomplishing each work effectively. Along with this, there are also several leadership theories
which leader and manager may adopt in order to conduct their work successful as well as these
theories also have some strength and weakness which help management in taking decision
related to conducting work. Leader as well as manager of an organisation plays diverse role and
function in different situation or condition which help them in conducting whole work
effectively which lead to attainment of goal as well as objective.