Roles and Characteristics of Leaders and Managers in Operations Management - A Case Study of Marks and Spencer

This document discusses the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers in operations management, using Marks and Spencer as a case study. It explores the importance of leadership in motivating employees and the responsibilities of managers in coordinating teams to achieve business goals. The document also highlights different theories and approaches used by leaders and managers in the context of operations management.

Management and
Operations

INTRODUCTION
Operation management is the procedure of designing, controlling, planning of team work
in order to get high efficiency level in possible manner of an organization. In another words,
operation management introduces to the mangement of so many business practices to achieve
best outcomes. It is also concerned with converting raw materials as well as labour into finish
goods and services to get maximization of profit of an organization (Choi, Wallace and Wang,
2018). Furthermore, this file includes Marks and Spencer which is one of the essential British
multinational shops that's based in London that specialises in selling foods, domestic and apparel
merchandise. It was based within the yr of 1884 by means of Michel Mars and Thomas Spencer.
Moreover, this assignment consists of roles and traits of chief and a supervisor. Role of a
frontrunner and characteristic of a supervisor in an business enterprise. At closing, knowledge of
dating between control and leadership inside current enterprise environment gets blanketed
(XIANG, Chen and Zhang, 2013).
TASK 1
P1
Within the so many firms and business organization there are different types of leaders
and managers who plays different roles in firm to achieve targeted business goals on time. By
performing their several roles and duties they can attract other people in firm by which firm can
obtain their value in an desired way. In regards with Marks and Spencer, manager and leader
both plays crucial role through considering entire business environmental activities. Some of the
roles and characteristics of leader and manager are mentioned below:
Leader: These are those people who always motivate employees in order to achieve
targeted goals and clear vision of firm. Another side, it refers to the art to increase overall
performance of entire workers in firm. With the help of this people can achieve their desired
goals (Faruk and et. al., 2018).
Role of leader:
Leaders play so many roles in order to make better supply and demand of goods and
services at marketplace. In regards with Marks and Spencer, leaders are needed to ensure that
they are motivating their team members in an effective manner and always encouraged them
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towards achievement of goals towards firm. There are few roles of leaders within Marks and
Spencer:
Provide a vision: Providing vision for all the team members within the firm leaders plays
significant role as practice owner. In the context of Marks and Spencer, when team members are
able to know about vision and mission of firm than leaders play role to motivates them always so
that they understand and able to increase successful growth of firm (Ferguson and et. al., 2017).
Motivate and inspire: Leaders always influence, inspire and guide every people to
participate within the common effort. Instead of this, leaders of M&S motivates and inspire their
team members a lot in order to bring facilitate techniques for employees so that leaders can take
feedback from them and able to judge their performance. It increases the motivation level of
employees every time.
Characteristic of leader:
It refers to the trait and personality of leader in which they mainly innovates people
towards better performance of them. In regards with Marks and Spencer, some of the
characteristic of leaders are mentioned bellow:
Influence: Being a leader of an organization essential for them to influence team
members by emotionally and logically. By doing such kind of things leaders in M&S able to
motivates its employees in several ways and develop best trust on employees (Gibson and
Parkman, 2018).
Integrity: According to this trait, it is essential for an individual to have such kind of trait
it helps them to make their personality attractive and inspire others. In relation with Marks and
Spencer, leaders needs to develop better ways to take better decision by which they can reinforce
the importance of integrity to leaders at so many level.
Manager: These are those people who have responsibility to manage and supervise
overall team members towards expansion of business effectively. Thus, manager considered as
essential aspect of firm who always try to improve overall performance of firm. In regards with
Marks and Spencer, manager mainly offers so many policies to people in order to overcome
wastage and make such ways to achieve targeted goals.
Role of manager:
Manager is a coordinator that plays crucial role in so many activities of firm. Herein,
there are so many roles played manager within the Marks and Spencer, those are as follows:
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Informational role: With the help of this role, manager is able to give accurate
information to their colleagues in regards with new policies and strategies. Thus, manager plays
role as a monitor within the Marks and Spencer in which manager receives or collect proper
information. Apart from this, as per this role manager distributes information to its subordinates.
Thus it creates better relations within the employees and employer at workplace.
Decisional role: In order to get work done, manager has to develop decision in a better
way. For performing this role manager generally acts an entrepreneur, resource allocator as well
as negotiator. In regards with Marks and Spencer, manager actively designs or initiates changes
within the fir. It helps them to bring further improvements easily (Grant, Trautrims and Wong,
2017).
Interpersonal role: This role considered as flexible in nature. This type of role always
related with better role of manager in order to develop innovative ways to achieve desired goals.
In regards with Marks and Spencer, as per this role manager able to attain organizational needs
and then identify overall needs and demand of firm. Thus, they can achieve organizational
objectives perfectly.
Characteristic of manager:
There so many characteristics of manager by which they can show their overall traits in
front of their entire working members easily. Some of the characteristics of manager in Marks
and Spencer, those are as follows:
o Manager is known as best decisions maker this type of personality of manages influence
so many people at workplace and encourage them towards taking best decision of firm.
o Manager commonly develop interpersonal skills by which they can give so many ways to
their employees in order to run business successfully of M&S.
o Manager is the best communicator as they have right to provide accurate information to
people by which they can make their decision better.
Quick decision making trait of manage influence so many people as it motivates employees
towards achievement of targeted and desired goals (Ketokivi and McIntosh, 2017).
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TASK 2
P2
Function of a manger and roles of a leader both aspects of firm are essential in order to
reach highest goals across the globe. Herein, leader plays crucial role towards brining innovative
ideas for firm that increase the profit volume in a frequent manner. On the other side, manager
has responsibility to accomplish firm goals on time in order to increase their productivity within
competitive advantages. Thus, both manager and leader commonly used so many types of new
approaches and strategies in order to execution on new plans for industry that gives better results.
In relation with Marks and Spencer, manager and leader give their hundred Percent contributions
for maximisation of firm’s growth successfully. It helps them to achieve desired goals and
objectives on time. Along with they are able to meet consumer’s needs and want of satisfy them
by giving desired goods and services accordingly. Another hand, manager is responsible to
manage and control overall workforce of an organization and motivates them towards better
working performance (Lee and Tang, 2018). While leader focuses on its team members and
encourage them among the achievement of predetermined objectives. It makes firm valuable
along with bring so many changes at workplace in a positive manner. Sometimes Marks and
Spencer faced so many issues while manufacturing its products while management skills and
leaders made plan to implement such kind of strategies by which they can handle every issue and
increases the cost. Using so many innovative thinking at workplace bot manager and leader can
maximise overall sales of firm and make them valuable. There are different types of theory in
manager of M&S has been focused combine with leadership skills, those are as follows:
According to the contemporary theory of management applied through Marks and
Spencer in order to deal with current situation like manufacturing issues and many more. It helps
them to increase cost of firm along with purchasing power of buyers. Applying this theory
manager can get raw material from their suppliers at lower price. Thus, the cost of manufacturing
can be eliminate and bring resistance changes among the workforce so that they can develop best
working environment and able to achieve desired goals of firm.
According to the behavioural theory of management this can be said that, Marks and
Spencer is applying this theory in a well manner in order to follow several policies and strategies
that make consideration of abilities and skills of employees along with leaders can use
transformational style of leadership in order to communicate with employees. Thus, effectively
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use of such kind of theory makes positive working environment at workplace and increase the
overall need able value of firm.
Thus, from the above specified role of a leader and function of a manager always
influence entire workforce of Marks and Spencer in a positive manner. With the help of playing
several functions and roles leaders and managers are able to achieve desired goals within the
competitive scenario and increase the chances for firm to expand its business in so many another
areas (Matthias, Fouweather, Gregory and Vernon, 2017).
P3
Leadership refers to the different types of procedure which involves several kinds of
activities of an organization that create best desirable outcome for firm (Situational Leadership.
2019). It is helpful aspect in order to motivate employees at every level of business so that they
can accomplish their work on time and get desired results. In regards with Marks and Spencer,
there are so many theories those are related with leadership styles and managerial skills that are:
Contingency leadership: According to this method industries are able to pick out their
characteristic and behaviour of leaders at administrative centre. With the help of doing such
matters they can get great output for his or her better destiny. Along with this, Marks and
Spencer, leaders always ready to make high-quality decision closer to that specialize in outside
forces of firm.
System leadership: It refers to the geopolitical boundaries and highlights the guidelines
offered by firm to its employees. This leadership style brings innovative ideas within leader’s
mind and encourages them to use unique theories to handle their team members in a better
direction. Thus, it helps leaders of M&S to manage their work within the particular system.
Strength: With the help of this leadership style leaders can get best effective tools for
research and able to use them in a different ways. Thus, it creates better understanding of every
concept.
Weakness: It can be large along with complicated as it involves in so many level of
business (Merigó and Yang, 2017).
Situational leadership: As per this theory, manager of an organization mainly adopts so
many kinds of leadership style for dealing with several situations of business. In regards with
Marks and Spencer, manager and leaders both used this theory to deal with every situation of
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business in a proper way. With the help of this they can easily communicate with each other and
able to achieve their desired goals.
Strength: This leadership style offer best possible outcomes for leaders and improve
working environment with creating good relations with team members.
Weakness: Less experience of employees can develop issues within the underpinning
overall concept of business.
TASK 3
P4
Operation management refers back to the unique commercial enterprise manner utilized
by firms so that it will run their commercial enterprise effectively. In relation with Marks and
Spencer, there are so many key processes of OM wherein manager and leader performs special
functions, those are as follows:
Six sigma: It refers to the particular framework that includes so many functions of firm
along with ignore not essential defects from the manufacturing process of product and services.
In the context of M&S, this OM principle used by their managers and leaders in order to save
cost and material and remove wastage towards achievement of desired goals.
Role played by Leader: With the help of this OM principle leaders can easily
communicate with workers among the project of Six sigma (Mou, Robb and DeHoratius, 2018).
Role played by Manager: By using this key approach manager of respective firm is bale
develop ways to reduce cost and make best approach for successful business.
Total quality management: This is another key approach of operation management that
seeks every activity and performing level of workforce at workplace. In relation with Marks and
Spencer, this approach mainly used by managers in order brings few changes within the working
performance of employees so that they can develop effective ways to make goods and services.
Further, it will helps manager to evaluate overall productivity of products that increases the
overall benefits of employees in a frequent manner.
Role played by Leader: In this, leaders are needed to focus on working performance of
their team members that helps run business successfully.
Role played by Manager: In this, manager of firm focuses on internal and external both
environmental analyses.
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Just in time approach: This is one of the main important key approach of OM used by
so many organizations in order to increase their working performance level of employees. In
regards with Marks and Spencer, this is used by manager and leaders both in order to give task to
their employees so that they accomplish it on time. It increases the overall sales volume of firm
and reaches highest level within the competitive scenario.
Role played by Leader: According to this, leaders ensure that production process of
Marks and Spencer is completely run by employees on time that increases the market value of
firm.
Role played by Manager: Manager generally used this approach in order to use right
quantity of material in a right time with right place (Reid and Sanders, 2019).
P5
Operation management considered as most important aspect for every business that helps
firms to run their business effectively through execution of several strategies successfully. Some
of the important types of operation management, those are explained below:
Transformation of materials into finish goods and services: Within this important
aspect of OM administration of business is able to determine their overall needs and demand of
their customers so that they can accomplish them on time. Thus, it gives opportunities for firm in
a positive manner. In context of Marks and Spencer, this aspect used by manager in order to
convert their overall raw material in to end goods. Moreover, it helps them to attain determined
goals or objectives.
Distribution and controlling systems: It is most considerable significant point of OM
which is known as accountable for firm to measure entire production performance of firm at
workplace. In regards with Marks and Spencer, as they are dealing with so many goods like
home appliances, clothing and many more, manager needs to perform their role frequently for
attainment of targeted goals.
Inventory and logistics management: This is another important feature of OM based on
manufacturing process of firm in which managers and leaders both plays their important role.
Thus, they keep products in stock and logistics without focusing on goals. In relation with Marks
and Spencer, manager needs to focus on inventory management of firm thus; they can utilise
overall goods and services on time and able to get benefits at workplace.
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Capacity management: It is essential for each and every manufacturing business to
adopt operation management styles so that they can bring further improvement within their
production process of goods and services. In regards with Marks and Spencer, as they are dealing
in retailing sector so that they are needed to focus on working capability of their workforce so
that they can perform well and achieve goals through improving overall manufacturing process
of goods and services.
TASK 4
P6
Business surroundings are the exceptional aggregate of numerous internal and external
elements utilized by a company so as to evaluate ordinary state of affairs of environment inside
and outdoor the corporation. In relation with Marks and Spencer, there are special varieties of
business environmental factors that influence entire overall performance of employees at place of
job, those are as follows:
Corporate Social Responsibility: CSR is one of the best functions that helps firm to stay
long at marketplace within the economy. Thus, CSR influence firm to adopt such kind of better
business environment at workplace. With the help of this they can make right decision towards
every function of firm (Saucedo-Martínez and et. al., 2018). In regards with Marks and Spencer,
managers and leaders mainly able to make appropriate guidelines to their staff members so that
they can learn so many things towards making business attractive. Thus, it is essential to follow
this way for firm so that they can easily determine environmental analyses.
Values: In regards with, Marks and Spencer managers and leader generally develop
value for customers within the operation management. Thus, customer’s value plays significant
role in order to improve overall standard of firm in front of their consumers. Thus, values always
determine those factors that increase the confidence of consumers towards firm. Along with
making best value for customers always bring benefits for firm by which they increase their sales
and revenue and get huge profit within competitive market scenario (Swink and et. al., 2017).
Ethics: Through following CSR roles and responsibilities, Marks and Spencer leaders
and managers needs to ensure that they are taking right decision towards employees and
providing them particular guidelines at workplace. All that guidelines helps employees to
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develop few policies for developing positive working culture. Along with manager and leaders
can improve the welfare of employees as well as customers and get better outcomes.
Legal factors: This factor includes so many laws and legislation imposed by
governments of particular country and place. It is essential for every business to follow
government guidelines in order to run their business successfully. Apart from this is helpful for
different types of firm to manage their entire working policies and strategies in an effective
manner. In regards with Marks and Spencer, there are so many policies made by their leader and
manager towards running business successfully. But on the same side, they are needed to follow
several rules and legislations imposed by UK government that have positive impact on their
business and make business attractive in front of every employees of firm. Thus, they can spread
their business in so many ways with more countries (Schnepp, Vidal and Hawley, 2017).
Technological factors: Within the advancement of technology most of the businesses are
needed to bring new and innovative techniques within their business in order to achieve desired
goals. In regards with Marks and Spencer, leaders and mangers are operating innovative
technological factor such as self-checkout and online shopping. With the help of these functions
they can give huge satisfaction to their several customers and able to reach their expectations as
well. Along with giving self-checkout facility save money of retailers by which they use new
ways for transaction and customers also experience good.
Stakeholders: It includes customers, employees, owners, creditors, government bodies
and communities as well. In regards with Marks and Spencer, these assorted stakeholders plays
their different role in a various mode that increase overall profitable value of firm. Thus,
managers and leaders can easily meet entire needs and wants of their employees along with
customers and accomplished them. It increases the profit for better growth of firm (Slack and
Brandon-Jones, 2018).
CONCLUSION
It has been determined that leaders and a manager plays crucial role within an
organization as they helps to motivates their workers towards better work. With the help of this
employees are able to improve their working skills and achieve firm’s objectives in an effective
manner. Herein, operation management is one of the main important tools used by firms in order
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to go through several models and principles like six sigma, lean model and many more. On the
behalf of this firms can seek their needs and employee’s needs as well. Apart from this, key
approaches of OM have been used by firm in order to improve supply chain process. Thus,
operation management helps firm to accomplish their targeted goals and objectives so that can
run their business for long time at marketplace.
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REFERENCES
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