Management and Operations: Evaluating Leadership Approaches and Theories

This study evaluates different leadership approaches and theories in the context of Lidl, a German international supermarket chain in the UK. It examines the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, compares their functions, and explores the impact of operations management on the organization. The strengths and weaknesses of various methods are also assessed.

MANAGEMENT AND
OPERATIONS

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
Management & operations are key elements of strength in a company, it aid to enhance
operational efficiency rather than before. In recent time effective operational & management practices are
important for growth and success of business companies. It helps to manage each and every activity of
business in effective manner and increase productivity level. The current study is based on Lidl a German
international supermarket chain in UK. It is a part of Schwarz group fifth biggest retailer in world with
sale of more than €104.3 Billion.
It will evaluate varied approaches & theories to leadership, comparison of different characteristics
& roles of leader and manager in company and also define analysis between role of leader and function of
manage by effectively apply range of concepts as well as theories. Furthermore, through this assignment
role of leader and function of manager in different situational context will be justified. Strength and
weakness of several approaches within work atmosphere will define and also explain application of
operations management and factors that impact on organization. It also clarifies value and importance of
OM in achieving business objectives.
PART 1
Critical evaluation of different leadership approaches and theories
It evaluate that situational leadership approach is one of the best concepts used in context of Lidl
to handle overall situation. The main benefit of this model is that it is easy to comprehend and use by
leaders while recruiting and hiring skilled applicants. With this approach leader can identify the needs of
workforce in effective manner. It allows them to understand whole situation and take better actions
accordingly. By adapting and implementing situational leadership model leader in company efficiently
recruit new team members. They analyze need for change and manage it appropriately by focusing on
overall business environment. This approach aids to build strong relationship and enhance individual
performance level rather than before. On the other hand, with this method leader only focus on immediate
needs more than long term that is not beneficial for business growth.
Manager in Lidl Company use contingency approach of management in context of performance
management that is suitable for situation and cater desire outcomes. This model allows firm and its
manager to select appropriate management style in different contexts or situations. Because of profitable
characteristics that this model proposes it can be great utilize to managers or leaders also. Despite benefits

and features that contingency management approach has to offer to company it is not completely liberated
from criticism.
Comparison and definition of several roles & characteristics of leader and manager
Leader is a person who obtains work done from workers concerning aims and objectives of
company.
Roles and characteristics of leader-
Team builder-
Leader play vital role in building team through their support and directions to workers in
systematic manner which are able to achieve set aims of Lidl (Casanova-Charles, 2019). Leader is able
to build a team they direct and guide appropriately.
Motivator-
The another role of leader in company is to motivate existing as well as new applicants and drive
them towards achieving objectives and aims of organization.
Communication-
It is one of the best characteristics among leader which make them able to understand and solve
staff issues in systematic manner.
For example, in conflict management situation leader play essential role. They motivate staff to
raise their performance level and communicate with them to resolve their issues.
Empathy
Another characteristic of leader is empathy that makes them more successful they have enough
open mindedness to comprehend their workers motivations.
Characteristics and roles of manager-
Manager is an individual in company who is accountable for managing and designing work of
business in direction of per determine aims of organization.
Strategy planner-

In order to increase profitability of company and achieve set aims manager play crucial role
within it by developing strategic plan. After analyzing overall situation they create effective plan to gain
desire outcomes.
Monitor-
Manager within Lidl Company monitor each and every activity of management and also measure
the success of business (Falkheimer and et.al., 2017).
Problem solving-
The best quality of manager is problems solving as they help workers and other people by solving
their work related issues in effective manner by taking action or providing suggestions.
Patience-
Another characteristic of manager is patience which makes them able to handle every critical
situation in workplace.
Comparison between roles and qualities of both persons-
Roles of leader-
 As compare to manager role, leader plays vital and difficult roles. It is quite difficult to deal with
number of people and motivate them at same time same place (Stoll, 2017).
Role of manager-
 On the other hand it can be analyzed that manager play important roles as compare to leader.
They do quite tough job which is drive towards business success.
Characteristic of leader-
 Communication and empathy are the best qualities of leader it allows them to build strong
workforce and lead a team in ethical manner.
Characteristic of manager-
 As compare to leader characteristics, manager qualities affect overall business as well as staff
performance.

Differentiate between role of leader and function of manager
Leader play crucial role in situation one with situational leadership approaches much better than
function of manager. Role of leader is quite different from manager function as they focus on team
building and productivity enhancement. Leader with communication role communicate with their team
members to enhance their motivational level and encourage applicants for doing their best. To motivate
staff leader take part in day to day activities instead of planning for growth like manager does that define
as manager function. It analyze that leader lead their group through encouraging and inspiring them
which is impossible to do with function of manager.
On the other hand, function of manager like planning, staffing, controlling, organizing and
leading is different from leader roles in Lidl. With contingency approach of management manager create
clear map for gaining success for short and long term period. They take decision based on situations and
focus on accomplishing aims. Decide which action is important and where it needs to take for managing
business practices as well as improving it in systematic manner. After plan is in place they needs to
organize team and resources according to plan.
Explanation of function of manager and role of leader in different situations
Situation 1- Induction of new team members-
In context of this situation leader play significant and effective role they communicate with new
team members introduce them with existing workers which makes new applicants more comfortable in
new workplace environment in effective manner. To make people more relaxed leader motivates them by
taking their opinion throughout decision making process. They explain expectations and norms of
company to new individual which makes candidates able to work accordingly.
In regards to above situation manager function is to create organize induction plan for new team
members, they conduct meeting where existing employees and new members introduce themselves and
manager describe clear vision and mission of Lidl firm.
Situation 2- Change management
It is systematic approach to dealing with transformation of Lidl aims, technologies and
procedures. Aim of this act is to implement strategies for effecting change and helping staff to adapt to
change (Maurer and London, 2018). Some workers unable to work while modification happens at
workplace at this situation leader role is to communicate with them and motivate for adapting change
which is really very beneficial for staff as well as company.

Change management is important for business success and growth it impact on productivity of
workers and company. The function of manager is to develop plan for implementing change and arrange
training and development sessions to build strong workforce who are able to contribute in change
management procedure effectively that is quite beneficial for everyone.
Performance management-
It is the procedure of assuring that set of outputs and activities meets Lidl aims in a
systematic and effective manner. In competitive business environment, organization needs to
manage the performance of their workers and operations activities. In this situation leader play
vital role they communicate with their team and create vision which they want to achieve. They
can guide applicants to work effectively that help to manage workforce performance. At this
condition, functions of manager also help to manage business performance and staff as well.
Through evaluating performance of workers manager gives them ongoing support, counseling
and feedback on activities problems. They coordinate with the leader and know how workers are
doing their work. After that manager develop plan for training and develop that effectively
enhance skills and improve performance of both company and employees.
Models and theories of approach
Situational leadership approach-
It refers to forms of leadership where leadership styles used by leader according to the situations
in workplace (Walls, 2019). Induction of new team members is specific situation where leader play their
role in systematic and effective manner. They adjust their style to fit comfortable level of new members
they try to influence. This situation requires extra efforts and effective communication by leader for
applicants as it help to create positive and stress free environment around workplace where candidates
feel comfortable and enjoy work according to role. Leader with good description and clear
communication explain mission, vision, aims and values of Lild Company to new team mates that help
them to work accordingly. It is one of the most important parts of workers induction process as it caters
reasons why Lild exists where it has come from and where it is headed. At this situation situational
leadership approach works effectively in context of organization and staff. Furthermore, by following
stages of situational theory such as telling, selling, participating and delegation leader reach at desire
outcomes and handle overall situation.

Contingency management model-
This approach is based on concept that management effectiveness is dependent or contingent
upon interplay between application of administration behavior and particular situation such as change
management. Manager change their management style according to circumstance which is beneficial for
workers and Lild business success (Huyghues-Beaufond and et.al., 2017). While implementing
technology change or other in organization manager take care of everything they determine needs for
change and areas where it happens. In simple words, way manager manage must change depend on
situation. Relative or task motivation and situations is the key elements of this models that help manager
during procedure. It can be said that change impact staff performance so manager also focus on it and
analyze the situation for developing training session for them. With this model manager handle situation
and take appropriate actions for same that is beneficial in term of increasing sa1les.
System leadership-
It is set of abilities and skills that Lidl Company can utilize to enable catalyze and support
procedures of system level modification. This theory is combines collaborative leadership, systems
insight and coalition building to mobilize innovation and action across wide, decentralized network.
Leader can uses this concept while managing and handling overall situation such as performance
management & change as well. As it allows them in company to create situations where individual at all
levels can work or perform productively to their potential. It caters leaders with techniques and tools that
they can use to predict employees behavior in their business.
Evaluation of strength and weaknesses to appraise varied methods
Basis Situational leadership approach Contingency approach to management
Strengths The strength of this approach is its
flexibility and model is easy to use and
comprehend. It is used by many leaders
because this approach helps to raise
employee retention and improve
applicant’s commitment. With this model
leader gain desire results and manages
work effectively.
Strength of this model is that it allows
manager or company to choose different
management styles in different situational
contexts. It is adaptive which means that
approach permits manager to stay flexible
and transform their strategies or policies
according to changing situation.
Weaknesses With this model individual only focus on
current needs less than long term
requirement that may be restrict leader to
Despite strengths that this approach has to
offer manager it is quite straightforward
that not all situations can be dealt with in

handle further situations in workplace.
Situational approach of leadership is
based more on meeting and achieving
exact needs at situation then a model
which looks towards further requirement
of team.
particular manner.
PART 2
Evaluation of operations management and elements that impact on Lidl environment
Application of operations management within organization workplace is quite beneficial in term
of increasing productivity, profit margin and increase output on bottleneck assets to maximize revenue
rather than before. After application of this act manage is able to organize and manager business practices
effectively. It aid to develop optimized planning and schedules balancing manufacture efficiency and
delivery performance. It analyzed that operations management provide Lidl wide visibility to capacity
(Vilko, Ritala and Hallikas, 2019).
It also evaluate that political, economic, social, technological, legal, economic and environmental
factors put positive or negative impact on Lidl business environment. For example, technology factor
impact in positive manner it enhance productivity level of production department efficiently which in
return increase profitability. Furthermore, it also examine that political factor affect negatively when
company do not conduct business practices according to government rules and policies which is not
beneficial for firm.
Managers and leaders improve operational efficiencies
In order to improve efficiencies of operational management which in return achieve set aims and
objectives leader do a lot of things. For example, leader guide and direct their team members about how
to perform and accomplish day to day tasks at timely manner that help to deliver. So it can be said that
leader can improve operational efficiency in effective manner. Furthermore, they also motivate staff to
perform much better than before.
Manager along with leader in Lidl Company also contribute and focus towards improving
operational management efficiencies. They create plan for staff for work systematically and effectively
and communicate with leader to guide applicants according to plan for delivering products or services

appropriately to target market with better quality. It manages work and enhances or improves efficiency
of operational management positively and allow both of them to successfully and effectively meet
business objectives.
Approaches to operations management and role that managers and leaders play
TQM-
It refer to continual procedure of measuring and eliminating errors or obstacles in production,
streamlining supply chain management, assuring that worker are up to seep with training and improving
consumer satisfaction along with experience rather than before (Rajiv and Harinath, 2018). Manager
play essential role with this approach by following its principles in systematic manner. According to this
method manager focuses on consumers’ needs and expectations. Leader by following principle of total
quality management approach increase staff productivity by guiding and communicating with them they
also understand their needs and fulfill it.
Six Sigma-
Leader and manager working in Lidl Organization are accountable for developing high
performance and creative culture within company through this approach to operation management
(Mancosu and et.al., 2018). Along with this, role of manager and leader within firm is to make assure
that each applicant is well aware of their level of productivity and full strengths. It can be examined that
when company uses this method they can increase overall profitability and operational efficiency as well
as degree of consumer’s satisfaction. Leader and manager both measure whole activity of staff and
eliminate unessential things from their supply chain and manufacturing procedure.
Just in time-
This approach to operations management help reducing waste and enhancing efficiency in
inventory management process within Lidl as allow services or products are ordered to keep in outlets on
demand (Jermsittiparsert, Namdej and Sriyakul, 2019). Manager through this method monitor
inventory management activities and create plan for keeping goods in stores according to buyers needs
and requirement which in return saves time, efforts and keep work manageable. Leader role in company
is to assure that workers are doing their job appropriately or not. They guide applicants for keeping all
items on shelves nothing more than needs because it help to eliminate form of waste.
Queuing-

This approach helps firm to examine every elements of waiting in line to be offered, including
service procedures, number of system places, number of servers and consumers which may be people or
data packets. It is one of the best system can be used in Lidl, it occurs any time buyers demand services
from some facility, usually service period are assumed to be random and arrival of consumers. It is quite
essential for company as it helps to describe features of queue and cater tools or techniques for optimizing
queues. In context of company, queuing theory informs construction of cost effective and efficient
workflow systems that is quite beneficial for business in term of increasing profitability, productivity and
sales rather than before.
Kaizen-
Along with above effective approaches, Kaizen is also considering as operations management
approach. It use to create continuous improvement based on concept or idea that few, ongoing positive
modification can reap important improvements. Kaizen approach is based on commitment and
cooperation and stands in contrast to methods that utilize radical changes to gain transformation. By
following and implementing key components of this method Lidl can enhance their business practices
more than other players operating in same sector. Team work, personal discipline, quality circles,
improves morale and recommendations for improvement are the key elements of this approach. Kaizen
approach can be used to improve teamwork which makes company able to serve its best services or
products to target market. It is known as quality improvement tool driven by group work.
Significance & value of operations management
Operations management includes measuring, creating, overseeing and redesigning business
operations in manufacturing of products in Lidl Company. It is very essential in organization since it
forms centre of firm by controlling systems of operations or functions. It deals with design, betterment
and function of programme that develops and delivers organization primary items or services ( Fish,
2017). Distribution and control systems is important element in operations management as it is
accountable in managing manufacturing process and assuring appropriate distribution of goods in order to
fulfill business aims & objectives. Efficiency of this factor can be enhanced by adopting strong control
plan and to improve logistics infrastructure of firm in order to meet aims of company. Furthermore,
transformation of raw materials into accomplish items is one of the most significant function of
operations management. By determining consumer demand of specific thing raw materials of goods are
used in order to manufacture final item of business after utilizing available resources in efficient manner.
It meets and fulfills business objectives which are to produce quality items and deliver to potential buyers
which in return increase profit margin and sales rather than before.

Efficiency of this procedure can be betterment by reducing excessive assets to transform things
into finished items or services so that manufacturing cost of Lidl is reduced and they can be able to do
more saving which will fulfill further aims of company. It can be said that transformation of raw materials
into completed products also include different procedures and firm assures that appropriate thing is utilize
in delivering of finished goods and adequate amount of workers is available in overall process in order to
properly manage activities.
Above discussion and explanation of operations management describe its value and importance in
Lidl Company that help to fulfill all objectives of business.
Operations management is mainly concerned with planning and other activities that help to
manage production and supply chain functions of Lidl company in effective manner. It is an management
of business practices for assuring success of work.
Factors that impact on decision making of leaders and manager as well as OM
There are many factors accessible within business environment that impact on operational
management and decision of leader and manager as well. To transport products across UK Lidl had to
keep their business sustainable. They need to follow rules according to government regarding
sustainability and operate their operation in effective manner.
Corporate social responsibility is one of the best management concepts whereby organization
integrates environmental as well as social concerns in their business operations with their stakeholders.
For example, Unemployment rate is one of the factors that directly impact on decision making process of
leader and manager of company. For example, manager develop plan for local people because
government put pressure of firm to do so. In additional, leader also make changes in their current training
sessions and plans and take decision for directing new candidates to enhance their performance level. It
also impact negatively on production or operation management within Lidl firm as to accomplish overall
process management require a lot of time that may be delay delivery or supply chain management.
In order to retain consumers for long and sustain within Market Place Company can use various
strategies which is related to environment sustainability.
Consumer concern for environmental safety put high level pressure on Lidl leader and manager to
change business practices according to this factor. For example, leader motivates their team by taking
appropriate action and explains sustainable business activities. Moreover, it can be said that this kind of
buyers concern influence manager decision making act in different manner. For instance, manager

develop plan for improving business practices and communicate with leader for guiding staff how to
contribute for making business sustainable.
Organization must provide services to people according to trend and consider health of
consumers that impact on operations management, it also affect leader and manager judgment process
negatively. Manager change existing plan for collecting raw materials according to changes and direct
team work in same context. Furthermore, leader recreate their schedule related to training and guide
applicants with new change for gaining attention of consumers by offering products according to their
behavior.
Organizational culture put affect on production process, operations management and decision
making process of leader and manager of Lidl related within it. For example, manager recreates their
policies and strategies according to this factor and leader take decision for determining employee’s needs
and satisfy them accordingly. Leader takes an appropriate decision for example building strong
relationship with employees by conducting meeting with team. They identify candidate’s qualification
and experience level and then provide all information to manager that can be used to cater salary on basis
of that.
Value is the another factor within business environment, in business markets it is worth in
monetary terms of service, economic and social benefits a consumers organization receives in exchange
for price it pays for a target market offering. Lidl need to value their consumer needs and produces
products accordingly which is really very important. It put high impact on operation management and
decision making when firm does not consider preference of buyers and give them value.
Analysis of Varied elements affect wider community and business environment
CSR put high impact on Lidl business atmospheres and wider society positively. Government
and buyers concerns for sustainable environment drive management to conduct practices accordingly. By
reducing carbon foot print company can provide many benefits of wider community in term of reducing
use of plastic packaging for food and groceries items that may be occurs landfill. It harms land and water
in negative manner because many people through plastics bags out of bins and into river that affects life
cycle of water animals. But when organization bands this thing into their outlets they can give effective
contribution for managing environment healthy and keep it away from pollution. Paper bag is easy to use
and recycle that does not make any harm. Furthermore, by hiring new applicants company can improve
livings standards of local people and make them able to live life normally.

CONCLUSION
From above analysis it has been concluded that by playing effective roles leader and manager
within Lidl company enhance staff motivational and performance level rather than before. By using
TQM, Six Sigma and Just in time approaches leader as well as manager reduces unnecessary things in
operations or production process and saves time of management. Furthermore, it has been summarized
that situational and contingency approaches help both person to manage and handle above two situations
in effective manner and allow them to gain desire outcomes. By taking suitable and right decision leader
and manager overcome negative impact of factors and conduct ethical practices.
RECOMMENDATION
 To improve business performance and achieve set aims Lidl must adopt other approaches to
operations management such as Kaizen that is quite beneficial in every term.
 To strengthen workforce and motivate staff more than now leader and manager should
communicate with workers try to identify their needs and take their opinions as well regarding
products production plans.

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