Roles and Characteristics of Leaders and Managers in Operations Management

This report discusses the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers in operations management, including their responsibilities, skills, and approaches. It also explores various theories and models of leadership and key approaches to operation management for managers and leaders. The case study focuses on Marks and Spencer, a multinational clothing brand, and its strategies to increase efficiency and achieve business objectives.

MANAGEMENT AND
OPERATIONS

Table of Content
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................1
P1. Roles and Characteristics of Leaders and Managers.............................................................1
P 2. Role of Leader and Functions of Manager...........................................................................3
P 3. Theories and Models of Leadership Approaches.................................................................4
P 4. Key Approaches To Operation Management for Managers and Leaders ...........................5
P 5. Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives.....................................................................................................................................7
P 6. PESTLE Analysis of Marks and Spencer in UK..................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Operations management is a systematic process of managing activities of business
organization in effective manner to utilize in available resources. This process helps to reduce cost
and improve quality of products and services to increase customer satisfaction. Leaders and
managers are responsible to increase efficiency of Operation. Leader is a person who has effective
skills and knowledge to lead employees and managers have the ability of getting the work done
my employees effectively. This report has detailed study of impact of leaders and managers on
operations of Marks and Spencer. Marks and Spencer is a multinational clothing brand which have
its stores all over world. In addition, report provides understanding about roles and approaches of
leadership and management in company and different business environmental factors which helps
to increase productivity of company to achieve competitive advantage and increase profitability.
LO 1
P1. Roles and Characteristics of Leaders and Managers
Leader is an individual or group of individual who has the ability to influence employees to
increase their willingness to achieve objectives of business organization effectively. Leader helps
employees in Marks and Spencer to increase their interpersonal skills by providing them task
which involves moral, ethics and values to develop each employee to become loyal to company.
Manager is a person who is responsible for supervising and controlling activities according
to policies and guidelines of company to maintain efficiency. Marks and Spencer appoints
managers to evaluate performance of employees and supervise them according to their work and
skills.
Leaders Managers
Planning Marks and Spencer analyses the role
of leaders in company as they are
responsible to ensure the efficiency
of employees to achieve objectives
which are formulated by managers.
Managers of Marks and Spencer use
their management functions to develop
new objectives for company which
help to increase productivity of
business.
Organising Leaders are responsible to integrate Managers are responsible to identify

skills of employees with work by
influencing them. They help to
increase performance of employees
by communicating with them.
the effectiveness of leaders and
communicate with them about
performance of employees of
company.
Leaders have focus on employee’s
efficiency and attaining objectives
with lower cost and in less time.
Managers are more focused on all
resources of company which can
provide better growth opportunities in
the future.
Directing Leader of Marks and Spencer have
characteristics to work in effective
teams to provide proper guidance to
all employees and help them to
achieve objectives effectively.
Manager provides policies and
regulations to employees to follow
company's ethics and business culture.
Leaders are having ability to
innovate the ideas which are
provided by managers for
employee’s efficiency.
Managers have the ability to invest
new policies and ideas to expand
companies into new market (Wincott,
2018). Manager of Marks and Spencer
have ability to improve efficiency of
employees by formulating different
strategies.
Leaders have skills and knowledge
to influence employees of company
effectively.
Managers have provided proper
information about factors which can
help leaders to increase motivation of
employees to increase productivity of
Marks and Spencers.
Coordinating Leaders are responsible to
implement change in organization by
influencing employees to accept
Managers have responsibility to
analyse external and internal factors by
various management tools and

change and improve quality of
products and services.
techniques to identify market trends for
change implementation.
Leaders have the skills and
knowledge which is unique from
everyone and helps them to
influence employees to increase their
efficiency. They follow rules and
uses their skills to lead employees to
reduce disputes in Marks and
Spencers.
Managers are made with specific rules
and principles of management which
decrease the differentiation of each
manager, and they have same skills
and knowledge. They make
coordinating environment easy with
effective rules and regulations.
Controlling Leaders have the tendency to take
risks and formulate outcomes on
their will according to available
resources. Leaders have
responsibility to ensure employees
are on right path to achieve
objectives with effective leadership
approaches and styles.
Managers use principle, tools and
techniques of management to reduce
threats and risk from Marks and
Spencers to achieve objectives and
increase profitability. They also have
responsibility performance determining
strategies to maintain efficiency of
workforce of company,
P 2. Role of Leader and Functions of Manager
Managers and Leaders are very essential resource of Marks and Spencer as they help to
improve the efficiency of employees and provide effective skills and knowledge to achieve
objectives. Role of managers and functions of managers are interrelated in Marks and Spencer
which help to improve performance to manage and influence employees effectively. They also
help to evaluate internal and external factors of business environment to facilitate effective
strategies which help Marks and Spencer to compete in clothing retail industry in different market.
Emergencies

Managers of Marks and Spencer have the responsibility to identify and analyse all the
internal and external factors of market to formulate objectives, policies and strategies to increase
market share of company and supervision to employees in accordance with policies and
regulations. Whereas leaders of marks and Spencer are responsible for motivating employees and
focusing on performance to achieve the objectives of company to increase efficiency of Marks and
Spencer. This help to reduce risk at any emergency.
Inventory management
Inventory management is the main aspect in retail industry and managers need to adopt
management information system to obtain accurate information about available stock all over
world. This also helps manager to understand the current stock value to increase purchasing power
and decrease cost and improve profitability (Turban and et.al., 2017). Leaders of Marks and
Spencer have obligations to follow the policies and appoint right person at right job at right time to
increase efficiency of company.
Training and Development
Managers of Marks and Spencer are responsible to provide commands to their subordinates
in order to accomplish the tasks and increase productivity of company. Manager helps to identify
the factors by effective tools and techniques which help to increase efficiency of motivation in
employees. Leaders are responsible to deal with employees by influencing them to increase their
efficiency in form of high performance teams. Managers identify scale of training required by
employees and leader guide them to achieve those skills with effective practices.
Effective Communication
Managers of Marks and Spencer are obligated to evaluate the performance of company as
whole with help of key performance index and benchmark techniques with competitors. This also
helps managers to facilitate healthy work environment and decrease disputes between employees.
Healthy work environment provides leverage to organization culture to reach objectives
effectively. Role of leaders of Marks and Spencer is to provide proper communication channel
between employees and management to solve the issues and motivate them to achieve objectives
effectively.
Management Audit

It is the last stage of managerial function which managers have to perform in order to
increase productivity of Marks and Spencer and compete in market (Slack and Brandon-Jones,
2018). Controlling of resources helps to provide standards and high quality products and services
from company to customers. Managers have to ensure the efficiency of leader to influence
employees to achieve objectives effectively this also helps to increase customer satisfaction and
sales of company.
P 3. Theories and Models of Leadership Approaches
Leadership approaches helps Marks and Spencer to implement change in organization
which provide increased productivity to compete in market. Marks and Spencer is using many
leadership theories which provide better perspective to increase the efficiency of employees of
company.
Situational leadership
Leaders in this strategy change their styles continuously according to needs and wants of
employees to achieve objectives of company. In This strategy leader can adopt style according to
telling and direction situation, selling and coaching situation, participating and supporting
situation, delegating and supporting situation. Marks and Spencer uses this theory by analysing
skills and knowledge of employee to integrate with vision and mission of company. This strategy
helps to achieve the objectives within time limit according to skills and ability of employees. This
leadership styles is more flexible to adopt and help to improve performance effectively. Team
members are also more effective in understanding each other and achieving their objective.
Strategic planning is considered in this style to facilitate better working of company. This
leadership styles also helps to implement organizational changes effectively and compete in
market with better market share. Situational leadership also provides better opportunities for
business organization to grow and expand in new market to increase customer size and
profitability of Marks and Spencer.
Systems Leadership
Systems leadership is a leadership styles which help managers and leaders to formulate
effective system in which every employee increase their efficiency to achieve objectives according
to their skills and Knowledge at every level of company (Reid and Sanders, 2019). Marks and

Spencer helps to improve the quality of products and services in different situation. This helps to
develop systematic skills to reduce cost of operations of Marks and Spencer and helps to increase
core competency in market. This leadership approach is very effective to increase innovative ideas
by communicating very easily, however maintaining all groups in organization is very difficult
and also lead to inefficiency in long run.
Contingency Leadership
This theory states that success of leader is not only dependant of skills and knowledge but
also on many internal and external factors. Contingency theory helps leaders to identify those
factors to increase their efficiency to motivate employees to achieve their objectives. This theory
helps leaders to evaluate their skills and knowledge which are effectively suitable for one style.
Contingency theory provides better understanding about factors which are available in Marks and
Spencers to achieve objectives. Leaders need to analyse their potential and skills which can be
implemented to increase efficiency of employees. Contingency style facilitates leaders to
formulate effective methods and techniques which help employees to discover their hidden skills
to improve their efficiency in Marks and Spencer. This theory helps leaders to motivate employees
as no one is best in contingency theory which also helps employees to increase their potential to be
best.
Administrative Theory
This theory helps to analyse skills and knowledge of employees to accumulate the in one
department. This theory helps to reduce management efforts and increases efficiency of employees
to reach common goals of Marks and Spencer. Segregation of employees in different groups
increases the efficiency of each group thus helps to increase productivity.
P 4. Key Approaches to Operation Management for Managers and Leaders
Marks and Spencer is using different approaches to increase productivity of operations to
reduce cost and maintain quality of products and services. These approaches help to provide
effective strategies to increase customer satisfaction with help of effective leaders and managers.
Leaders and managers are responsible to provide effective environment to adopt these approaches
and analysing all the factors which helps to motivate employees in reducing cost and improving

performance. Training and development is provided in Marks and Spencer by leaders and
managers to make high performance teams.
Six Sigma
Six sigma is systematic and quantitative approach which provides effective operation
within the organization to improve and develop quality of products and services and reducing cost
of production and services. This approach follows four factors measure, analyse, improve and
control. It is the process which put emphasis on building high performance teams which reduces
inefficiency in Marks and Spencers and promotes quality of work. Leaders and managers are
responsible to analyse the skills and knowledge which is required to develop effective teams and
formulate effective recruitment and selection process (Mahmassani, 2016). Managers are
responsible to evaluate resource planning to identify feasibility of new talents in organization.
Leaders are responsible to analyse inefficient employees and faulty resources to reduce cost of
operation. Leaders are responsible to provide training to inefficient employees to help to gain
effective skills and knowledge in Marks and Spencers.
Total Quality Management
TQM is a process of identifying and resolving errors and which occurs in supply chain
management. TQM is a system of management which helps to develop an effective policy in
which all employees have to be effective in achieving their objectives according to standards of
company.
Marks and Spencer is using this approach to improve the quality of human resources and reduce
all wastages. It is a standardized improvement process which helps to increase the innovative ideas
and skills to achieve goals of company (Loukopoulos, Dismukes and Barshi, 2016). Marks and
Spencer is a multinational company, and they need to adopt consistency in maintaining their
quality of products and services to increase brand value and market share. Focus of this approach
is needs and wants of target customer and managers are responsible to analyse external and
internal factors which to understand quality standards of competitors and formulate effective
benchmarks. Leaders are responsible to influence employees to more efficient in achieving their
objectives.
Just in time

Just in time is an effective inventory strategy which helps managers to analyse ordering
process of raw materials which are used in production process. Role of managers of Marks and
Spencer is they are using the pull approach which helps company to reduce risk and maintain the
inventory effectively. This also helps to reduce cost of production of company by adopting
strategies which help to collectorate with transport companies and suppliers to reduce risk and
increase quality of final products. This also helps company to analyse the non-moving stock and
formulate effective marketing strategies to increase sales and provide effective market share to
increase quality of Marks and Spencers products and services with increased profit margins.
Kaizen
Kaizen is the change process which helps to analyse the new trends in market and
implement in the company according to the available resources in Marks and Spencer. This
process helps to improve the operations and activities to transform organization by innovation.
This operational approach helps to increase productivity of business organization by effective
leaders (Hitt, Xu and Carnes, 2016). Leaders are responsible to develop effective style which
influences employees tom understands the importance of organizational change. Marks and
Spence analyses changes in technology which have impact on the sales of company. By the help of
management of Marks and Spencers will analyse the factors and leader will help to fulfil those
strategies made by managers.
P 5.Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business objectives
Importance of operation management
Operation management plays vital role in the organization because they perform various
roles i.e. planning, organizing, coordinating, controlling and monitoring of production and
manufacturing procedures. Operation management helps Marks and Spencer to achieve their
objective by executing various strategic tactics (Heizer, 2016). Operation management
performance-
Product quality: Marks and Spencer focuses on product quality along with varieties
which attracts customers and improves their buying behaviour. Operation management introduces
strategies for improving product quality and their services. Management gives assurance to
customer about product quality and forces quality management to offer product services

effectively. Thus, operation management gives value to customer money and builds customers
loyalty for company. The quality of the products can help Marks and Spencers to get a better
image for themselves in market. Quality of products will help the organization to get more
customers and loyal to the company as well.
Customer satisfaction: Customers are main stakeholder of the organization because it
helps company to influence brand power in global market. Operation management plays
significant role in customer satisfaction. For example operation management focuses on customer
requirement and their expectation for the products. On the basis of customer's need meets their
objectives that build good relation with them. It leads satisfaction in employees for company
services which is main objective of Marks and Spencer. Satisfaction is very important for Marks
and Spencers because they want loyal customers so that they can achieve the aims and objectives
the company has for themselves.
Revenue increase: Marks and Spencer has aim to generate high revenue by influencing
product quality and customer's satisfaction. Consumer satisfaction influences brand image in
business market which attracts other customers. Thus, organization expands market share as result
generates high revenue. Product quality and customer satisfaction strategy conduct by the
operational management. Both operation of the management helps organization achieve business
objective. Revenue increase will help the company to have further expansion in the future which is
going be very beneficial for Marks and Spencers.
Waste reduction: It is an important operation of the operation management. To reduce
waste introduces various techniques i.e. lean manufacturing system which is organized to reduce
waste of products. Lean manufacturing technique manages inventory cost and saves unnecessary
money as result improves gross product quality along with quantity (Grant, Trautrims and Wong,
2017). Thus, operation management supports organization to generate high income in company.
The company wants to be environment friendly and so are the production in Marks and Spencer
which is making the company reach their objectives in market effectively.
P 6. Impact on Operation Management Decision Making By Leaders And Managers
Political Factors:

The biggest political factor that could influence the operations of a large company like
Marks and Spencer depends upon the decision of United Kingdom to leave the European Union,
termed Brexit. This impact the leaders to analyse change in market trends and adopt that to
increase efficiency of Marks and Spencer.
Positive:
When Brexit is over, UK will no longer be a part of European Union and the emerging
country would be like a new uncharted market, full of possibilities and potential, for companies to
capture.
Negative:
Most analysts and economists maintain that the changes post-Brexit wouldn't be ideal for
UK retailers, as many of the free trade policies with European suppliers would shut down,
increasing operational and management costs.
Economical Factors:
These are the factors that are determined by an economy’s performance, which directly
impact the workings and profits of a company, such as inflation, taxation, trading policies. UK has
a booming economy that ranks as 5th highest in the world. The government has now announced a
reduction to the corporation tax levied at industry's profits from 19% to 18%. UK has also been
able to garner large sums of Foreign Direct Investments.
Positive:
High Foreign Direct Investment improves Marks and Spencer's operations and facilitates
international trades (Gibson and Parkman, 2018). It also gives the company additional foreign
income increasing profits. The reduction in corporation tax will also generate revenue. This helps
leaders to increase their efficiency to make more effective planning and grow business more
effectively.
Negative:
While the above factors are beneficial to Marks and Spencer, they can also aid numerous
budget competitors who lower their mark up price, thus further increasing market competition.
This can result in drastic changes being made in Marks and Spencer's operations to continue
competing.

Social-Cultural Factors:
Marks and Spencer is an old internationally recognized brand, one that holds the
perception of selling 'premium value for money' products in households. But the current social
trend is changing towards new more trendy retail chains and online shopping, both of which target
the youth, something which Marks and Spencer has neglected. Change in customer buying
patterns helps leaders to make proper training and development programs to attract more
customer's according to their wants and needs.
Positive:
Expanding into e-commerce market will surely help Marks and Spencer's business grow,
gain new customers and expand its operations. This hugely impacts operational management as
training to run an online store would be completely different to traditional management training.
Negative:
As more trendy retail stores and e-commerce websites keep opening up, Marks and
Spencer runs the risk of its reputation getting less trendy, particularly amongst the youth (Gao and
Su, 2017). If the trend is not accounted for, Marks and Spencer risks the possibility of closing
down many of its retail stores and hurting reputation in the future.
Technological Factors:
Many technological factors help lower the manufacturing costs and influence the efficient
productivity of Marks and Spencer. The current technological trend of self-checkout guided by AI
at retail stores is definitely here to stay. E-Commerce has also increased the number of popular
online stores that adapt to changing technologies instantly. This increases ability of leaders to
understand market trends and make effective changes in organization's information structure to
increase communication in the Marks and Spencer.
Positive:
Installing self-checkout counters will surely increase profits, as the number of employees
Marks and Spencer has to hire reduces drastically. Expanding into E-Commerce will also prove
beneficial as there is a large market to operate in. Self-checkout systems also have a huge impact
on Marks and Spencer's operational management, as completely different training would be
required to manage these systems.
Negative:

Cybercrimes and logical errors in the self-checkout system will lower brand reputation.
Marks and Spencer also faces tough competition from popular online stores that provide more
features (scheduled delivery) to the customer at competitive prices (Fontainha and et al., 2017).
Management would also have to be trained in how to maintain these complex systems.
Environmental Factors:
Marks and Spencer is considered to be one of the most sustainable retailers in the world.
This includes various different processes of acquiring food, materials, home products or land. One
of Marks and Spencer's special programmes charging their customers 5p per plastic bag in an
effort to combat plastic pollution, earnings of which are donated. Fresh milk is also resourced from
RSPCA assured dairy farms. This factor help to provide clarity in information and increase
customer engagement by performing corporate social responsibilities.
Positive:
These measures certainly have been received well by the public, resulting in increased
brand image and reputation. With the rising concerns over climate change, these efforts are widely
appreciated.
Negative:
Many competitors have also pledged to do the same. Adhering to these restrictions can
increase operational and management costs of Marks and Spencer.
Legal Factors:
Every industry has to comply with standard legislative conditions to function efficiently.
These include obeying taxation, labour and employment laws (Dhingra and et.al., 2016). With
Brexit on the horizon, several of these legal factors are set to be modified. Employment policies
and laws are being regulated by managers and leaders of Marks and Spencer.
Positive:
Adhering to legislation helps to maintain productive, satisfied workforce, where no
individual is taken advantage of.
Negative:
Following and practising multiple regulations for multiple processes makes the duties of
management arduous. Failure to do so can result in legal court cases and this can have adverse
impact on operational efficiency of the organization.

CONCLUSION
This report concludes the brief study role and characteristics of mangers and leaders in
operation management of Marks and Spencer. Report had explained how managers and leader
contributed in increasing the efficiency company in operation. With helps of contingency,
situational and systems theory of leadership it helped company to maintain employees and
increase their efficiency effectively. Report also explained approaches to operation management
with help of just in time, kaizen, TQM and six sigma. There is a brief discussion about importance
of value of operation management in achieving objectives of company and factors which impact
the operations and decision-making of company. Report concludes that Marks and Spencer has
effective leaders and managers which has ability to increase efficiency according to situation and
improve quality of products and services according to business environment.

REFERENCES
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