Operations Management Research and Applications

This assignment involves reviewing various research papers on operations management, including topics such as inventory management, disaster operations management, lean manufacturing, and the use of blockchain technology. It also touches on data management and power management. The assignment requires analyzing the impact of these concepts on firms' operations and understanding their applications in real-world scenarios.

Management &
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO 1 & LO 3....................................................................................................................................3
1. An introduction of the roles of management and leadership..............................................3
2. Difference between leadership and management function.................................................4
3. An analysis of the “Management by objective” process....................................................4
4. Illustrate the three management roles theory......................................................................5
5. Analysis of the leadership traits theory and two styles of the leadership...........................6
6. An analysis of 'Hard' management skills and 'Soft' leadership skill..................................6
7. A discussion of three transformation processes in the operational management...............7
8. Evaluation of the term quality means and four cost of the quality in accomplishing business
objectives................................................................................................................................8
9. A discussion of role manager plays in TQM approach......................................................9
10. A discussion of the Just in time approach and waste reduction in an operation..............9
11. Three methods which a manager can uses to adjust for capacity management.............10
12 Short conclusion with evaluation of role of manager & leader.......................................10
LO 2 & LO 4..................................................................................................................................10
1. An introduction to your selected organisation.................................................................10
2. An explanation of own department, including the role of management..........................11
3. Discuss the background of your management team in this department...........................11
4. Discuss two strength and two weaknesses of your manager/ leader approaches.............11
5. List three specific roles and duties of management in an organisation............................12
6. Real life occasion.............................................................................................................12
7. Evaluation of leadership styles.........................................................................................13
8. Examples of transformation process................................................................................13
9. Impact of capacity management on company..................................................................13
10. Operational recommendations........................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Management and operation is an essential concept provides techniques on how operations
needs of a business entity can be fulfilled or satisfied. In an organisational context, operation of
every firm is need to plan goals or objectives to establishes performance of a business entity for
perfect (Wong and et. al., 2012). In a current time period, operational aspects of an every firm is
need to have managerial decision making to led an effective regulation of a supply chain or
logistics. This report will carry on Unit9 which is one of a leading multidisciplinary production
firm working in different interactive area such as film, games, virtual reality and digital
technology. This firm is located in the location of London, Los angles, New york, Florence,
Berlin and Warsaw. In this report, light will be put to roles & characteristics of a leader and
manager, also different theories & models approaches to leadership will be discuss, different
approaches to an operational management, importance & value of operational management.
Lastly, report will also factors of environmental context of business firm along with report will
also decision making by firm leader's or manager.
LO 1 & LO 3
1. An introduction of the roles of management and leadership
Leadership and management are two necessary concepts whose roles is regulative to led
business operations and functioning to be covered with right intention or point of time. On one
hand, where leadership is an activity which basically comprises of leading people from top level
position and leads to accomplishes defined position of a business firm. Leader is one who
motivates or leads many people in an defined task or goals in correct manner (Kotter, 2019). A
leader must have skills, competencies or traits such as listening skill, speaking and other level of
an interpersonal traits to perform job in a defined manner. Role of a leadership is to lead firm's
business people as a guide or role model to motivates or encourages team working to gather firm
goals or objectives in certain time period (CommVault Systems Inc, 2019). Leadership is meant
to bring empowerment in firm, so that culture or environment of firm would be regulates in
defined or proper manner. In Unit9, essential roles of the leadership are as:
Inspire trust: In Unit9, goal of the leadership is to enhances scope of trust among peoples
and an initiates co-ordination among workforce and employer to bring harmony in the firm.

Create vision: Unit9 is aimed at creation of a perfect vision to assist team in performing
of their own task or work in the proper manner. This will show how team will going to achieve
defined work.
Execute strategy: Consistency is a need for execution of the strategy to accomplish
define goals or targets under the disciplined process. Unit9 is used to be run on this rules or
norms.
Coach potential: Unit9 leadership is consists of vision, mission, strategic objectives etc.,
with which potential of a people can be increased along with goals definition in a corrective way.
According to the Kotter, management is defined as a process of an administering and
controlling the affairs of an organisation. This is irrespective of its own nature, type, structure &
size. Role of management is to manage current business performance with help of plan, direct &
control to complete defined task of a business firm (Myers, 2019). Manager is one who manages
& control firm activities and functioning at a top level and also accomplish defined goals and
targets on time. In the Unit9, basic role of management are as follows:
To gather performances: This is one basic role of management, in which manger of the
Unit9 has to be increases the performances of people by identifying scope & motive of training
at longer side.
Optimum utilisation of the resources: Managerial task of the Unit9 manager is to
allocate the resources of an organisation in the defined manner to led an effective completion of
assigned tasks or works.
2. Difference between leadership and management function
Basis Leadership Management
Meaning Leadership is the process of leading,
empowering and encouraging people of
an organisation to share their view,
opinion etc.
Management is art of systematically
organizing and coordinating things in
an efficient way.
Basis Leadership is all about matter of trust
and faith.
Management consists of power to
control
Power Leader's power is very much influential Manager is based on rules
Focus To encourage changes Its all about bringing stability

3. An analysis of the “Management by objective” process
Peter Drucker has recognised the concept of MBO process. According to Peter Drucker,
(2018), MBO is a performance management approach, in which a kind of balance is sought
between an objectives of an employee's and objectives of an organisation. The basic principles of
the MBO in context of Unit9 is to ascertain the joint objectives as well as provides feedback on
the results. In this firm, at every level of management, workforce needs to be participates into the
strategic planning process and also led creation of an effective performance system.
Sources: Management by objectives, 2018
An MBO system generally calls for each level of manager to identify their goals for ever
area in which they are responsible for. Also, with help of MBO, focus is on future rather past.
4. Illustrate the three management roles theory
This theory was founded by Mintzberg's which is comprises of three different roles such
as interpersonal, informational and decision making category. In context of Unit9, managerial
roles are necessary to run business operations with support of each & every defined roles of the
management are as follows:
Interpersonal category: The managerial role in this category involves providing an idea
or information to take effective decision making for firm operation (Subramanian and
Ramanathan, 2012). In this category, management role is comprises of figurehead, leader and
Liaison.
Informational category: The managerial roles in this category must involves processing
of an information. Under this category, management roles are comprises of being act as monitor,
disseminate and the spokesperson.
Decisional category: This managerial role involves using of an information to take good
and effective decision steps. Also, this management roles involves entrepreneur, disturbance
handler, resource allocator and also negotiator.

5. Analysis of the leadership traits theory and two styles of the leadership
Trait theory of the leadership is mainly comprises of the discussion on different traits of
the leadership process (Singhal and Singhal, 2012). This theory is based on the characteristics of
many leader, irrespective of either they are successful or unsuccessful and also used to predicts
on topic of leadership level of an effectiveness. In the Unit9, six different traits of the leadership
are as follows:
Drive: In this, leader have higher desires to accomplish higher goals or targets of
business firm.
Desire to lead: Leader is need to have strong desires to influences and power to lead
other people.
Honesty: Leader have to be honest to built long term relationship with other subordinates
to accomplish defined objectives,
Self-confidence: A leader is necessary to have self-confidence and motivation to gather
business goals or objectives into defined time.
Intelligence: Leader's are need to intelligent enough to gather any critical information or
data.
Job-relevant knowledge: Effective leaders of the Unit9 must have corrective knowledge
or information to gather business targets.
In context of the Unit9, democratic and laissez-fair are two most important styles for the
leadership, first in democratic, leader allows team members to share their own opinion or view-
point to make decision, but responsibility to take is still lies to the leader and secondly, laissez-
fair, in which leader's allows employee's to take decision but still responsibilities have to be bear
by leader by itself.
6. An analysis of 'Hard' management skills and 'Soft' leadership skill
Both leader and manager have skills such as interpersonal, management and work based
competencies with help of which decision making is used to be taken by Unit9 leaders. Skills are
basically classified into two categories such as Hard v Soft skills (Peng. and Lai, 2012).
Basically, management skill are hard with suitability of strictness and leadership skill are majorly
ease in nature.

Sources: Hard skill vs Soft skill, 2018
A table will be discussion for Unit9 which will assist in the relationship between hard
skills and soft skills.
Management “hard” skills Leadership “soft' skills
Manager with analysis skill prepares policies
& procedures to complete defined activities.
Analysis is the hard skill in which patiences is
necessary.
Leader uses communication power to convey
such defined policies to team people in order to
accomplish it.
Manager with an use of staffing skill hires the
manpower which is not challenging process for
those who recruits.
In response, leader uses motivation to enrich
that new employee to rise its own caliber to
perform in the business firm.
7. A discussion of three transformation processes in the operational management
According to Cribbin, (2017), transformation processes is the group activities that takes
one or more input, transform and also add to them and then finally provides the defined outputs
(Parsanezhad and Dimyadi, 2013). As, Unit9 engages into the production of film, virtual image
or games have to structures an idea and complete it to final products to be customer's. In regards
to Unit9, transformation process involves three processes are as follows:
Change in the physical characteristics of material or customer's: In this transformation
model, physical existences or characteristics of material is used to be taken care as well as pure
Illustration 2: Hard skill vs Soft skill

understanding of customer's expectation out of this. After all of this, material is converted to
final goods.
Change into location of materials, information or customer's: In this, location of
material is used to be concern which would assist in final production of defined products of the
Unit9.
Change in the ownership of materials or an information: Unit9 makes their technology
and also takes ownership of it using tools or techniques such as patents, copyright etc., to protect
its own legal image.
8. Evaluation of the term quality means and four cost of the quality in accomplishing business
objectives
According to Elshaer and Ibrahim, (2016), quality can be defined as the term which is
mainly uses any production or transformation is carried on with actual reliability, checking and
managing an actual status of task done. It is necessary to have check on for quality, so that
products or services made are belongs to pure status or usage (Kato, 2012). In context of Unit9,
which IT software development is required to check of a technology which they are using to
develop video films, software, games etc., in a defined way. In an operation management, where
production or transformation are some of pre-requisites, quality control system is necessary to be
taken care to build an effective games, video series etc.
Manager of the Unit9 is required to do analysis of four different types of quality costs to
carry out making of film, video, games etc., with quality process or maintenances. Four different
types of quality costs are as follows:
Prevention cost: These cost are incurred to prevent or avoid quality problems. Basically,
these costs are located with designing, implementation or maintenance of a quality management
system (Jacobs and Chase, 2017). These cost includes: product or service requirements, quality
planning, quality assurance and also development.
Appraisal cost: These types of the cost are associated with measuring or monitoring tasks
related to quality. These types of costs involves verification, quality audits and supplier rating.
Internal failure costs: Internal failure costs are basically incurred to give defect
complete remedy which was discovered before games of the Unit9 as because of software
failures. In this type of cost, mainly scrap, wastages, rework or rectification and failure analysis.

External failure costs: These costs are incurred to give remedy to defects which are to be
discovered by the customers. Unit9 is required to structure a complete plan, in which repairs,
warranty, complaints and also return cost to be consists of.
9. A discussion of role manager plays in TQM approach
According to Vincent van Vliet, (2018), TQM is the method in which both employees as
well as management contributes their strategic contribution into continues improvement of
production of the valuable goods or services. This is a part of both management & quality tools
which focus on aiming at business increment and reduction of losses which can be resulted into
the disposal of wastages (Hillier and Price, 2013). This approach costs basically involves various
processes helpful in a clear and cut product development and also maintenance of a quality as
major side. In the Unit9, sources from which technology is adapted is need to be appropriate and
should focuses quality maintenance at a potential side to gather business objectives of the growth
and effective growth.
In context of the Unit9, manager of this firm is requited to prefers optimum utilisation of
the resources to led an effective command on quality maintenance & development, in case of
processing of digital technology to gather business growth at the longer side. Manager of Unit9
is required to go for strategic planning of resources such as technology, information, knowledge
etc., which are necessary to make strategic product such as software, designs, digital platform,
games etc. (Innovation, 2019). Also, the manager is also required to go for evaluation of all these
resources and check validity of it to generate effective results into the long run.
10. A discussion of the Just in time approach and waste reduction in an operation
Just in time: This approach is the inventory based strategies in which stocks or material
only mainly ordered and received when there is an actual need of it (Gunasekaranand, 2012). In
context of Unit9, this is useful for avoiding to avoiding wastage from any defined process of
software and digital development such as games, video, film etc. The main purpose of Just in
time is to led an effective reduction in cost by saving money on extra storage of inventory.
In case of operation, Unit9 spent huge on development and bringing innovation to their
products to increase its sales at a greater point of time. Hence, manager of this firm are required
to set-up the tools such as product checklist, waste management index, cost budgeting to led an
effective saving of the funds and also continuity of an operations. In Unit9, manager is in need to
structures a cost plan, to protect funds as a valuable resources to retain business profitability at a

longer side (Western Digital Technologies Inc, 2019). In an operational aspect, Just in time
would assist in saving of incurring excess level kind of resources.
11. Three methods which a manager can uses to adjust for capacity management
Capacity management is the process of protecting and developing the strategies to rise an
overall development of an organisation process to make capacity of the business firm more
correctives (Galindo and Batta, 2013). In context of Unit9, capacity management of an operation
in the Unit9 can improve with using three different methods are as follows:
Limited entries: In this license limitation is required to reduce capacity and it also require
other mechanism to control the rate of an increases into the capacity[ that can be took form of
capital stuffing, changes in gear and also fishing period or area and adaptation of any new level
of the technological innovation.
Buyback program: Vessel and license buyback program which is being proposed and also
used as a management instruments to reduce fish harvesting capacity. Such program buy and
also removes vessels or licenses from a fleet to decrease the capacity (Feng and et. al., 2014).
This would helps to keep goods or stock at a right places and also at the right quantity or status.
This would assist into the restoration of material and capacity in an operation management at a
greater side.
12 Short conclusion with evaluation of role of manager & leader
After above analysis, its simply necessary to make valid conclusion to realise better result
from role of manager & leader for accomplishing business goals or targets. Role of manager is
highly responsive to work for rising better quality and better work performance in Unit9. With
leadership, opinion, view & advices of team member' will be taken to improves quality of
product or services. Moreover, ability of the leader are highly appraisal to led effective working
and enabling success for the Unit9.
LO 2 & LO 4
1. An introduction to your selected organisation
Unit9 is a digital firm that is a specialised team of innovation architects, software
engineers, gaming experts, creatives, designers, directors, producers and film directors. This
company offers a roster of film and interactive director shoot contents for TV, social web,
mobile, installation and designing of web and mobile (Burns, 2014). This company has appeared

in the New York times, BBC, Tech-crunch, Communication Arts, etc. This firm is involved in
developing process, standards and practices.
2. An explanation of own department, including the role of management
In Unit9, own roles is of operational department whose role is to carry out business firm
supply chain management & developing of the logistics into the response to accomplish business
goals or targets in an early period of time. Operational department of an Unit9 have to play role
of intermediaries to look out at an operational activities along with ensuring that valuable
product will be reached to customers as soon as possible (Babich and Hilary, 2019). This
department of an operation is mainly focused to accomplish operational objectives such as
increased efficiency, business profit and making supply chain management to enhances the
business reach and also capability for making more digital product efficiently. Role of the
operational department is to utilises skills and competencies to control activities such as
production and supply chain in a productive manner or way. Also, role of this managerial
department is to make production and supply of a made product in a develop or recognised
manner.
3. Discuss the background of your management team in this department
In this operational management department, team is comprises of 5-6 members who have
adequate skills, competencies or information about digital working such as software making,
games development, virtual image development and supplying or outsourcing it to different
business and prospective customer's at an effective zone or level of working. Management team
in this department have correct knowledge of how this department works into an effective time
manner. Also, management team are eligible to conduct activities into a defined manner. Lastly,
people in this team are capable to take certain decision making on supply chain and production
of the Unit9
4. Discuss two strength and two weaknesses of your manager/ leader approaches
In the Unit9, leader and manager of this firm are very much capable of performing duties
and responsibilities at a productive level (Saieva, 2013). For this firm, leadership style approach
has used to develop perfect policies to accomplish a sense of collaborative work performance to
reach business goals or objectives. In the Unit9, leadership style such as democratic and laissez-

fair leadership are used to work in collaboration and in group to achieve business objectives in
given time zone. The strength and weaknesses of these leaderships style are as follows:
Strength: The strength of the democratic leadership is empowerment to employee and
team member's to share idea's and views on critical situation to overcome it, while, laissez-fair
strengths is decision taking is in hand of manager/leader after its implementation or final
decision to be taken.
Weaknesses: Democratic is focused on empowerment of team member's, but wrong
decision can also be taken which will prove negative for Unit9, while in case of laissez-fair,
manager will be responsible of taking decision making, irrespective of taken by him/her or not.
5. List three specific roles and duties of management in an organisation
In the Unit9, management is need to be focuses on strategic planning and developing an
action plan in order to gather business objectives of this firm into a right time. Management
Dept. is focused on strategic planning on matter of how they can accomplish quality control and
bringing an effective regulation into business structure. The specific roles & duties of managerial
Dept. is as follows:
Roles & duties:
Allocating resources in planning: As every department have its own management team
who puts its focus on performing activities of its own respective area. Thus, management of the
Unit9 has to check and identify resources and plans on what level it would be supplied. Also,
their role is to keep and check data base of resources realised.
Managing team work: Management in this firm is required to establishes a defined team
of members as per own needs and plans a orientation and training development session to led
them aware what task to accomplish (Alderton, 2016). Effective allocation of workforce in that
team is necessary concept.
6. Real life occasion
In case of multi tasking, the role of management takes the forefront as this is an area
which creates a lot of panic and stress among the workforce. Thus the role of manager emerges
in this situation. Here the manager of Unit9 will makes use of models as well as theories of
management in order to effective carry out multi tasking and teach the employees also this
specific skill so that they can also complete all of their tasks in the desired manner with the
stipulated course of time (Trainin and et. al., 2019). Multi tasking when executed favourably

ensures the successful formulation of all the tasks and provides assistance to the entity in
achieving the goals as well as objectives of enterprise in a timely manner.
7. Evaluation of leadership styles
The styles that have been taken into use within Unit9 are democratic and laissez faire.
Both of these styles emphasize at participation of employees in the process of decision making
by asking for their views and opinions before taking any necessary decision. When employees
are heard, they feel empowered and a feeling of loyalty and trust is instilled within them which
fosters them to operate in a more productive manner. Thus both these leadership styles are found
to be quite effective in context of the company.
8. Examples of transformation process
Unit9 makes use of AR, VR, cloud computing as well as innovation to carry out the
process of transformation within the organisational premises (Ahuja, 2017). In this regard, it can
be said that the gaming sector is rapidly developing and looking upon this, the respective
organisation is also focussing upon carrying out this process in an effective manner so as to
ensure the achievement of all of the organisational goals as well as objectives.
9. Impact of capacity management on company
Capacity management allows Unit9 to carry out the management of demands as per the
priorities of entity in order to make sure that the critical procedures always hold adequate
capacity to run in an effective manner. A long-term IT strategy is developed by this company by
documenting the level of current utilisation as well as the forecasted requirement. With this the
entity aims at seeking a faster return on investment (Accomazzi and et. al., 2012). Through the
use of this process the respective organisation has been successful in avoiding expenditure upon
new servers and focus upon usage of existing resources in a much more efficient manner.
10. Operational recommendations
The recommendations to ensure an orderly conduct within Unit9 are listed below:-
 To adopt quality management techniques as well as frameworks with a view to gain an
edge over rival firms in terms of quality as well as service delivery. This will strive to
attain maximum satisfaction from customer base.

 To ensure that all the principles of operations management are abided by Unit9 in order
to ensure effective service delivery and effective execution of all the processes taking
place within the company.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that operation management is an important
part of the company and it is important for the companies to ensure the smooth functioning and
operations of the functions. Furthermore, it has been obtained that managers and leaders play
important role to ensure that continuous growth of business can be attained by rendering high
quality services & goods to their customers. Apart from this, it can be identified that leaders
needs to make use of transformational theory whereas managers can opt for classical theory to
make sure that timely completion can be done in appropriate manner. Other than this, it can be
measured by making use of different factors which creates influence on decisions and operations
which are made by leaders and managers.

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