Interview with Manager of Morrison: Leadership and Management Strategies

This report presents an interview with the manager of Morrison, a leading supermarket chain in the UK, to explore their leadership and management strategies. The report uses primary and secondary data collection methods and qualitative analysis to synthesize the empirical data with academic leadership literature. The findings suggest that the manager follows participative and transformational leadership theories and possesses personal traits such as self-confidence and flexibility. The report also highlights the importance of delegation, team collaboration, and inspirational motivation in effective leadership.

LEADER INTERVIEW

CONTENTS
RESEARCH AIM......................................................................................................................1
BACKGROUND........................................................................................................................1
METHODOLOGY.....................................................................................................................1
Research methodology...........................................................................................................1
Ethical consideration..............................................................................................................2
FINDINGS & ANALYSIS........................................................................................................2
Empirical data collected and synthesis of the academic leadership theory............................2
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................6
APPENDIX................................................................................................................................7
Transcript of interview...........................................................................................................7

RESEARCH AIM
The main aim of the present research is to conduct an interview with the manager of
one of the leading supermarket chains of UK that is Morrison.
BACKGROUND
Leaders and managers play a very important role in each and every organization.
They are the people who influences strategies and objectives and impacts the commitment
level and compliance of task behavior for attaining those goals. In other words, it can be said
that it is leader who helps in impacting the activities along with the behavior of the followers
for obtaining the shared vision. Morrisons is one of the leading super market chains of UK
having around more than 450 stores all across the globe (Spector, 2014). There are around
132000 employees working in the company and management of such a huge staff demands
effective strategies and approaches of the leaders in place. Considering this, the main aim of
the current research report is to conduct an interview with the manager of the Morrison who
is responsible for management of other employees working in the company.
METHODOLOGY
Research methodology
In the current research report, for the purpose of collecting the information primary
and secondary data collection method is being adopted. Primary data is being collected by
conducting the face-to-face interview of the manager of Morrison. The interview is being
performed through preparing checklist, which included open ended questions related to the
leadership and management of people at company. On the other hand, secondary research
was being conducted through exploring different journals, articles and books related to the
topic under study (Graziano and Raulin, 2016). In addition to this, for the purpose of
evaluating the collected information both from the interview and secondary, qualitative
analysis is being chosen. Further, the responses of the manager are then related with specified
aspect of the academic leadership literatures. The checklist for the interview of the manager
of Morrison is as follows:
Q1. As per your opinion what makes you an effective leader at Morrison?
Q2. What you do for motivating your employees?
Q3. Are you flexible in your approach towards managing employees?
Q4. Are you able to delegate responsibilities effectively?
Q5. Do your employees collaborate with others and work effectively in team?
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Q6. What values are most significant to you as a leader?
Ethical consideration
Ethics plays a very important role in each and every research study and so is in this
research work. While carrying out the current research work, it has been made sure that prior
consent of the interviewee before the commencement of the study is being taken in written
form. Further, it has been also ensured that the interviewee is ready to take part in this study
happily and that there is not force has been implied for participation (Denscombe, 2017).
Confidentiality of the information is being maintained regarding the personal and
professional information shared.
FINDINGS & ANALYSIS
Empirical data collected and synthesis of the academic leadership theory
From conducting the interview with the manager of the company, broad perspective
in relation with the approaches and strategies being used by him for effective management of
people has been explored. When the manager was asked in relation with his opinion and
views about the aspects that makes him an effective and successful leader at Morrison than he
replied that “My intellectual ability, flexibility and self-confidence makes me an effective
leader at Morrison”. Further, it was found out that it is the personal trait of this leader, which
has helped him to become a good leader. This response can very well link with one of the
important theories of leadership that is trait theory Currie and Lockett (2007). According to
the trait theory of leadership, the personal features and trait of an individual helps in
determining whether he or she is successful leader or not. It also highlights that the personal
characteristics of an individual makes him an effective and ineffective leader. As per Johnson
(2016), there are different traits being identified that a leader is being attributed in different
surveys. In addition to this, leaders are also presumed to demonstrate effective judgement as
well as engage themselves in different community actions. As per the study of the lives of
successful leaders, there are different traits being possessed by them which makes them
different from other. As per the trait theory, the person who possess these traits that is self-
confidence, flexibility, good personality, maturity, initiative, imaginative, desire for accepting
accountability, adaptability, fairness and considerate, can become a successful leader.
Furthermore, when one of the interview questions enquired in relation with the
strategies and approaches being adopted by the manager for motivating the workers at
Morrison than it was originated that the manager generally makes use of role modelling,
greater ownership, setting high and reasonable goals and connecting the sense of identity of
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the workers. To this question, the manager at Morrison replied that, “Well, I make use of
variety of mechanisms for motivating the morale and job performance of the workers”. It has
been found out that the manager makes efforts in augmenting the level of commitment as
well as involvement of his followers through exploring extra effort in shoeing support to
them. He adapts to different situations easily and always focusses on sharing a shared
awareness, self-management and inspire each and every employee towards the
accomplishment of the common goals of the organization. This response of the manager is
very supported by the leadership literature that is transformational leadership theory.
According to this theory, transformational leadership is being referred as the leadership
approach which causes alteration in the individuals as well as social system. Seeking help
from this form of leadership, a manager can create valuable as well as optimistic modification
in the employees with the final objective of developing followers into leaders. Furthermore,
as per Doumi, Baina and Baina (2013), transformational leadership also helps in enhancing
the motivation level of the workers and their job performance through proper explaining the
shared mission or a goal, offering the challenging tasks, providing higher level of
accountabilities and comprehending their strengths and weaknesses. Thus, it can be said that
the leader can successfully align the followers with the tasks which optimizes their level of
performance.
Moving further, when it was questioned to the manager of the company that whether
he is flexible or static in his approach towards the management of employees than he replied
that “Sometimes I am very flexible however when it comes to fulfill the short goals, I am
very rigid and tends to be inflexible”. This can be related with the situational leadership
theory which suggests that there is no single leadership which is considered as best. Rather, it
generally relies on the kind of leadership and strategies being adopted which is quite
appropriate for the task. As per this theory, the most successful leader is one which are in a
position to familiarize their style as per the situation and seeks out for indications (Singh,
2018). For example, kind of task, nature of the group and many other factors which might
contributes towards the job being performed.
Underpinning the discussion and analysis further, it has also been found out from the
analysis of the data collected from conducting the interview of the manager of the company
that the he is able to delegate the responsibility effectively to his followers. He always makes
sure that each and every worker under his supervision carried out their own job individually
by offering them full control of making their own decision (Sutherland, 2013). In this regard,
the manager stated that “I think that with the help of effective delegation of responsibility and
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control, the employees feel connected and at the same time they also sense a feeling of
belongingness”. All this further supports in enhancing and improving both individual and
overall performance for the company. The empirical information being collected here is
supported by the academic leadership literature pertaining to delegating leadership style.
According to Gagnon and Collinson (2014), delegating leadership style is being referred as
the style in which the group leader of the manager allots projects to the workers and gave
them free supremacy to perform in their own manner. In addition to this, the workers are
allowed to undertake all the decisions along with the choices which they are accountable for.
It has been explored that seeking help from this style of leadership, the manager at Morrison
is gaining huge success and growth. It was further explored that delegation is all about
trusting each and everyone in the team which can be undertake the accountability for making
their own important and valuable decisions.
When it was asked in the interview that whether the employees working under the
manager at Morrison work collaboratively with each other and work effectively in a team
than it was instituted that the teams and groups are effective as well as functional and works
with them internally for attaining different business objectives and targets. The manager
stated that the “Management of Morrison is quite supportive as well as encouraging and we
as a manager motivates workers and offers them pragmatic visions to attain growth and
success”. In addition to this, it has also been found out that the human resource management
system of the company along with the training being offered by the firm helps all the workers
in their development effectively and transparently. This is very well supported with the
literature related to leadership, as Tourish (2014), have stated that effective team formation is
possible only when leaders and managers provides equal growth opportunities to each and
every member of the team or group of different projects plus for department-specific tasks
and roles. This also reflects the management as well as leadership style of the manager being
adopted at Morrison for motivating their workers and aligning them towards the
accomplishment of the common goals and objectives.
Additionally, when it was asked from the manager while taking the interview that
what are some of the values which he values the most as a leader of the company than he
replied that “Adapted deliberation as well as stimulating inspiration are the important values
being considered by me as a leader”. He further stated that it is important for the leader of the
organization to take into account the requirement of the employees or followers and at the
same time, it is also equally crucial to articulate the vision which is quite appealing and
motivating for the followers. This is supported by the leadership literatures related to the
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elements of transformational leadership theory (Edwards, 2015). One of the important
elements of transformational leadership is individualized consideration which states that
amount to which the leader is in a position to attend the each and every requirement of the
followers and behave as a mentor or coach to thwir workers and at the same time listen to
their concerns and issues. It is important that the leader must show empathy and support to
the workers and openly communicates with them about their challenges. In addition to this,
another important element of transformational leadership that is inspirational motivation is
also linked with the data collected from the interview. As per Martin, Franc and Zounkova
(2004), inspirational motivation is the degree to which the leader speaks about the vision
which is quite appealing as well as motivating for the employees. It is crucial that the
manager must offer meaning for the assignment and interact openly about the future goals for
powerful engagement of the followers.
CONCLUSION
Thus, from the above findings and analysis, it can be said that the manager at the
company follows participative and transformational leadership theory which have been
supported by evidence from the leadership literatures being explored. Further, it has been
found out that the manager is quite self-confident, flexible and possess intellectual ability
which makes him an effective leader and helps him in standing out from others. The report
has successfully collected information through conducting the interview of the manager and
has also sophisticatedly made use of theories and models for exploring and making sense of
situations and experiences.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Currie, G. and Lockett, A., 2007. A critique of transformational leadership: Moral,
professional and contingent dimensions of leadership within public services
organizations. Human Relations. 60. pp.341-370.
Denscombe, M., 2017. The good research guide for small-scale social research projects.
3rded. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
Doumi, K., Baina, S. and Baina, K., 2013. Strategic business and its alignment:
representation and evaluation. Journal of Theoretical & Applied Information
Technology, 47(1).
Edwards, G.P., 2015. Anthropological accounts of leadership: Historical and geographical
interpretations from indigenous cultures. Leadership.
Gagnon, S., and Collinson, D. 2014. Rethinking global leadership development programmes:
The interrelated significance of power, context and identity. Organisation Studies. 35.
pp.645-670.
Graziano, A.M. and Raulin, M.L., 2016. Research Methods: A Process of Inquiry. 6thed.
Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Johnson, G., 2016. Exploring strategy: text and cases. Pearson Education.
Martin, A., Franc, D., and Zounkova, D., 2004. Outdoor and Experiential Learning.
Aldershot: Gower.
Singh, R., 2018. Developing Competitive Strength: Biggest Challenge for the Organizations.
Managing Editor, p.65.
Spector, B., 2014. Flawed from the ‘get-go’: Lee Iacocca and the origins of transformational
leadership. Leadership. 10. pp.361-379.
Sutherland, I., 2013. Arts-based methods in leadership development: Affording aesthetic
workspaces, reflexivity and memories with momentum. Management Learning. 44(1).
pp.25-43.
Tourish, D., 2014. Leadership, more or less? A processual, communication perspective on the
role of agency in leadership theory. Leadership. 10. pp.79-98.
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APPENDIX
Transcript of interview
Questions Responses
Q1. As per your opinion what makes you an
effective leader at Morrison?
My intellectual ability, flexibility and self-
confidence makes me an effective leader at
Morrison
Q2. What you do for motivating your
employees?
Well, I make use of variety of mechanisms
for motivating the morale and job
performance of the workers
Q3. Are you flexible in your approach
towards managing employees?
Sometimes I am very flexible however
when it comes to fulfill the short goals, I am
very rigid and tends to be inflexible
Q4. Are you able to delegate responsibilities
effectively?
I think that with the help of effective
delegation of responsibility and control, the
employees feel connected and at the same
time they also sense a feeling of
belongingness
Q5. Do your employees collaborate with
others and work effectively in team?
Management of Morrison is quite
supportive as well as encouraging and we as
a manager motivates workers and offers
them pragmatic visions to attain growth and
success
Q6. What values are most significant to you
as a leader?
Adapted deliberation as well as stimulating
inspiration are the important values being
considered by me as a leader
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