Operations Management: A Literature Review

This assignment delves into the field of operations management by conducting a thorough literature review. It examines key concepts, research trends, and prominent issues within the discipline. The assignment requires students to analyze existing scholarly work, identify gaps in knowledge, and propose potential avenues for future research in operations management.

Management and
Operation

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK1.............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Explain and compare various roles and characteristics of manager as well as leaders ....1
TASK2.............................................................................................................................................3
P2 Application of roles of leaders and function of managers in different situations.............3
P3 Different theories and models of approaches applied on situations within Barclays........4
TASK3.............................................................................................................................................5
P4 Key approaches operations management .........................................................................5
P5 Explain value and importance of operation management.................................................8
TASK4.............................................................................................................................................9
P6 Factors which affect business environment and creates an impact upon decision-making of
leaders and managers..............................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Operations management is an area of administration related to controlling and designing
the process of production. This involves redesigning the whole business activities for producing
better quality product and services. This is concerned with managing whole production system; it
is a process to convert all inputs into outputs. Barclays is a British multinational bank which runs
its business activities in around 40 countries with approximately 120,000 employees. Company
organises their core business in four segments: investment, personal and corporate, Barclaycard
banking. Its headquarters are located in London, UK. Barclays has a global approach which
helps to provide services to large numbers of customers. Goldsmith banking services are the
origin of Barclays and they established in London, 1690 (Ageron, Gunasekaran and Spalanzani,
2012). Under this assignment, analyse or compare role of the manage and leaders and their
applicability in different business situation. Explain key approaches of operation management
and applicability in various situation.
TASK1
P1 Explain and compare various roles and characteristics of manager as well as leaders
In Barclays, superior plays crucial part in taking care that staff members perform tasks in
proper manner. They require that resources are utilised efficiently so that firm goals and
objectives get accomplished.
According to Bozarth, Handfield and Chandiran, 2013, Management role is to frame
strategies and distribute duties among members. They require to provide guidance to employees
so that they attain targets within specified time frame.
As per Brigham and Houston, 2012, leadership specifies that employees function
effectively, if they are dedicated and motivated towards their job. This helps employer to retain
competent people and lower their absenteeism.
Management and leadership are different functions as both individuals have distinct aim
and duties to be performed. According to J. Kotter functions of managers and leaders are as
follows:
Managers Leaders
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Manager’s task is formulation of strategies and
policies which employees follow so that they
attain adequate outcomes for company.
It is a leader’s responsibilities to assign task
according to employees skills and capabilities.
They require to distribute duties and give
appropriate guidance to workforce about tasks
which they perform.
They need to keep employees dedicated and
motivated so that they complete activities
within specified deadlines.
Management organise activities and utilise
resources in an efficient manner.
Leadership defines that staff members get
adequate instruction about tasks assigned to
them. Thus, employees will function
effectively.
Management By Objective (MBO): This is the model which is developed by Drucker. In
organisation, executive execute this concept in system; so that utilise resources properly.
Administration develop goals and objectives for firm, thereby informing workforce about targets
which they require to accomplish. This provides support to manager and leader in directing
employees and makes them function effectively so that they complete activities within specified
time frame. As in Barclays, administration keep members connected with company by involving
them in decision-making process (Choudhry, Cummins, and Plenderleith, 2012). So, employees
function properly and accomplish targets timely. Thus, firm is able to deliver adequate offerings
to people and generate profit for their business. Hence, executives are able to attain goals and
objectives timely.
Role of Management:
Interpersonal role: Management require to have healthy relationship with staff members,
so that they are able to direct them and function properly. In Barclays, manager distributes duties
as per skills and abilities of employees and gives them adequate instruction about tasks. This
helps them to complete activities timely and accomplish targets.
Informational role: It is essential that manager provides appropriate facts to workforce,
so that they easily perform activities. As in Barclays, superior keep employees informed about
firm goals and objectives. This helps them to direct members and attain those targets within
deadlines (Function of operation management. 2012).
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Decisional role: In given organisation, executive should involve other members in
decision-making process. This helps them in selecting adequate alternatives, which are best for
firm. In Barclays, superior are able to keep workforce connected with company. By including
employees and taking their opinion, management is able to make adequate judgements for
company.
TASK2
P2 Application of roles of leaders and function of managers in different situations
In every sort of association this is leaders and managers who play an important role in
building and maintaining strong employee relationships to keep them inspired for accomplishing
all task and duties. Leaders has to direct their followers in order to taking care of organisation's
goals and objectives by assigning task related to accomplishment of targets to workers. Superiors
of Barclays are capable of hitting all targets (Brown, Bessant and Lamming, 2013). For example
delivery of goods as well as services to clients to get higher satisfaction. Following are some
situations in which leaders and managers both are suppose to do their assigned task at same time.
Delegation of Authority: How an employee will feel connected with firm when he thinks
that he/she doing something for Barclays. So, make manpower connected with company; it is
required from human resource manager that they distribute task related to operational activities
along with adequate authorities and responsibilities. With assistance of rights and liabilities,
subordinates feel important and do their all assigned task with maximum efficiency which is
attainment of goals in limited period of time. Seniors have to make those plans and policies who
can support active participation of manpower into operational activities of business organisation.
If all task is divided among workers according to work-force's capabilities and skills then all
objectives will get achieve in short duration (Management and operation. 2015).
Decision Making Process: It is an important responsibility of manager that they should
make judgements with appropriateness and effective as these adequacies are necessary for
company's growth and success and both chieftain & managers have to play prominent part in this
decision making process as these management personnel can motivate their employees to take
part in these judgement building procedures in order to know all terms and conditions which are
related to job. Leaders are those who what would be the ways in which a worker can complete
his task (Hefetz and Warner, 2011). On the other hand, managers are those who directly shows
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solutions and tells how juniors can do activities. Sometimes both duties are same but seldom
these actions are differ in nature. By making efficient and profitable judgements, firm can gain
competitive advantage in market.
Employee Engagement: Workers are very important for any kind of association as
manpower are those who aids management in achieving organisation's goals and objectives. To
accomplish all operational activities in Barclays Bank, it is required from leaders and managers
that they should evolve a coordinating and friendly environment at workplace in order to spread
all information and order in best accurate manner. If all info are told very clear them
subordinates can make easy conversations related to their responsibilities and authorities and
further conflicts reduces in company.
Training and Development: It is a responsibility of manager that training need among
employees should be identified in order to achieve all targets with highest efforts and
efficiencies. When workers work in best profitable manner then it means they are removing extra
expenses from operation activities and this behaviour is reducing overall cost of company
(David, 2011).Henceforth, it is studied that there are same situations in which leaders and
managers act differently and this differ manner is able in making loss or profit to association.
P3 Different theories and models of approaches applied on situations within Barclays
Leadership is a process through management of a firm influences all associated persons
to accomplish a task. Managers and leaders adopt various theories and approaches that help in
facing different situations of a firm. Major causes like conflicts, poor quality of employee
performance etc. which affects overall operations of an organisation. Some approaches of
leadership are given below through which managers become able to solve problems arises in
Barclays:-
Situational leadership: Through this approach, a leaders becomes able to choose
effective members in a team from all workers. They help in accomplishing a task efficiently and
in a certain limit of time. It also allows leaders or managers to change style of leadership if
situation goes wrong which need not to adopt by team-workers (Holsapple, 2013).
Strengths Weaknesses
 This theory remembers the need of
flexibility of leaders as well as
 It ignores interpersonal relationship of
team-workers which affect their
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importance of associated persons.
 It includes intuitive appeal in
leadership.
performances in a task.
 It demands a leader to focus on type of
situation first before adopting the style
of leadership.
System leadership: It focuses on examining the system of organisation for solving
problems arises there. This leadership helps management in managing the demand of
organisation and people working in it. System leadership demands managers to change their
perception and way of management in order to solve conflicts and other situations.
Strengths Weaknesses
 This theory of approach incorporate the
role of environment.
 Interconnection of system and
environment release positive energy
and detailed information that enables a
firm to maintain a degree of
equilibrium (Kwon, Lee and Shin,
2014).
 It promote staff turnover and cost
effectiveness despite an increase in
production as this theory demands to
change the system of organisation if
problem persists more and more.
 Functional unity and harmony not
possible to maintain simultaneously.
Transformational leadership: This leadership helps in inspiring the people to perform
adequate work. Through this approach, leaders or managers become able to maintain positivity
in environment which raise high performance of organisation. It allows management for quick
formulation of vision.
Strengths Weaknesses
 It promote enthusiasm in working
environment that drives a company
with changes and innovation.
 In order to motivate people and brings
their morale up management require to
adopt this approach.
 When a company is facing many
problems then transformational leaders
rely on their passion. They fail to
motivate the employees to get them
headed in same direction.
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 It also carries potential for abuse.
TASK3
P4 Key approaches operations management
In every organization or a business management refers to the administrative body that
governs the activity to accomplish its objectives. It controls the organization through a strategy
that helps to achieve the goal with coordination and efforts of its employees along with
resources.
Operation management not only helps to produce the quality, but also it helps to manage
quality and services. Hospitals, companies, banking system are covered by it. It renders major
functions such as inventory control, supply chain, finance, ,marketing, human resources like
providing labour, etc. It requires to control and strategic and day- to day products and services
(Loutskina, 2011). Its core function is to decision making for the manufacturing and service
operation. It leads to provides the raw materials, labor, machinery, qualitative products,
susceptibility, planning, installation, product design, production planning, inventory control. It
manages all the activity by analysing the current state and then planned to proceed further state.
Key approaches of operations management
Total quality management- It refers to a quality of the end product, which implies that
staff must maintain the high quality of the goods and services. It is focused to produce the quality
product which includes the quality of raw material.
Lean production- Lean production refers, eliminate waste, increase fertilization,
maintains the high level quality to run a smooth business. It is based on customer satisfaction
that reduces the cost of production that develops economic profit.
Just-in-time- It involves the planning to save the inventory and waste that can raise an
issue of waste. This improves the efficiency and minimizes the waste that can be a loss. The
manager should know the requirements of inventories to avoid the loss.
Continuous improvement- Customer satisfaction is the main objective for any
organization, if a customer is not satisfied then the organization will not able to stand so far. To
impress the customer continues improvement is necessary, whether in terms of quality and
feasibility (McNeil, Frey and Embrechts, 2015). Day to day an organization should adopt the
new traits improve its economy.
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Role of leaders:
Leadership maximizes the efficiency to achieve certain goal.
 Initiative actions- Leader initiates to perform the task. It involves in formation
of policies and plans. It communicates in the middle and lower level to execute
the particular task.
 Motivation – It's one of the major role is motivate employees as friend,
philosopher and guide. It will improve the efficiency of work flow.
 Coordination- It helps to coordinate among internal staff and external
requirements both. It is one of the primary motive to get synchronized to
producing the products and services.
Role of manager:
 Manager of an organisation manage, direct and control all business activities in an
effective manner in order to achieve set targets in given time frame.
 They develop strategies and plaining to run all operations effectively which help to
enhance productivity employees (Pagell and Shevchenko, 2014).
 Barclays used total quality management approach at their work place to provide quality
of product to their customer which increase profitability.
Traits of leadership:
The effective leadership includes the following traits-
 Emotional stability- An effective leader must have psychological maturity to face the
future problems like that frustration, stress.
 Enthusiasm – A leader should be active, energetic, open to accept changes, so that
entire team works in a flow in an optimistic way.
 Conscientiousness – A leader has an internal desire to achieve high -quality standard
with best efforts. That includes capability to order their staff and leans to be self-
disciplined.
 Tough mindset- One should have a tough mindset, that leads to logical, practical
approach. Compulsiveness- Social interactions are not good for the leader, it can affect decision
making, reputation and integrity (Brigham and Houston, 2012).
Leadership styles:
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Leadership can have many styles, here two of them are as follows;s
 Autocratic leaders - Autocratic leaders are well known for their quick decisions.
They are quick to take the immediate decision when they don't need to consult
with their team. Sometimes ability to take fast decision making holds the
progress. It may a reason of disruption in staff but it pays a good outcome.
 Democratic leaders- It involves a team of members, although a final decision
takes place to follow. But it shares an agreement of satisfaction with an entire
organization, that gives a comfort and synergy to produce the output with all the
efforts (Slack, 2015). It encourages the productivity, creativity keeping
engagement of the team. It is not favourable when quick decision is required.
P5 Explain value and importance of operation management
Operations management is as important as finance and marketing for an organisation in
order to produce quality product and services. Barclays have effectively compete their
competitors in global market by effective utilisation of operation strategies. Manager of the
company develops plan to achieve goals and objectives in given time frame. The concept of
efficiencies and effectiveness revolves around operational work of the firms. It is a management
responsibility to manage and control all business process in a right way. Some important core
values of operations management are as follows: Integrity: At Barclays, whole business task upholds values of honesty, sincerity and
truthfulness while providing their services to customers. Management of an organisation
develop positive relationship between employees in order to achieve all objectives. Ethics: Barclays believes that strong moral code is a key component to earning trust
internally as well as externally. Internal with employees and external with customers.
Company set their core ethical principle in value statement (Slack, Brandon-Jones and
Johnston, 2013). Trust: This is a foundation of banking work which Barclays has follow. It begins with
firms workers and depends on customers. Trust between company and customer's help to
develop strong relationship among them which increase overall profitability of an
organisation. Thus, it helps to achieve common goals and commitments. Through trust,
management is able to gain high market share as compared to their competitors. Barclays
used this strategies to gain higher position at market place.
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 Safety: Barclays believes that safe working environment enhances productivity of the
employees. In this way, overall operational activities have improved.
Importance of business operations
 Companies all over profits raise when managers concentrate on decline of operational
cost instead of declining cost of finance or increasing sales as well as it is an integration
of three main marketing functions which are human resource, finance and marketing of
Barclays.
 It is a process which is very costly for organisation, where management concentrate on
all business activities in a proper way which help in controlling of product price.
 It affects the ability of a company while competing with their competitors at a place of
market as well as they provide main opportunities for Barclays to improve their
profitability and product quality.
 Plan, strategies, tools and techniques of managing operations are mainly used for
managing other departments of organisation (Tang and Musa, 2011) .
 Managers are free to concentrate on growth of new business, marketing, product quality
improvement or many others area of priority. For Solving issues, employees have to
concentrate on business instead of fixing issues. By this they can utilize their time more
effectively because these issues disturbs their daily tasks.
 Operations main elements is leanness, it means that to eliminate wastage by keeping their
functions of systems efficiently. Workers have able to maintaining the flow and manage
it when it is break down which help to improve their performance.
When workers look for issues, then they will develop plan solve it as possible as they
can. Employees should analyse the situations and they should have responsibility of making
decisions without asking from their managers. It doesn't mean that they will not discuss issues
with their managers.
TASK4
P6 Factors which affect business environment and creates an impact upon decision-making of
leaders and managers
Factors which have a large percentage of influence to a company and its operations
comes within business environment. It include internal and external elements which lead to low
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quality products that are manufactured within a firm. Poor quality of goods and services
discourage customers who purchase it. Thus, for such enterprises it making reap losses.
Managers and leaders require to provide adequate duties to members which are associated with
organisation (Choudhry, Cummins, and Plenderleith, 2012). They must construct a healthy
environment for workers and try to provide strong relationship among them. There are many
factors like unfair given to people, ineffective relation with other members, recruitment of
unskilled labour force etc. This would impact highly on organisations' decision-making. In
Barclays Bank, following are some section that influence businesses and operations to be carried
within:-
Internal Factors:-
Capacity Management: This is a critical part of an enterprise which keep down the IT
costs as well as qualities of services up. Therefore, managers need to improve IT costs per
service unit positions. It will improve performance, reduce consumptions and eliminate
redundant work. Leaders should analyse, monitor and optimise utilisation of this resource in a
perfect manner. This will lead Barclays to more through its service level as well as helps leaders
and managers to make more informed decisions.
Socio-culture dimension: It has included customs, mores, values and some demographic
characteristics of a society in which an enterprise operates. Therefore, it affects business in a
large manner. Managers and leaders need to study this dimension which indicates product,
services and standard of a firm.
Business Ethics: It examines ethical principles, morales and problems that arise in an
enterprise. Ethical role of managers is to make decisions by taking stakeholders under their
consideration. Managers and leaders in Barclays acts as a role model for other members in
context with their duties. They provide rewards and discipline around ethical and unethical
decisions. This would help in maintaining ethical status also (Brown, Bessant and Lamming,
2013).
External Factors:
Competitors: Competition in marketplace makes companies to stay and go further
ahead from their competitors. It would impact on enterprises in both positive and negative ways.
Rising the rivalries demand a company to make new policies and strategies in order to make
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effective production. It would positively affects on customers as they would get choice to choose
a better and qualitative product.
CSR: Corporate Social Responsibility is a management concept that requires from firm
to integrate these concerns in business operations. An organisation need to have a sense of
responsibilities towards community in which it operates. It has to reduces the wastage of
production for environment production. Managers and leaders establishes a culture of CSR in an
effective way by making a good relationship with stakeholders.
Economic Dimension: This dimension shows overall status of economic system of a
company. Inflation, deflation rate and unemployment are some economic factors which affect
demand for products at marketplace. As in inflation period, enterprises pay more on its resources
and raw materials which cover higher costs. Also, customers will becomes less willing to
purchase the products. While on other hand, in deflation time all process goes in opposite way.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that, management of operations are a very main
part of an company for meeting objectives and goals in a given period of time. Leaders role and
managers functions are affecting the activities of enterprise for increasing productivity and
profitability. Barclays use total management of quality and just-in-time approaches at their
working environment which improve their shares of markets and make a positive image among
consumers. Managers controlling, planning and management of all activities of operations in a
proper way. Leaders execute plan and strategies at a place of working. They are having ability to
influence workers behaviours towards their work. They are having ability to encourage their
employees as well as raise productivity of work. Management of Barclays use proper techniques
of operations and plan to develop their image of brand in consumers mind.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ageron, B., Gunasekaran, A. and Spalanzani, A., 2012. Sustainable supply management: An
empirical study. International journal of production economics. 140(1). pp.168-182.
Bhamu, J. and Singh Sangwan, K., 2014. Lean manufacturing: literature review and research
issues. International Journal of Operations & Production Management. 34(7). pp.876-
940.
Bozarth, C. C., Handfield, R. B. and Chandiran, P., 2013. Introduction to operations and supply
chain management. (p. 387). Harlow: Pearson.
Brigham, E. F. and Houston, J. F., 2012. Fundamentals of financial management. Cengage
Learning.
Brown, S., Bessant, J. R. and Lamming, R., 2013. Strategic operations management. Routledge.
Choudhry, M., Cummins, J. and Plenderleith, I., 2012. The principles of banking. (Vol. 5). New
York: Wiley.
David, F. R., 2011. Strategic management: Concepts and cases. Peaeson/Prentice Hall.
Hefetz, A. and Warner, M. E., 2011. Contracting or public delivery? The importance of service,
market, and management characteristics. Journal of public administration research and
theory. 22(2). pp.289-317.
Holsapple, C. ed., 2013. Handbook on knowledge management 1: Knowledge matters. (Vol. 1).
Springer Science & Business Media.
Kwon, O., Lee, N. and Shin, B., 2014. Data quality management, data usage experience and
acquisition intention of big data analytics. International Journal of Information
Management. 34(3). pp.387-394.
Loutskina, E., 2011. The role of securitization in bank liquidity and funding management.
Journal of Financial Economics. 100(3). pp.663-684.
McNeil, A. J., Frey, R. and Embrechts, P., 2015. Quantitative risk management: Concepts,
techniques and tools. Princeton university press.
Pagell, M. and Shevchenko, A., 2014. Why research in sustainable supply chain management
should have no future. Journal of supply chain management. 50(1). pp.44-55.
Slack, N., 2015. Operations strategy. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A. and Johnston, R., 2013. Operations management. Pearson.
Tang, O. and Musa, S. N., 2011. Identifying risk issues and research advancements in supply
chain risk management. International journal of production economics. 133(1). pp.25-
34.
Online:
Management and operation. 2015. [online] Available through:
<https://managementhelp.org/operationsmanagement/index.htm>
Function of operation management. 2012. [online] Available through:
<https://www.cleverism.com/operations-management-definition-principles-activities-
trends/>
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