Roles and Characteristics of a Leader and Manager in Management and Operations

This document provides an in-depth analysis of the roles and characteristics of a leader and manager in management and operations. It discusses the application of different theories and models in different situational contexts. It also explores the approaches of operations management in Tesco, a leading supermarket in the UK.

Management and
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1: Roles and characteristics of a leader and manager................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................2
P2: Role of a leader and function of a manager in different situational contexts........................3
P3: Application of different theories and models........................................................................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................5
P4: Approaches of operations management.................................................................................5
P5: Describe the significance of operations management in reaching organisational goals.......6
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
P6: Impact of factors within the business environment...............................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Management refers to the processes which are used by the managers in order to ensure
that the organization is managed in a proper manner. Operations refers to the overall systems in a
company which create an impact on its working pattern. Both of them are quite crucial to be
considered by the organizations so that they are able to manage their functioning in a proper
manner. For the managers it is essential that they are able to ensure that proper efficiency and
effectiveness can be maintained in both of them (Akhtar and et.al., 2018). This report will focus
on Tesco. It is a company which deals in groceries and other related products. In this assignment,
a detailed analysis will be made on differentiation between role of a leader and function of a
manager, application of role of leader and function of manager in given contexts, demonstration
of the role which they play in operations function. Additionally, focus will be made on
demonstration of understanding of relationship between leadership and management in
contemporary business environment.
TASK 1
P1: Roles and characteristics of a leader and manager
Leader: A leader is a person who leads their team by giving directions to the members
of their team to achieve their goal effectively and efficiently (Babich and Kouvelis, 2018).
Leader is the only person that helps to increase the motivation level of employees by giving
proper guidance. In Tesco different leaders are fix in different department who guide their
subordinates so that they can do work in proper manner with great effort as Tesco is a big
supermarket in UK as the work of each department are interlinked with each other so the leader
of each department make control over their members and also give instruction regarding manner
of doing work.
Role of leader: Leader plays a crucial role in team to give instruction to their team
members. In below mentioned point some roles are explain detail.
Strategist:They are the person that make strategies. Leader of Tesco helps to plan
strategies and making policies so that it can easily achieve organisational goal.
Decision maker: The person who takes the decision are known as decision maker. The
skilled leaders of Tesco take participation in effective making time to time that is beneficial for it
to expand business.
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Characteristics:
Integrity and Honesty: It is the main feature that should be found in every good leader.
In Tesco leaders work with honesty that helps to increase trust of their team members and
managers.
Tolerance of stress: Effective leader have good power of tolerance to handle stressful
situation. The leader of Tesco has very high level of patience that helps them to word effectively
without taking any stress.
Manager is an individual that perform the functions of management like planning,
organising, controlling, staffing, directing etc. and manager is the only person that is responsible
for doing all the administrative functions (Cachon, Girotra and Netessine, 2020). In Tesco each
department has separate managers that helps to make control and manage the working related to
their department.
Roles of Manager: Manager also play an important role by performing the monitoring
function and making control over their subordinates.
Disturbance Handler: The person who is responsible to handle the unfavourable
situation is known disturbance handler. In Tesco managers handle all the problems and
disturbances that was prevail in the working place to maintain peace and harmony.
Resource allocator: They are the person who allocates the various resources in different
sectors as per their need. The managers of Tesco allocate their human resources at the right place
at right time according to their skills and knowledge so that they can easily perform their task on
time.
Characteristic:
Confidence: As various functions are to be performed by managers so it necessary to
develop confidence level. Tesco has talented and confident managers that makes good impact on
the operations of business.
Delegation: It is the function of giving authority and work to their subordinates by
superiors. In Tesco managers delegate the work according to requirement so that other persons
also learn to handle the difficult situation in business.
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TASK 2
P2: Role of a leader and function of a manager in different situational contexts
In an organization, there can be various types of situations which can occur. Thus the
leaders and managers are required to make sure that they are able to manage these situations in
an effective manner. The situations which can take place in Tesco are as follows-
Situation 1- In Tesco, the employees are not working in a proper manner and this is
creating problems and issues. It has created an impact on the overall level of efficiency,
effectiveness and productivity level in the company.
Role of a leader- The leaders of Tesco are required to play the role of a delegator here by
delegating the authority to take decisions in an effective manner to the employees. Also the tasks
of the subordinates should be delegated to them by the leader so that they are able to perform
well. In Tesco this will help the employees in performing their tasks properly.
Function of a manager- The managers of Tesco are required to perform the function of
organizing here because they need to allocate specific tasks to the employees which they can
perform thus leading towards an enhancement of their overall level of efficiency and
effectiveness.
Situation 2- In Tesco the employees are showing resistance towards the adoption of new
technology and thus this is creating an impact on the overall level of efficiency, effectiveness and
productivity in the organization.
Role of a leader- In Tesco, the leader is required to play the role of a change agent so
that the changes can be applied within the organization. This will help in ensuring that the
change process can be carried on smoothly. In this way the changes will be applied effectively in
the company without problems and issues.
Function of a manager- In Tesco, the managers need to perform the function of
directing so that proper directions can be provided to the staff members so that the change is
handled in a right manner.
Situation 3- In the retail sector several changes have been witnessed. Tesco is also
required to make proper plans to adapt to these changes. This is important because it is necessary
for the organization to sustain in the market.
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Role of a leader- Tesco's leaders are required to play the role of visionary because by
creating a vision for the organization a better strategy can be framed by them for adapting to the
changes.
Function of a manager- Tesco's managers are required to perform the function of
planning here because by making its use they will be able to create proper plans to be
implemented in the company.
Situation 4- In Tesco, there is a shortage of staff as there is a requirement for employees
in the different departments of the company. Thus it is impacting the overall operations in the
organization.
Role of a leader- Tesco's leaders have to play the role of decision-maker as the decisions
regarding hiring of staff are required to be made by them so that employees can be hired in the
company.
Function of a manager- The managers of Tesco are required to perform the function of
Staffing so that the staff members are recruited within the company. This can help the company
to ensure that it is able to recruit the right people for doing its work.
Situation 5- In Tesco some of the departments are not working properly and are not able
to meet their performance standards which have been set for them. For the firm this is creating
problems and issues as its work is getting affected.
Role of a leader- In Tesco, the leaders are required to play the role of a coach and guide
the people working in these departments so that they are able to work properly to achieve the
business objectives.
Function of a manager- Tesco's managers are required to perform the Controlling
function here so that they are able to ensure that they can assess the overall performance and
identify deviations and variances so that they can be rectified.
P3: Application of different theories and models
In any organization, the leaders can make use of various theories and models so that they
are able to ensure that they can take effective decisions for the benefit of the firm (Fisher,
Olivares and Staats, 2020). In Tesco, the leaders can make the use of the following theories and
model so that they can take effective decisions-
Situational leadership-
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According to this model, it is believed that a leader is required to take various decisions
according to the given situation (Hicok and Barmore, 2016). The leaders of Tesco can adopt this
theory by using the various approaches under it such as- Telling, Selling, Participating and
Delegating. By making its use they will be able to ensure that they can use any one of them
according to the nature of the situation so that it can be dealt with in an effective manner. For
example- In Tesco, the employees are demanding an increase in their salary due to the extra
work which they have been doing. Thus the leaders of the company are required to make sure
that they can make the use of this leadership approach by identifying the best way through which
this situation can be dealt with in an effective manner which will ensure that the firm is able to
satisfy its workers appropriately.
Systems leadership-
In it the leaders aim to transform the entire system of the organization. This is required so
that employees at different levels can work productively to attain their goals and objectives
(Holguín-Veras and et.al., 2018). In Tesco, the requirement is to make sure that the leaders are
able to use it so that they are able to ensure that the functioning of the organization can be
handled in a proper manner allowing it to achieve sustainable level of success in the future time
period. For example- In Tesco, the management wants to use advanced machinery for the
production process. This is a change which will require alterations being done in the system.
Thus the leaders of the company are required to make sure that they make the use of this theory
so that they are able to ensure that a higher-level of efficiency and effectiveness can be brought
in the processes.
Contingency leadership-
According to this theory, the success of a leader not only depends upon the leadership
style but also depends upon the various other factors of the organization which are to be
considered by the leaders (Karlsson, 2016). They create an impact on the various decisions
which they are taking for the organization. Tesco's leaders are required to make its use so that the
company is able to attain the desired level of success. The variables of leadership which can
create an impact on the leaders are- Leader, Follower, Organization and the Environment. For
example- Tesco's employees are resisting the change which the management of the organization
wants to bring and thus in this way an overall impact is being created on the processes of the
company due to this. Thus here, the leaders of the company can make use of this theory so that
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they can consider the factors within it which create an impact on it which will enable them to
take an appropriate decision in this situation which will help in making the process of change
more smoother.
TASK 3
P4: Approaches of operations management
Operations Management and their approaches: Operation Management is the area of
management concerned that helps to increase the efficiency by converting raw material and
labour into goods and services (Lockwood and Euler, 2016). The approaches that are followed
for effective management related to operations are Six Sigma and Lean Principles. Tesco by
adopting this approach do planning, organising, and supervising steps to achieve their business
targets in effective and efficient manner.
Lean Production: It is the systematic way of production process so as to fulfill the target
with out wasting resources.
Six Sigma: This approach reduces the probability of wrong decision making by the
management it involves risk (López-Torres and et.al., 2019). This approach enables the
managers to take reliable decision after analysing the risk involved under it.
Five steps of Six Sigma are DMAIC that means define, measures, analyse, improve and
control. To solve unsolvable problem this ideology is used in Tesco.
Defining: Experts of Tesco defines the area that requires attention as per requirement and
goals for that deep study is required.
Measuring: The performance is to be measured at the initial stage of production in Tesco
so that if there is any deviation in performance, effective measures can be taken easily.
Analysing: By isolating each input, analysation is to be performed by experts in Tesco. It
also find out the reason for failure and the process to solve the problem is also identify by team.
Improving: To improve the level of performance team work is to be performed by
workers in Tesco to achieve the targets fixed by the leaders.
Controlling: As controlling is the continuous function that is done by seniors of Tesco to
avoid ineffective working.
The role of Tesco's leaders and managers is to ensure that that they are able to identify
the areas where the manufacturing processes need significant improvement which will therefore
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ensure that they are able to produce quality products which are quite useful for the customers.
Thus by playing this role the leaders and managers of the company will be able to implement Six
Sigma Approach in a smooth manner.
Steps of Lean Principles:
Define Value: Value is the paramount that customer is willing to pay. By adopting
various techniques professionals in Tesco discover customer find value.
Map the value stream: In Tesco all the activities are to be identified by customer that
effects these value.
Create flow: There is need of proper flow of working between all department. By
reducing wastage and issues Tesco run smoothly without any wastage.
Establish Pull: To limit inventory the goal of pull based system is followed by Tesco.
Pursue perfection: Every employee of Tesco need perfection, at the time of delivering
product as per customer requirement.
The role of leaders and managers of Tesco should be to make sure that they are able to
identify the problems and issues with the process of manufacturing and use appropriate
techniques and approaches through the implementation of Lean principles which will allow their
rectification.
Roles of Leaders: Facilitator, strategist, visionary, influencer, decision maker, team player ,
delegate , Listener, etc. are some major role played by every leader of Tesco.
Role performed by manager: Monitor, Spokes person, leader, liaison, resource allocator,
entrepreneur, disturbance handler, negotiator are the role act by Tesco managers.
P5: Describe the significance of operations management in reaching organisational goals.
The operation management consist of planning, evaluating and supervisory functions of
management in the process of producing and manufacturing of products and outputs. It is the
duty of operation management to perform all the activities related to managing raw material,
human resources, equipments, technology and producing product and service according to the
liking of customers. It helps in taking competitive advantages through effective and efficient
manufacturing, profit maximisation and customer satisfaction. Operation management plays
significant role in the achievement of objectives of Tesco in following ways :
Customer satisfaction :- Customer is the first and last link of any organisation (Manikas,
Patel and Oghazi, 2019). It is very important to address customers in the production of goods and
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services. Operation management helps in generating customer base and satisfying them with
expected outputs. It is the task of operation management to analyse the requirements of people,
ensuring all the features are made as per the demand and then providing them with quality of
products.
Management of quality :- Another important role played by operation management is to
manage the quality of products. For which the operation department observes the demand and
desires of consumers and developing suitable products with good quality. This helps in attracting
customers and creating need of buying in their minds. Quality is also an important factor
considered in production and manufacturing process of a company.
Generating revenues :- Revenue generation is an important objective of a organisation.
Operation management ensures the proper manufacturing of materials in respect to make a
outcome with effective quality. This plays vital role in rising customer base of the company. The
large customer base leads to revenue generation. Thus, operation management assist in creating
revenues.
Eliminating wastage :- The operation management eliminates the wastage in the process
through different techniques such as-lean manufacturing, six sigma for waste disposal. It is the
responsibility of operation management to manage waste for even functioning of process of
converting of input (raw material) into final output (product). This leads to effective production.
Motivating employees :- Another important role of operation management is to motivate
and encourage employees & staff for successful operation of business (Mérand and Rayroux,
2016). The operation department used different tools and method of employee motivation such
as-monetary benefits, fringe benefits, job status & job enrichment etc.
Competitive advantages :- Operation management helps the organisation in getting
competitive advantages over its competitors through increasing customer base, effective
production and optimum utilisation of human and work resources.
By considering above discussion, it is found that operation management of Tesco helps
in attaining large customers base with high capacity of buying. The different techniques of
operation management like lean manufacturing and six sigma helps the company in disposal of
waste. Operation management also helps Tesco in reaching standard quality of products,
satisfying customers with healthy and hygiene products. Further, efficient and smooth
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functioning of operation process helps the company in entertaining competitive benefits and
impressive revenues.
TASK 4
P6: Impact of factors within the business environment
Business Environment of an organization consists of various factors which can create an
impact on the level of operations (Sartal, Rodríguez and Vázquez, 2020). For analysing it
PESTEL analysis needs to be considered. Through it the different factors which impact the
business environment of the organizations can be analysed effectively and efficiently. The
analysis in the context of Tesco is as follows-
Political factors- A change in political situations affect the business organizations
because they are required to consider them before taking decisions (Spandre and et.al., 2016). In
Tesco, these factors can impact the leaders and managers because the political conditions in U.K.
are dynamic and can change anytime. They impact the leaders and managers in the company
because due to a change in them they need to alter the style of functioning and decisions.
Economic factors- In a country, there can be constant changes within the economy. This
is an important factor which influences the profits of the organization. In U.K., the economic
conditions are favourable for the businesses and thus they create an influence on the level of
profits which they are earning. For the leaders and managers of Tesco it is important to consider
them and analyse their impact on the business so that the style of operation and decisions can be
altered.
Social factors- Social customs and traditions have an impact on the businesses because
they need to change their products and services due to them. In U.K., a change in the lifestyle
attitudes of the customers can make sure that the customers are attracted towards some of the
products of Tesco. This can create an impact on their leaders and managers because it will
impact the way they operate and take their decisions.
Technological factors- In a dynamic business environment, frequent technological
changes are witnessed. Thus for the organizations it becomes important to adapt to them. In
U.K., the customers are quite conscious towards the technology and therefore the requirement
from the firms is to adjust according to the needs and requirements of the customers in terms of
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technology. Therefore Tesco's leaders and managers have to consider them and an impact can be
created by them on their operations management and decision-making.
Environmental factors- Nowadays, the customers are quite conscious towards the
environment. Thus they expect the companies to be environment-friendly in their approach. In
U.K., the environment regulations are quite strict and the companies are required to follow them.
Therefore in Tesco, the operations management and decision-making of the leaders and
managers is impacted due to it.
Legal factors- A company needs to respect the laws of the country in which it operates.
This is necessary due to compliance and regulatory reasons (Terwiesch and et.al., 2020). Thus in
U.K., there are various laws which should be considered by the organizations. Therefore Tesco is
required to consider them and identify their impact on the level of profits. The way of operating
and the decisions of leaders and managers can be impacted due to the influence created by these
factors.
Corporate Social Responsibility- It refers to the responsibility of the companies which
they are required to play towards the society. Nowadays, the companies are required to make
sure that they take it seriously and ensure that they are able to fulfil it by taking of right steps.
Thus, in contemporary times it becomes the responsibility of Tesco's leaders and managers to
make sure that they are able to alter their decisions so that the CSR can be fulfilled effectively
and efficiently. This enables the organization to be able to contribute towards the society and
ensure that it can fulfil its role by helping the society by supporting it. Thus it is an important
external factor which is required to be considered by the company's leaders and managers.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that management and operations is quite
essential for the proper functioning of the organization. The leaders and managers of a firm are
required to consider them so that they can make sure that they can bring more productivity in the
company. There are different types of roles and characteristics of leaders and managers. They
can be applied according to the various situations. Various theories of leadership can be applied
by the leaders in the firm depending on the situation. Approaches of operations management are
quite essential for maintaining the required efficiency and effectiveness in the operations. There
is an importance of operations management in the achievement of different types of business
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objectives. Different factors in the business environment can create an impact on the leaders and
managers of the organization.
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