Leadership and Management in Operations: A Case Study of Amazon

This report provides a comprehensive comparison of the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers within the context of operational management, using Amazon as a case study. It explores the distinct responsibilities of leaders, who motivate and guide teams, and managers, who control and oversee operations. The report delves into the functions performed by managers, such as planning, organizing, commanding, controlling, and coordinating, and examines how these functions are applied in various situational contexts, including moderate, stable, and rapidly changing environments. It also discusses different leadership theories, including situational leadership, system leadership, and contingency leadership, and their applications in business settings. The report concludes by highlighting the interrelation between management and operations and emphasizes the impact of both internal and external factors on business decisions.

Management And Operation

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
P1. Comparison of different role and features of leader and manager........................................1
P2 Role of leader and function of manager in various situational context..................................3
P3 Different theories of leadership..............................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
P4 Key approaches to operation management and role that manger and leader play. (Covered
In PPT).........................................................................................................................................5
P5 Importance and values of operation management in achieving business objective (Covered
In PPT). .......................................................................................................................................5
P6 Factors of business environment impact upon operational management and decision
making by leaders and managers (Covered In PPT)....................................................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
INTRODUCTION
In today's world it is very important for companies to have a systematic and skilled
manager and leader that are responsible to operate and managed different business operation. In
general operation management is consider to be the practice that help to maximise the efficiency
of business activities and earn revenue (Management Operation, 2018). This help in effective
use of available resources, workforce, equipments and raw material. In this project Amazon is
selected to better understand the concept. It is an American company located in Seattle,
Washington and it became the world third largest information technology company.
In this project report, different role and characteristic of leader and manager are
discussed. There are different kind of management approaches that help in achieving of

predefined goals and objective. Report also shows the different business environmental elements
that effect the operational management of company.
P1. Comparison of different role and features of leader and manager.
Leader: In business world, an individual that have the skill to lead and handle a group of
people is known as leader. They are responsible to motivate team member to make them work
for the attainment of company goal. In Amazon, leader focus to lead and guide various
functioning team so that work is performed in most effective manner.
Manager: On the other side manager are defined as a person who have skills and ability
to manage, control and operate different business operation and other functional unit of
company. Similarly, manager of Amazon plays an important role by making proper plans, gather
information and controlling various business activities.
So it is very necessary for companies to have skilled and professional leader and manager
that help in proper management and operation of different business project. In Amazon, high
authority wants to manage and control their numerous operation and management function in
order to make smooth and effective functioning. Manager and leader have different roles and
characteristic according to their position in company that are described below:
Roles of Leader and manager:
Roles of Manager Roles of Leader
In Amazon, manager influence, control and
manage the entire company (Webb, 2017).
Leader in Amazon motivate all team member
and individual so that project is executed in
proper manner.
Manager are responsible to analyse the
performance of all team member working in
company and made improvement if required.
In Amazon, leader is responsible to take
initiative in work as they are answerable for
their group member performance.
In Amazon, they perform different function
such as, planning, organising, controlling,
staffing and directing.
Leader help in proper execution of different
business activities by collecting day to day
information and making plans accordingly.

They record and analysis business activities on
weekly and monthly basis and make strategies
to attain goals accordingly.
They ensure that how each member of team
will be going to perform certain task to achieve
set target.
Manager of Amazon, help to develop skills and
ability in employees by proper training and
development programs.
In Amazon, leader applies trail approach of
leadership as they think that leader are made
not born.
Characteristic of manager and leader are described below:
Basis Leader Manager
Nature Leader take risk to complete
the assigned work in effective
time.
Manager manage and control
risk in operation of Amazon.
Initiative They focus to help to set the
vision for its team member.
Manager program for the to
achieve short and long term
goals in the company.
Behaviour Leader provide credit to the
deserving team member. This
make other team member to
work hard so that next time
they might achieve the same
benefits
Manager think of themselves
as, it company perform well
they take the credit for
improvement in operations.
Manner Leaders of Amazon perform
activities with innovative
leadership style.
Managers of Amazon
set benchmark to perform task
and achieve goals.
P2 Role of leader and function of manager in various situational context.
In present era, without an effective leader and manager companies are not able to achieve
predefined goals in a particular period. So, manager and leader of company plays significant role
to achieve goal in efficient manner (Strande and Brdjanovic, 2014). Therefore, there are various
function performed by manager of Amazon and their leader. According to Fayol, he describes

managerial function that includes planning, commanding, controlling, organising and
coordinating that support in smooth functioning. It is observed that a company’s faces different
types of situation in its daily operation depending on market situation. Therefore, to deal with
these situation manager of Amazon performs different function these are describe below:
Planning:
This is related to analysing past event and making effective plans to meet future
uncertainties. Manager of Amazon formulate numerous plans by analysing the past events to cop
up with future situation. For example, they analyse the past sales and make effective discount
plans to increase online sales in upcoming time.
Organising:
According to this process manager make sure that resources of company are utilise in
effective manner that help to increase the profitability and productivity. In Amazon, manager
organise, enough capital, sufficient workforce and ensure that there is proper availability of
resources which further support in smooth and ease working of company. For example, manager
in Amazon, ascertain the best and skilled employees to handle online portal of company.
Commanding:
This function of manager is related to supervision of routine work performed by
employees so that improvement can be made that aid to achieve goals. Manager of Amazon,
supervise the work of each team member according to the company policy that makes employees
satisfy and they execute work with full potential.
Controlling:
In general, controlling is the process related to control activities of companies and make
sure that these are performed according to the guidelines and preset plans. Manager of Amazon,
makes proper plans to control business operation, compare performance of employees with
standard and make corrective action in order to meet the problem arising in company (Rushton,
Croucher and Baker, 2014).
Coordinating:
This function of manager is related to synchronise of operation and activities executed
within company. The consonant activities of business entity aid to perform function better. The
primary purpose of skilfulness is to create motivation and faithful in team member.
Various situation of companies.

Small and large businesses face different situation, so role of leader in order to deal with
these situation are described below:
Moderate Situation:
This situation is related to the changes that have taken place according to the requirement
of market not on frequent manner. These changes are basically because of changes in taste and
trends of people in any segment, food, clothing etc. Therefore, leader and manager of Amazon
make valuable polices and organise available resources that help to deal with changes and makes
employees to work accordingly.
Stable situation:
These situations are referred to stable for company as changes do not take place
promptly. When these situation arises, manager and leader take analyse the market situation and
take action to deal with changes. So in Amazon manager and leader examine the taste and trends
of people related to cloth, food etc. and promote different product according to meet the
requirement of customer. The also apply new online technologies which support in customer
satisfaction and expand customer base (Reim, Parida and Sjödin, 2016).
Rapid changes:
These changes takes place very promptly and these situation are helpful in attaining
companies goals. Nowadays rapid changes in techniques and technologies are best example of
rapid changes that every companies have to deal with. Therefore to deal with changes
management of Amazon have introduced mobile application. And leader have to closely look
upon these application for latest up dates.
P3 Different theories of leadership.
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP:
Situational leadership style is introduced by Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard. This is
the theories when managers and leaders of company necessary to set their style so that they fit
the development level of the followers. This is essential as it motivate and support workplace
that would increase the productivity. This leadership style is generally used to face the situation.
They deal with conditions and vision that supports in more effectual influence outcomes.
Amazon should use this style so that it built morale between their workers and develop a
productive surroundings. And also their leaders have potential to tackle with situations.
System Leadership:

System leadership change leaders of company to develop the situations where humans at
every levels can work fruitfully according to their potential. It depends upon principles that is
related with the behaviours of individual’s attitudes on particular changes in leadership, social
process and strategies of organisation. Amazon is using this leadership style as it is effectual
system to anticipate behaviours of humans by using techniques and tools. Also assists to
maximize efficiency of leaders or managers to increase their productivity.
Contingency leadership
Contingency leadership is a theory that is introduced by Fiedler in year 1951 and it
depends on the quality of leadership which is prefer by the managers and leaders in a way to
punctuate correct conditions. This style is related with situational prospect in behaviours, styles
and personality that is generally constant. They are leading with well-defined problems that is
related to maximize profit.
TASK 2
P4 Key approaches to operation management and role that manger and leader play. (Covered In
PPT)
P5 Importance and values of operation management in achieving business objective (Covered In
PPT).
P6 Factors of business environment impact upon operational management and decision making
by leaders and managers (Covered In PPT)
CONCLUSION
From the above mention report it is concluded that management and operations are
interrelated with each other. It is concluded that company is leading with theories and
approaches to gain goals and objectives. This is based on examining styles for sustaining better
results. Apart from that conclusion in made in regarding that which obtain positive and negative
decisions made by leader and manager. It is observed that there are different external and internal
factors that may influence the business of company. Therefore, manager with the help of
management operation develop plans, polices to increase productivity and performance in short
and long run.

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