Analysis of Leadership and Management in Arcadia Group's Operations

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Management Operations
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Table of Contents
Introduction...................................................................................................................... 3
LO1.................................................................................................................................. 4
LO2.................................................................................................................................. 7
LO3................................................................................................................................ 10
LO4................................................................................................................................ 12
Conclusion..................................................................................................................... 14
Reference List................................................................................................................ 15
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Introduction
In a business context, ensuring the efficiency of operations that uphold the
organisational structure is determined through the management of operations. This is
performed through the effective application of appropriate leadership and management
styles. The leadership attribute applied within an organisational context can be identified
as the tactics applied by companies in their internal procedure that enable them to lead
a group of employees to attain the primary business objectives in their operations of the
competitive business environment. The management function implemented in the
organisational context is identified through the ability of the business groups to perform
their business activities by appropriate implementation of managerial tactics in
managing staffs, resources, goals and operational procedures to achieve the business
objectives.
The study will provide a comprehensive view of the operations management deployed
within the organisational entity of Arcadia Group in attaining their business goals in the
competitive environment. Established in 1904, the Arcadia Group had expanded their
business in the global business environment rapidly by the implementation of a variety
of tactics in leadership and management within the market environment
(Arcadiagroup.co.uk, 2019). The study evaluates a variety of leadership roles and
management theories applied within the organisational context to avail optimum results
from their business operations in the business environment. The efficiency of the
leadership qualities and managerial abilities in the business environment to achieve the
necessary results in the market environment is justified through the study.
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LO1
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a
manager
A manager is defined as an individual who performs the basic functions of managing,
planning, leading, controlling and organising the available resources within an
organisational context to achieve the business objectives for the organisation efficiently
(Chen and Rybak, 2017). The leaders of an organisation are individuals with the ability
to influence a large group of employees in order to achieve the goals and objectives
developed by the management of the organisation (Roos and Pike, 2018).
Considering the internal operations of an organisation such as the Arcadia Group, it can
be suggested that the leader’s role within the organisational context is observed in the
following ways:
 The attribute of a leader is examined through their operational ability to process,
develop and plan strategies essential for the success of the organisation in the
competitive business environment. Leadership skills ensure the company’s
scope of succeeding in the market during critical times such as during Brexit
referendum. Arcadia Group’s leaders ensured the operations of the business
were performed efficiently during the moments of political and economic turmoil
that the market environment was going through.
 It is the duty of a leader to acquire the role of a representative for the business
organisation in any situation. The need for a representative may arise at any
point in time that should be fulfilled by the leaders of any organisation in order to
attain a better brand image in the business environment. The leaders in the
customer relations department of the company and the human resource
department from Arcadia Group acted as the representative of the company
during the labour crisis the group experienced.
 The leaders’ ability to accept subordinates’ opinion regarding modifications in
the overall business objectives is beneficial for the success of the company in a
competitive environment (Pardey, 2016). This role of the leaders ensures the
employees are satisfied with the abilities of the leaders in the organisational
context. It enhances employee satisfaction levels within the company as well.
 The duties and roles of leaders include their ability to ensure the personal
objectives of every employee are in alignment with the overall business
objectives to improve the scope of the organisation in succeeding in the
business sphere. Enhanced employee engagement activities, as well as
satisfaction among the employees, allow the organisation to develop their
internal objectives effectively that is in accordance with the employees’ individual
goals.
 The success of an organisation lies in the leaders’ quality to act as a friend,
guide and philosopher at times when their employees need guidance through
difficult times. It is identified in Arcadia Group’s internal leaders that providing
suggestions and guidance for employees to ensure the organisational ability to
function efficiently during moments of crisis is achieved.
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The organisational ability to succeed in the business environment relies on managerial
roles and capacities as well. The role of managers within the organisational context is
examined through the application of Mintzberg’s managerial roles within companies that
enable the success of the business in the competitive market environment. It is the duty
of the managers within businesses to ensure the available physical, financial and
human resources are allocated to individual departments within the organisational
context (Northouse, 2018). It is necessary that managers within an organisational
department of a company perform their duties through three major roles as depicted in
the Mintzberg’s managerial roles model- interpersonal, decisional and informational
roles.
Figure 1: Mintzberg’s managerial roles
(Source: Extracted from the support)
The managers within every department overlook the operations performed efficiently
through the performance of the following roles as a part of their job roles:
 It can be observed within Arcadia Group’s internal operations that the managers
perform effective activities by following the interpersonal roles according to
Mintzberg’s managerial roles in the organisational context. By acting as a
figurehead and liaison as well as leader during the certain crisis the brand
experienced during the Brexit referendum, the managers within the organisation
were able to develop strategies in order to extract better results through their
business operations.
 Managers at Arcadia perform the informational role within the organisational
context by fulfilling their duties as they monitor the business activities. The
managers at Arcadia through the ability in order to perform and develop tactics
that ensure the success of the organisation in the turbulent economy of the UK
performed the role of being a disseminator and a spokesperson.
 The ability of the managers to perform their business roles and duties within the
organisational environment through their decisional skills of making
entrepreneurial decisions is achieved by the managers of Arcadia Group. The
managersperform the role of adisturbance handler and by allocating resources
within the organisational context in order to achieve the business objectives. The
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negotiation skills of the managers ensure the staffs within the company enable
the organisation to succeed in the competitive market economy.
Considering the Mintzberg’s managerial roles and leadership aspects within the
organisational context, the employees of Arcadia group prove that the staffs are able to
succeed in the organisational ability to perform their duties in the business environment.
The authority of the leaders and managers within the company ensures the brand is
able to perform their business in the competitive environment. The skills and qualities of
managers and leaders within the organisational ability enable the company to succeed
in the competitive business environment. The managerial ability of the leaders and
managers in the organisational context ensure the staffs are able to provide better
results in the competitive market economy.
Leaders and managers during different situations within the organisational context apply
their abilities to improve the organisational position in the crisis. In a stable situation, the
leaders apply contingency leadership ideology to improve the situation of the company
in the business environment. In a slow to moderate changing environment within the
company, managers and leaders apply situational leadership tactic in developing the
situation within the company (Hoffman and Tadelis, 2018). In a fast changing situation,
the leaders rely on the managerial ability to allocate resources and attributes in a way
that damage is not afflicted on the company’s business operations and the organisation
successfully operates regardless of internal and external changes in the business
environment.
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LO2
P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager
apply in different situational contexts
In different organisational situations, the leadership role and managerial roles are
interchanged as per the need of the company in order to operate successfully in the
business environment. The role of a leader and the functional abilities of a manager
within the organisational situations apply in various ways that affect the way staffs within
the organisation function in the business environment.
Figure 2: Functions of a manager
(Source: Extracted from support)
As observed from the figure above, the functions of a manager within the context of
Arcadia is recognised through the various attributes related to the departmental
functions and situations the company experiences. The external and internal
environment of the company enables the managers to develop strategies that provide
them with necessary survival tactics beneficial for the organisation. Depending on the
type of organisational situation that the brand experience, the management and
leadership apply their individual role and functional attributes to use in order to achieve
the business objectives for the company. The managerial skills and functions ensure the
organisation is able to operate in the competitive business environment regardless of
external issues that may influence the success of the company in gaining better profits
and functioning efficiently (Durkin and Gunn, 2016). The managerial functions within
Arcadia Group enable the company to retain their skilled labour during the economic
turmoil of Brexit and recession that the company experienced consecutively. The
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managers at Arcadia ensured the staffs were assured and aware of the company’s
plans to overcome the issues and continue their operations in the business environment
efficiently.
Figure 3: Leadership styles
(Source: Extracted from support)
The organisational situations that Arcadia Group experiences during its operations
require their leaders to apply different styles in order to achieve better results in the
business environment. The application of various leadership styles based on the
situation enables the organisation to operate successfully within the environment and
achieve the efficiency desired from a high performance work environment of the
organisation. The leadership styles provide the employees with necessary support in
achieving their business objectives as well as personal aims in alignment with the
overall operational aims. The effectiveness of the leadership styles and managerial
functions enable the company to operate in the competitive business environment with
the opportunity for growth.
P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational
leadership, systems leadership and contingency
Situational leadership theory is applied within an organisational concept through the
Hershey-Blanchard model that provides the leaders with the opportunity to apply
various leadership styles as per the need of the employees. As per the model, it is
identified that the skill and competence level of the employees will present the leaders
with the opportunity to develop their organisational competence in the business
environment (Miner, 2015). The situational leadership style enables the leaders to
determine the possible outcomes of the organisational ability to function in the
competitive business environment through the effectiveness of the leadership style. The
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success of leaders and managers within the Arcadia group is based on the type of
leadership theory they apply in order to achieve the organisational objectives.
The systems leadership theory can be applied within the organisational context through
each department that comprises of the organisation as a whole. The success of an
organisation is based on the type of systems that operate in the company (Macdonald
et al., 2017). Systems leadership state that each organisation functions as a unit
through the collaborative functioning of different departments that enable the success of
the company in the business environment. Within Arcadia group the different systems
function in a related pattern thus enabling the application of systems leadership
effective in the organisational context.
The contingency form of leadership ensures the success of an organisation in the
business environment by enabling the leaders and managers within the company to
modify their tactics as per the changing business environment (Fiedler, 2015). The
internal and external elements that provide the company with the benefit of success is
developed through the opportunity to morph the operational tactics that the leadership
applies in the organisational context. The form of leadership presents the employees
within the company to ensure the management and leadership within Arcadia Group is
constantly changed as per the situation of the external as well as internal factors that
influence the operations of the company.
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LO3
Operations Management is referred to as the procedure of transferring labour into
output that is favourable for the organisational objectives in the business environment
(Reid and Sanders, 2015). The effectiveness of the operations management in the
business context for Arcadia Group is evident through the success of the company in
the competitive business environment. The scope of operational management is
identified through the development of effectiveness and efficiency of the employees in
the business environment of the company.
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that
leaders and managers play
Operations management within the organisational context is achieved buy following
certain aspects and stages of development. These stages ensure the quality and
consistency of the product; process and people involved with the success of the people
are in lieu with the business objectives. Operations management within the organisation
of Arcadia is achieved through the following approaches:
 Total Quality Management (TQM) process involves the fulfilment of maintaining
appropriate quality in the production procedure and the ability of the staff to
maintain effective relations with the consumer group in the business
environment. The success of the company in the business environment is based
on the successful implementation of appropriate techniques in the business
environment through effective management of quality and measuring the aspects
of production, supply and relations with the customers (Heizer et al., 2017). The
process enables the organisation to maintain their brand image in the competitive
business environment through appropriate functioning of the operational leaders
and managers in providing appropriate quality of products and services.
 The Just-In-Time (JIT) method of operations management ensure the operational
functions within the company is able to develop products and procedure without
creating excess waste and lack of extra cost in developing the products. The lack
of procedural development within the company reduces the possibility of the
company to succeed in the business environment. The method enables the
company to generate products that are in alignment with the customer desires
and expectations (Khanna, 2015). The JIT method enables the company to
create better quality of products and involves the employees’ participation in the
organisational procedure to succeed in achieving the business objectives of the
organisation.
 The Kaizen framework of operations management is derived by the organisations
to establish effective results through their business operations in the market
sector. Kaizen form of operational management is performed through the
implementation of small changes in the business procedure that ensures the
management of changes implemented within the company are in moderation and
it does not affect the efficiency of the staff involved within the company
(Mahadevan, 2015). Making small changes within the work ability enables the
company to make effective improvements in the business sphere.
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 The six-sigma method of operations management is achieved through the
procedure that reduces the scope of creating products with manufacturing
defects. Companies implement the process of six-sigma in their business tactics
to improve the ability of the organisational elements to provide their customers
with better quality of products through the generation of improved situational
leadership and managerial abilities (Slack and Brandon-Jones, 2018). Six-sigma
is implemented in the organisational context through the application of DMAIC
model that defines, measures, analyses, improves and control the process of
production and quality control within the organisational elements.
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving
business objectives
Operation management looks after the production process of the organisation so that
competitive position of the organisation can be improved. The main motive of operation
management is to provide quality products in the market so that customer base can be
strengthened. They need to indulge quality products in the markets so that market share
can be improved. Operation management representatives need to design the products
as per the taste and preference of the customers (Noe et al., 2017). Operation
management is responsible for creation of goods and service for the customers.
Additionally, at the time of producing goods and services, management need to use
quality raw materials so that satisfaction level among the customers can be improved.
Members of operations can conduct market analysis so that taste and preference of
customers can be easily predicted (Slack and Brandon-Jones, 2018). The business
objectives for organisations such as Arcadia are achieved by the effective application of
multiple quality management attributes within the organisational context. The ability of
the managers and leaders to establish their business in the market sector is determined
through the operational management tactics that the managers and leaders apply in the
business environment.
The fulfilment of the objectives ensures the organisations are able to attain better profits
through their business operations. The success of the company in achieving their aims
and goals in the market sphere is attained through the operational tactics of the general
staff within the company. The ability of the company to achieve better results in their
business context is based on the type of quality management act they implement in the
development of products and services (Teece, 2016). The ability of the organisational
elements in the business context enables the company to perform better in the
competitive business sector. The successful implementation of quality control and
management of operations ensure the organisation is able to achieve expected
business goals and profits through their business operations (Bromiley and Rau, 2016).
The success of the company in the market economy is determined through their ability
to develop better products and services that are in accordance with the consumer
demand and fulfil the primary organisational goals and objectives that ensure the
organisational elements achieve better profits in their business procedure efficiently.
Success of Arcadia Group in their business operations is achieved by managing the
quality of their products and services in the business environment.
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LO4
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon
operational management and decision-making by leaders and managers
The internal factors within a business organisation provide the leaders and managers to
determine strategies that would allow them to develop the plans and tactics, which
would ensure the business, is able to function in the business environment efficiently
and garner profits. The leadership and managerial aspect within organisations such as
the Arcadia group are identified with the growing ability of companies to operate in a
chaotic business environment efficiently and garner profits from their operational tactics.
The successful implementation of various business strategies by the leading sector of
the organisation are based on the objectives set by the organisation’s executive
management. Mergers, partnerships and acquisitions enable the organisation to gather
better results from the market environment according to the performance of the
business in the market sector (Thompson and Glasø, 2015). Possibilities of issues
among the staff and other operational issues affect the decision-making procedures
performed by the leaders in context to the successful operation of the company in the
business environment.
The Arcadia Group’s success in the digital expansion of market share was possible
through the recent acquisition of the Taveta Investments in the global business
environment. It was the decision of the management to avail such a merger while the
leadership encouraged the growth of the company in the contemporary business
environment. Business decisions related to the performance of acquisitions, mergers
and partnerships affect the managerial ability to form ideas in the business environment
regarding the success of the company in the market environment. The ability of the
managers to operate the employees in the organisational environment is reflected
through their performance of employee management and resource allocation for
designated tasks. Ensuring the 20,000 employees operating within the business are
satisfied with their job role, the managers and leaders are entitled to frame appropriate
strategies, which ensure the employees to be satisfied in their job roles
(Arcadiagroup.co.uk, 2019).
The decision-making attributes supported by the leaders and managers within the
organisational elements ensure the operations of the business are established
efficiently in the economy of the market sphere. The ability of the managers at Arcadia
Group to develop business strategies that reduce the risk of the company from
functioning in the competitive business market during crucial times prove their
experience as managers in the business field (Gunasekaran et al., 2018). The leaders
and managers play an essential role in the business environment of Arcadia through
providing the organisational elements with appropriate success in the digital as well as
physical business domain through the development of tactics that are in alignment with
the changing attributes of the competitive business environment.
The impact of these operational factors within the business environment influences the
organisational ability to function in the competitive business sphere through the diverse
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