Management and Operations of Corus Group: A Report

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MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS
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Contents
LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................................3
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................4
PART 1...................................................................................................................................... 5
DEFINE AND COMPARE VARIOUS ROLES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A MANAGER AND A
LEADER................................................................................................................................. 5
ANALYSE AND COMPARE THE ROLES OF A MANAGER AND A LEADER BY APPLYING
VARIOUS THEORIES AND CONCEPTS....................................................................................7
EXAMINE ROLES OF A LEADER AND FUNCTIONS OF MANAGER APPLIED IN DIFFERENT
SITUATIONS WITH EXAMPLES.............................................................................................. 9
APPLY VARIOUS THEORIES AND MODELS OF LEADERSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATION...........10
ASSESS THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE APPROACHES AT THE WORKPLACE. .12
PART 2.................................................................................................................................... 14
KEY APPROACHES TO OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AND ROLES PLAYED BY LEADERS AND
MANAGERS IN ORGANIZATION..........................................................................................14
IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF CORUS’ OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN ACHIEVING
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES........................................................................................................15
HOW CAN LEADERS AND MANAGERS IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCIES OF OPERATIONAL
MANAGEMENT...................................................................................................................16
ASSESS THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE DECISION-MAKING OF
THE LEADERS AND MANAGERS..........................................................................................17
ANALYSE THE EFFECT OF THESE FACTORS IN WIDER COMMUNITY...................................18
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................................................19
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................... 20
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP APPROACH....................................................................10
Figure 2: SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP APPROACH...........................................................................11
Figure 3: CONTINGENCY THEORY...........................................................................................11
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INTRODUCTION
Operations and management play a crucial part in the success of business. The responsibility
of the management lies in managing all the operations and accomplishing the targets timely
and effectively. The leaders support the team and increase the efficiency and productivity
of the members (Das, 2015). This report is focused on operations and management of Corus
Group, a part of Tata Steel Group in the UK. Corus Group is a large company that
manufactures steel and serves a large number of customers in Europe. Being an HR intern of
the company, a report is prepared to discuss the roles and functions of managers and the
leaders in the company and their relationships and differences will be explained using
different concepts and models. The report also includes approaches to operations
management and the aspects of the environment that affects the operations of the
business.
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PART 1
DEFINE AND COMPARE VARIOUS ROLES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A
MANAGER AND A LEADER
A manager is a person who plans, organizes, directs and controls the operations and
manages all the activities of the business by themselves and with the help of others to attain
the predetermined goals of organization effectively (Hester, 2017). The leaders of the
organization provide support, guidance, advice and direction to the team members and
delegate the roles and responsibilities to members according to their interest and motivate
them to achieve the goals and increase productivity and efficiency of the business.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANAGERS AND LEADERS IN CORUS GROUP:
MANAGERS LEADERS
The managers set the SMART (specific,
measurable, achievable, realistic and time-
specific) goals of the business (Murphy and
Murphy, 2017).
The leaders of the organization guide and
direct the team to move on the right path to
achieve the goals set by the managers.
The managers formulate and share the
policies with the leaders.
The leaders communicate the policies with
all the team members and motivate them to
work accordingly.
The major focus of the management is
towards the objectives of the business.
The major focus of the leaders is towards the
people of the organization (Murphy and
Murphy, 2017).
Managers use their creative skills and
develop new and innovated ideas for the
business.
The leaders implement those ideas in
business by taking necessary actions to
achieve the desired goals.
The functions of the manager include
planning, organizing, directing and
controlling the activities of the business
(Murphy and Murphy, 2017).
The functions of the leader include directing
the team, motivating and encouraging the
achievement of goals, supervising and
inspiring the members.
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Therefore, in Corus Group, the managers and leaders play a major part in the management
and operations of a company. The managers are engaged in planning the activities and
setting standards, assigning duties and selecting the most suitable candidates for the
organization and managing their performance for the effective attainment of goals (Hester,
2017). On the other hand, the leaders of Corus Group are actively engaged in providing
support, guidance and motivation to the employees for accomplishing the targets timely.
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ANALYSE AND COMPARE THE ROLES OF A MANAGER AND A LEADER BY
APPLYING DIFFERENT CONCEPTS
The managers and leaders of the Corus Group are self-motivated and active in performing
their duties and responsibilities which differ from each other and can be understood by
applying different theories such as:
MANAGEMENT THEORIES
THEORY OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT:
This theory is introduced by Frederick Taylor for improving the productivity of the labours by
motivating them through differential piece wage system under which the employees must
be paid based on their performance as Taylor believed that only money can motivate people
at the workplace (Ferdous, 2016). This theory is applied by the managers at Corus Group
and they formulate policies for improving the efficiency and productivity of the workforce
and therefore, apply KAIZEN approach and the leaders apply democratic leadership so that
the best decisions can be taken in the business (Ferdous, 2016).
ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT THEORY:
Henry Fayol developed this theory for understanding the process of management and focus
on the organization as a whole. The principles of administrative management theory include
division of work, equity, the stability of tenure, discipline, centralization and
decentralization, initiative, authority and responsibility, fair remuneration, esprit de corps,
scalar chain, unity of direction, order and unity of command. Some of these principles are
followed by the Corus Group by the management and leaders to increase the efficiency of
the organization by providing the best working conditions to the employees (Ferdous, 2016).
LEADERSHIP THEORIES
TRAIT THEORY:
The major focus is on the attributes or characteristics of an individual. Corus Group
emphasizes the qualities of a leader such as intelligence, creativity, honesty, self-confidence,
decision-making, etc. that helps in achieving success within the organization. The managers
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of the company are disciplined, focused, effective planners and contribute towards
achieving business goals effectively (Nawaz and Khan, 2016).
BEHAVIOURAL THEORY:
This theory focuses on the accomplishment of the task and motivation of the people by
considering the difference in their characteristics and behaviour. The leader of the Corus
Group leads the team by maintaining regular communications with the employees and
defining the policies to them in an appropriate manner (Nawaz and Khan, 2016). The
managers of the Corus Group apply this theory and consider the interest and capabilities of
the employees while assigning them duties and responsibilities.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the roles of the mangers and leaders in the Corus group
are different in some aspects and the managers are focused on managing the activities and
assigning the tasks and the leaders are responsible for encouraging the staff and supervising
their activities for the achievement of the specified objectives.
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EXAMINE ROLES OF A LEADER AND FUNCTIONS OF MANAGER APPLIED IN
DIFFERENT SITUATIONS WITH EXAMPLES
The responsibility of a leader and the functions of the managers in the Corus Group, UK are
focused on improving the operations of the business by acting as a responsible member of
the organization in different situations and enhancing the effectiveness of the organization.
The variety of situations occurring in the organization can be classified as:
Stable situation: When there are no changes taking place in the organization, the stability of
the plans made by the managers can be maintained for example: there are no changes in
the market like inflation or recession, the managers can work with the existing policies and
plans and the effectiveness of the employees can be maintained as the managers have to
focus on improving the performance of the employees by motivating them (Donate, and de
Pablo, 2015).
Moderately changing situation: The changes in the market like rising of the prices of the
raw materials, etc. will lead to change in the planning and existing procedures set by the
managers of the Corus Group and the leaders would have to work hard on motivating and
encouraging the employees to adapt the occurring changes for achieving desired aims
(Donate, and de Pablo, 2015).
Fast-changing situation: The rapidly changing environment such as advancement in
technology, change in policies of the government, fluctuating rate of interests and inflation,
etc. affects the operations of the company. Therefore, the managers must take immediate
actions to adapt the changes of the environment to achieve better results and gain success
(Donate, and de Pablo, 2015).
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APPLY VARIOUS MODELS OF LEADERSHIP IN THE ORGANIZATION
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP: This theory is focused on analysing the situation and taking
actions accordingly. This form of leadership helps in improving the performance of the team
and the style of leadership changes according to the change in situation for the best of the
organization to gain success and achieve goals effectively (Thompson and Glasø, 2018).
Figure 1: SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP APPROACH
(Sources: Thompson and Glasø, 2018)
The leaders of the Corus Group aim to enhance the efficiency and productivity of the
workforce and maintain healthy relations with the employees that help in improving their
performance. Thus, the application of situational leadership within the organization is useful
in fulfilling the desired objectives of the company (Thompson and Glasø, 2018).
SYSTEM LEADERSHIP: This theory of leadership is applied at Corus Group by the leaders to
communicate the policies and responsibilities with the employees and control their
performance and thus, increase the productivity of the employees and make them work as
per the needs of the organization. This results in growth of the employees as well as the
organization (Macdonald et al. 2017).
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Figure 2: SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP APPROACH
(Source: Macdonald et al. 2017)
CONTINGENCY LEADERSHIP:
This theory states that there is no single or best way to deal with all the situations of the
business. Therefore, the best actions and decision is dependent on the severity of the
situation. The leaders of the Corus Group apply this theory in business to ensure that the
employees are being motivated through rewards and punishments to improve their
performance and achieve desired results (Ellison, 2018).
Figure 3: CONTINGENCY THEORY
(Source: Ellison, 2018)
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ASSESS THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE APPROACHES AT THE
WORKPLACE
The theories and concepts applied by the leaders and managers at the Corus Group have
certain benefits and drawbacks that can be evaluated as follows:
LEADERSHIP STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP The leaders do not have to
rely on a single approach to
leadership. They can apply
various styles after
effectively analysing the
situation. Another merit of
this theory is that the
employees are responsible
and accountable for the
actions taken by them
(Thompson and Glasø, 2018).
The major focus of the
leaders in the company lies
in solving the current
situation rather than
focusing on the long-term
requirements of the
organization.
SYSTEM LEADERSHIP This approach focuses on
attaining the objectives of
both the individual and the
organization.
This theory is not effective
and practical in all the
situations as it sometimes
leads to delays in the process
of decision-making
(Macdonald et al. 2017).
CONTINGENCY LEADERSHIP This approach is dynamic
and flexible and the
managers can change the
policies and decisions
according to the demand of
the situation (Ellison, 2018).
It is a complex form of
leadership and a time-
consuming process as the
leaders need much time to
analyse and find the best
solutions for the situation.
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