Management and Operations: Leader, Manager Roles and Business Impact

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, comparing their functions within an organizational context, using Sainsbury as a case study. It differentiates between leadership and management, exploring how these roles apply in various situational contexts, and examines leadership theories such as situational, systems, and contingency approaches. The report assesses the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches within the work environment. Furthermore, it explains key approaches to operations management, including Just-in-Time, Total Quality Management, and Lean Production, and how leaders and managers contribute to achieving business objectives. It evaluates how leaders and managers can improve operational efficiencies and assesses the factors within the business environment that influence operational decisions, analyzing their impact on the business and the wider community.

Management and
Operation

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................4
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.........4
M1 Analyse and differentiate between the role of a leader and function of a manager by
effectively applying a range of theories and concepts................................................................5
P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts.......................................................................................................5
P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership, systems
leadership and contingency.........................................................................................................7
M2 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to situations within the work
environment.................................................................................................................................7
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play..............................................................................................................................8
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives...................................................................................................................................10
M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management
to successfully meet business objectives...................................................................................10
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by leaders and managers...................................................10
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider
community.................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Operational management is defined as the administrative process which is done to bring
efficiency and transparency in the working system. It enhance the performance of the employees
who are the actual asset of the organisation who are contributing their job role in the success of
the organisation. Operations and management may vary according to the size and nature of the
business. It coordinates and integrates the work among the members and foster the growth
opportunities for the organisation. The management is responsible for carrying out the business
activities in a most effective manner which helps them in gaining value and reputation in the
competitive market (Buchanan and Huczynski 2019). The organisation chosen for this report is
Sainsbury which is second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. It has around
1400 stores across the globe. This report will cover characteristics and distinction of manager
and leader, and their job role. Further, it includes various theories and approaches that plays
significant role in the functioning of the organisation. Also, it includes various factors that
directly and indirectly impacts the decision making power of the leaders and managers.
TASK
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager. Manager- it is a responsible authority who manages the team for their effective
functioning of the organisation. It helps them in managing and coordinating the activities
among the different department of the organisation.
 Leader- is a person who is responsible for leading and guiding the team mates for
achieving the organisational goal. He always aims to convert their vision into reality in
order to improve the performance of the organisation. The leader is authorised to lead
internal management of the organisation.
The comparative analysis between the leaders and manager has been done in context to
Sainsbury which includes-
LEADER MANAGER
Leader is a person who directs and supervise
the other people of the organisation in order to
A manager is responsible for the whole
management of the organisation as it operates

accomplish the task in a specified period of
time. He puts all their efforts to achieve
success of the organisation.
the day to day activities of the organisation and
analyse the market need and expectation to
coordinates the work accordingly.
It helps in coordinating and communicating the
work among the members to bring
transparency and efficiency in the work
system.
He allocates the resources and assign the
different roles and responsibilities to the
members as per their skills and knowledge.
He is directing and lead the team and have
limited scope.
Manager is responsible for whole functioning
of the organisation so it has wider scope.
He takes proactive approach in order to
anticipate the future and dynamic business
environment.
He takes reactive approach to resolve the issues
arises in the business operations.
M1 Analyse and differentiate between the role of a leader and function of a manager by
effectively applying a range of theories and concepts.
The managers and leaders are two distinct faculties in an organisation having different functions
and roles to perform. The role of the leader:
 is to take charge of the employees and assign them their tasks.
 It is the duty of a leader to equip its employees with all the equipments which are
necessary to perform the task.
 A leader represents the organisation.
Whereas, the functions of managers of Sainsbury is ensure that works is going as per the timeline
and continuos supervision on the ongoing work.
 The key function of a manager of an organisation is to execute and improvise a plan on
order to meet the the objectives of a company (Hovland,2020.). This includes the
allocation of resources and distribution of task by delegating responsibilities in order to
complete the work.
 To bring forth best team in order to perform specific task on set deadline. To make sure that all the assigned tasks are being managed properly.

P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts.
In an organisation leaders are equipped with certain set of skills which are indeed
essential to manage and supervise the assigned task to workers or employees. Leadership is very
essential in order to maintain and develop sense of diligence and potential for executing work
and it also helps in inspires workers to remain loyal with their organisation and follow work
culture. Following are the various situations where role of leadership plays vital role:
 to establish coordination among team members and lead them by assisting them in the
course of business. Leaders also helps their workers by enhancing their skills and
confidence. In the same way, the leaders of Sainsbury needs that their leaders be trained
and given an opportunities to develop their leadership style.
 Delegating responsibilities: it pertains to transfer of authority and power to assign tasks
by subordinates. It is done by identifying the credibility and strength of employees and
ensure that delegation is delivered to right candidate. Similarly, Sainsbury needs to
ensure that the practice of delegation is being commenced in a proper manner.
 Adapting changes: Change is inevitable and it is very certain that at any point of time in
organisation any change can take place which may affect the functionality of an
organisation, therefore, leaders needs to remain active and ready for such changes make
prepare their members in respect of such changes. For Sainsbury, also change is uncertain
and they need to make their leaders prepare for adaption of such changes.
In an organisation there are responsibilities which needs to be address firmly by respective
manager to manage administration in well order. The managers of Sainsbury given set of
responsibilities for the effective running of a business. Following are the functions of managers
which needs to follow:
 Planning : it signifies the process of advance arrangements materials and solutions for the
situation which may occur in subsequent time. Planning is required to determine future
objectives.
 Controlling: It denotes to manage the functionality of an organisation and keep work
status under control to avoid any misconduct or mistakes. Managers are required to keep
up with the companies objectives and targeted goals and take corrective and cautious

measures to ensure that al the works are being done nicely (Millar Groth and
Mahon2018).
 Staffing: it denotes human capital which acts as a force for performing operations of an
organisation. The mangers are responsible for determining the requirements of staffs and
provide them proper training and enhance their skills.
P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership,
systems leadership and contingency.
An organisation to function properly requires skilled leaders and managers. The
administration of an organisation is divided into different managerial department having
different functions that requires different traits and skills of leadership (Heller 2019). In context
to Sainsbury, they are lately facing challenges relating to their pricing of their products which is
constantly increasing and due to which their customer base is declining. In such cases the
application of effective cases are required for handling such challenges.
There are several approaches of management the application of which is implied on the
leadership style and skills which helps an organisation to grow and attain its principle objectives.
The Sainsbury also emphasized on several theorise and principles for cost cutting in its
manufacturing. Following are the theories in this respect:
 the contemporary theory of management: To deal with the modern situation of cost
hike in purchase and production, the Sainsbury needs to apply theories, which enable
them to fight the challenges through leadership style. Application of advance technology
can also bring positive changes to lower down the production or manufacturing cost.
 The contingency theory of management : According to this theory, the primary focus is
on the situations of change. The role of leaders becomes more important at times of
change in market and how they deal with such changes to face the challenges (Hill 2020).
For reducing the effect of price hike of resources and assets from the suppliers. The
concerned company needs to apply this theory firmly in order to bring desired changes.
M2 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to situations within the
work environment.
By application of best leadership style in management of an organisation, affirmative
results can be achieved. In contemporary business world change is certain but its consequences is
uncertain therefore leaders are required to response with effective approaches to eliminate the

negative consequences of change. In the same way, consistency theory helps in situations where
change is inevitable. However, every approach has its own strength and weakness.
Contemporary theory:
Strength Weakness
This approach is more creative and effective in
terms of is analysing situations effectively.
Lack of funding brings evaluation of resources
down.
Employees are given proper training and
proper allocation of resources.
Staff members are less qualified, which results
into switching of number of employee.
Contingency theory-
Strength Weakness
It is more of innovative and considered a
general theory.
It brings financial aid down and increase cost
in research.
There are wide scope for solutions and
effective market research
Little growth and delay on attaining positive
outcomes.
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play.
The operation management plays a crucial part for determining the all the operation of an
organisation is running smoothly and effectively. There are several approaches and strategies
that leaders and managers implement in organisation wit the view to analyse different activities
and operations (Pham and Kim 2019). For Sainsbury, there are different strategise and
approaches that leaders and managers should implement in their operations to meet goals and
gain competitive advantage which are discussed below:
 Just in time: These approach emphasized on inventory management and arrangement of
goods at time which received by the supplier when required. These approaches focus on
entire productivity of operations by using resources effectively and adequately and
directing employees towards attaining objectives of an organisation. It includes taking
effective approaches and methods in case where targeted goals are not attained. In

Sainsbury, the management of it should make proper analysis on order to determine the
requirement of resources to meet objectives of an organisation.
 Total Quality Management: according to this management, the strategy is made to to
ensure that the quality of products or services should be resilient and fruitful which
elevates the reputation of an organisation in terms of quality. By maintaining quality of
product or services the customers also prefers and promote such products and through
this company can achieve competitive advantage (D’AlessioAvolio and Charles,2019). In
context of Sainsbury, their brand image can be elevate in market competition by
improving their products quality and deliver best service experience to their customers.
 Lean Production: this approach and strategies enables an organisation to opt best and
efficient way used by an organisation in order to attain best result. The productivity of an
organisation can be affected by various factors. One of the general approach which is
being used by almost all the organisational managers is to minimize wastage of resources
of an organisation (Khayer and et.al2020). This can be attained by using proper proper
planning and approaches. Therefore, it is very important that leaders and managers
should be given proper training and skills to improve the overall capacity and credibility
of employees and thus contribute in the success of the business. In context to Morrison it
is very important to manage all the factors relating to operations and functions of the
organisation with the view to manage proper utilization of resources and reduce wast.
Role Of Manager:
 the first and key responsibility of a manger is to make recruitment and skill employees
by giving them proper training. Through they scan enhance their credibility in their
performance.
 To make proper use of resources which can help an organisation to achieve their desired
goals.
Roles of leaders:
 the key role of leader is to keep motivated and confident.
 Increase productivity of all the organisational operations and built coordination among
team members.

 Leaders need to supervise all the operations being conducted during the course of
business and analyse their performance and if there is any weakness then measures can
be take to improve such weakness (Liao and Zhang, 2020).
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives.
For a business organisation its operational management is important for growth and
success. Operational management helps in enhancing the entire productivity and profitability of a
company. Therefore, companies always ensure proper functioning in order to attain goals and
objectives of the company (Maye 2018). In context of Sainsbury, there operational management
helps the organisation to met their targeted goals. Following are the importance of operational
management:
 Increasing revenue: The operational management ensures an optimised utilization of
resources and focus is made improving the performance its employees with the view to
bring productivity and profitability in an organisation.
 Trends in the marketplace: It is very crucial for an organisation to keep update with
the changes in business administration, management or functions. The entire business
structure is a dynamic in nature it is very important that needful actions be taken for the
changes made in an organisation. Changes be in the form of innovation or planning. Increasing sales: sales of an organisation depends on the knowledge about research
and analysis about demand and expectations and customer preferences.
M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management
to successfully meet business objectives.
As per above discussion, the role of managers and leaders of Sainsbury is very crucial
for their management and administration. The cooperation between leaders and managers is
significant as they lead and represent the organisation to meet desired targets by optimum
utilization of resources. For making a decision it is important that there is proper analysis of all
then factors which can impact the organisational operations.

P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by leaders and managers.
There are various factors which have the potential to affect the overall operational
management and decision making of an organisation. Similarly, for Sainsbury, this factors may
also affect their operational and decision making process including attainment of goals and
objectives of an organisation. Where there is any change, there is possibility of negative or
positive impact on the decision making process by leaders or managers. The factors are
discussed below:
 Organisation resources: An organisation resources pertains to many different resource
which collectively helps in running the organisation. It includes, human capital resource,
financial resource, management resource, Manufacturing resources or raw material. In
context of Sainsbury, there are human resource and raw material (Wang and et.al 2019).
Both these resources are necessary for keeping business operations vital and active.
 Financial status: It pertains to financial status of a company that includes inflow and
outflow of cast and other transaction which determines active financial status of a
company. In context of Sainsbury, there financial status can be determined keeping
record of profit and expenses and the cost of their product or services.
 The legal and Political change: there is no certainty in terms of legal or political change.
These changes has the potential to impact business organisations negatively or positively.
In context of Sainsbury, there is same situation if there is any change happens in political
or legal area their business may affect. The managers and leaders are given task to make
an inference on the changes which may happen in future. Technological Changes: These changes are external as this changes are very usual. It is
important to acknowledge and keep update about such changes. These changes may
implement by the Sainsbury where managers and leaders draws an inference about the
certainty of coming changes.
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider community.
There are various aspect of business environment having potential to affect the
functionality of the business organisation. There are two key factors off businesses organisation
external an internal , if these factors are not stable then this can create negative impact on the
productivity and profitability of the company. The role of leaders and managers is make continue

review and analysis of business environment. These practice enures current status of businesses
operations and can easily identify strength and weaknesses of business functionality. Leaders can
further use their delegation power in the interest of business profitability.
CONCLUSION
From the above report which is being made on Sainsbury, it is concluded that the said
company is practising the centralized business organisation structure with the view to bring
effectiveness by diversifying power of authority among employees. The powers are being
allocated among different departments along with roles and responsibilities. such roles and
responsibilities are well defined to make sure that there is clarity in the role of managers and
leaders. Through application of different theories and approaches Sainsbury can easily identify
its strength and weaknesses. As better the operations of an organisations are regulated the more
benefits the company will obtained through this models and theories. With proper
implementation and management of different leadership style, theorise and approaches, the
probability of growth and profit increases. It is in fact true that the coordination and connection
among leaders and managers affects the performance of an organisation.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Buchanan, D.A. and Huczynski, A.A., 2019. Organizational behaviour. Pearson UK.
D’Alessio, F.A., Avolio, B.E. and Charles, V., 2019. Studying the impact of critical thinking on
the academic performance of executive MBA students. Thinking Skills and
Creativity, 31, pp.275-283.
Heller, F.A., 2019. Leadership, Decision Making, and Contingency Theory. In Managing
Democratic Organizations (pp. 211-227). Routledge.
Hill, A., 2020. Manufacturing Operations Strategy: Texts and Cases. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Hovland, I., 2020. Knowledge management and organizational learning: An international
development perspective. In NGO Management (pp. 353-368). Routledge.
Khayer, A.,and et.al., 2020. Cloud computing adoption and its impact on SMEs’ performance
for cloud supported operations: A dual-stage analytical approach. Technology in
Society, 60, p.101225.
Liao, Z. and Zhang, M., 2020. The influence of responsible leadership on environmental
innovation and environmental performance: The moderating role of managerial
discretion. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(5),
pp.2016-2027.
Mayer, C., 2018. Prosperity: Better business makes the greater good. Oxford University Press.
Millar, C.C., Groth, O. and Mahon, J.F., 2018. Management innovation in a VUCA world:
Challenges and recommendations. California management review, 61(1), pp.5-14.
Pham, H. and Kim, S.Y., 2019. The effects of sustainable practices and managers’ leadership
competences on sustainability performance of construction firms. Sustainable
Production and Consumption, 20, pp.1-14.

Wang, B.and et.al., 2019. Using data-driven safety decision-making to realize smart safety
management in the era of big data: A theoretical perspective on basic questions and
their answers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 210, pp.1595-1604.