IKEA Case Study: Leadership, Management, and Operational Strategies

This report delves into the distinct roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, contrasting their functions within an organizational context. It employs an IKEA case study to illustrate these concepts, examining how leadership and management styles impact operational strategies, employee engagement, and new product development. The report defines leadership and management, explores various leadership theories and models, and analyzes how these principles apply in practical scenarios. Furthermore, it investigates factors influencing operational management decisions and the significance of effective operational strategies in achieving organizational objectives. The report provides insights into how leaders and managers contribute to creating a positive work environment and driving organizational success, with a focus on practical applications and real-world examples from the IKEA case study.

Management and
Operations

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1..........................................................................................................................................................3
Define and compare the role and characteristics of a leader and a manager..........................................3
TASK 2..........................................................................................................................................................5
How the role and function of a leader and manager respectively apply in an organization....................5
Various theories and models of leadership.............................................................................................6
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................................7
Approach for management of operations...............................................................................................7
Significance and value of operation management...................................................................................8
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................................9
Elements which impacts the operational management and related decision making process................9
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Operations and management is about arranging, putting together, checking, coordinating and
controlling with regards to assembling or creation of any great or administration. Each
association attempts to rehearse most significant level of productivity with smallest expense
conceivable. Aside from this capacity and part of a leader and a manager separately is a lot of
significant regarding operational administration. Both director and pioneer's job and capacity are
unique in relation to one another. Regarding the subject, the report takes an instance of IKEA
company. The company is a multinational company which is originated from Sweden. IKEA is
engaged in the business of selling designed ready made furniture, home appliances and etc.
This report discusses the job and capacity of pioneer and chief separately, the contrast between
the two and their practices in various situational settings. This report likewise covers
speculations and models of approaches identified with initiative, factors that sway dynamic of
pioneers and directors. Aside from this the report additionally remembers the significance of
activity the board for achieving authoritative objectives (Apraiz and et al., 2020).
TASK 1
Define and compare the role and characteristics of a leader and a manager
Leader: A leader is an individual who goes first for the group and leads by a model, with
the end goal that others get roused to follow him. To be a leader, an individual ought to have
profound established responsibility towards the objective that pushes him to achieve it regardless
of whether nobody follows him.
Qualities: A leader is in every case clear about his targets. He/she knows the reason for exercises
they perform. They are conclusive about the things they have made psyche. Whenever they have
made their psyche, they don't sit back or wonder whether or not to submit. A leader is valiant and
intense individual. He doesn't dread to make stride. Additionally, leader is a lot of enthusiasm
about his objective. He puts his days and evenings to accomplish it. Aside from the over, a leader
is a lot of certain. They say that incredible individuals concede when they are incorrect and take
pundits as a risk for development. Additionally as in the event that with Joan, she has the
attributes of a decent leader might be this came from his military foundation. She is sure and
intense enough to assume liability of work (Bartz-Zuccala, Mohnen and Schweiger, 2018). She
can lead the group with most extreme assurance.
A leader is an individual who can see the future and make the arrangement for its association. He
is an organizer who sets the significant arrangement for his association through which different
plans are considered for arranged.
Job: A leader is needed at all degrees of the executives. At high level he is needed to make co-
activity in the detailing of plans and arrangements. At the center level, he is needed to
interpretive and executes the strategies and plans outlined by the high level. A leader addresses

his association, he goes about as a genuine face whose means are being trailed by all. His job is
to go about as a companion, thinker and gives direction to its kin. His job is to rouses and
upholds his devotees towards the course of extreme objective. Likewise, Joan Pearson has all the
characteristics of a leader and she additionally plays out her part with required energy and
inspiration. However, her leadership style was decisive which is for she was not loved the staff.
The issue was not with her work but rather the issue lies with the nature and leadership conduct
she had. A leader set the mission and vision for the association. He is the individual who
structure the significant techniques and rules for his association (Bülbül, Hakenes and Lambert,
2019).
Manager: A manager is an individual who is liable for getting sorted out, coordinating and
spurring the representatives for the advancement of an association.
Qualities: In request to an effective manager, an individual need to have an involvement with the
field he is dealing with the work and group. He should have the leadership quality to lead his
colleagues the ideal way. Likewise a manager ought to have great relational abilities so he ought
to be a lot of clear in his order, work duties of his individuals and assumptions he have with his
group. To be successful manager, he should know about the field of work. He ought to be
efficient in regards to time; he should know time the board since he needs to deal with the issues
of every one of his individuals alongside the work. A manager ought to be sufficiently sure to
introduce his group issues to more significant level and supports his group in its disorder and
wellbeing. Essentially, Joan had all attributes of manager. She knows time the executives as she
drives creation division and its kin. She had leadership quality as she was driving an entire group
to achieve his specialization target. She likewise had excellent correspondence and adequately
sure to introduce herself before group and more elevated level. A manager is an individual who
helps the leader in finishing the methodologies shaped by the Leader by following and
accomplishing the arrangement. He center is after fortifying his group or individuals. He is
empathic and assumes a part of a mentor or guide for his specialization individuals.
Job: A manager has the accompanying job
Checking: The significant part of a manager is to notice and screen the presentation and work of
his representatives. He routinely minds his colleagues and notes down the presentation from
which he later on investigate what individual is missing behind in his work and which
individual's exhibition is huge (Gurmu and Aibinu, 2017). From such examination he takes the
necessary measures by offering preparing to the individuals who isn't performing enough though
offering appreciation to the individuals whose work was acceptable. As in the event that with
Joan, as a manager she routinely watched out for his representative presentation and found a way
to overcome any barrier between the norm and genuine objectives.

Representative: A manager is a person who plays as a representative for his team. He takes the
problems and issues for his team for presenting it before the higher authority. He is the one who
takes all the responsibility for the success and the failure of his team.
Difference between a leader and a manager
Basis Leader Manager
Definition He is a person who has the
ability to influence the people
or employees in a particular
direction and he also forms the
mission and vision for an
organization.
They are responsible for
planning, organizing, directing
and controlling the tasks
Mission and vision They make vision for
association.
They make objectives for the
office.
Status in organisation Leaders are a change
specialists. They stride ahead
and develop the change.
Though, the managers get stay
with what cycle, method or
framework improves the
division more.
TASK 2
How the role and function of a leader and manager respectively apply in an organization
There are five function which a manager follow and they are-
Planning: Planning is a process in which a manage plans out the activities which would lead him
towards the direction of mission. The planning is much time taking process as many factors and
elements needs to get researched and examined before getting fixed.
Organising: Organizing alludes to setting the things and group in the perfect spot and at the
perfect time. It is the obligation of a manager to coordinate its group as indicated by the
arrangement and objective set. Surveying work and representative authority are two most
significant components in getting sorted out.
Staffing: Staffing is the cycle to situating the individuals at their opportune spot (Stoppato,
2012). Staffing incorporates the way toward enrolling, choosing, preparing and advancement of

representative. A manager in the association staffs the workers with respect to the work they are
prepared to do.
Coordinating: Directing is the cycle to screen and administer the worker as indicated by the
arrangement. In driving or say coordinating, the managers oversees and routinely screens crafted
by his representatives. Coordinating includes propelling, directing, imparting and empowering
workers. Each manager task is to mentor and helps his group and to coordinate the bearing of
group which will lead them to the accomplishment to extreme objective.
Controlling: Controlling refers to a process where a manger examines and compare the current
performance with the standard performance. If the manager finds out any gap then he will take
the corrective measures to bridge the gap between the two.
Job of leader
The leader have numerous task to carry out and some are as per the following-
Visionary: A leader is a person who sets the vision for his organization. He is the one who set
the vision and mission about how he wants his organization. He set the path and direction by
performing the strategies which will lead for the attainment of these vision (Hidding and
Nicholas, 2017).
Change Agent:Change agent is a person who has the ability to bring the necessary change in a
society or in an organization. Here the role of a change agent gets played by a leader. The job of
a leader is to identify the changes which they have to bring up in their organization so that they
can work in a more productive way.
The job and the capacity of a leader and a manager individually is not the same as one another.
This can be clarified through certain models with situational settings
Authoritative change– Change is a continuous process and it has become necessary for the
organization to adopt it for their survival. It is the role of leader to identify the need for bringing
change along with the steps about how they can implement that change.
In the role of a leader, Joan will examine that if his organization would be in need for any kind of
change. She is also responsible for making the necessary mission and vision for company and
also setting the strategies which can help them in achieving those set mission and vision.
In the role of a manager, Joan will monitor that if al the employees are performing as per the
standard set or not. She will also check if the people are in need for any help like training and
development programs so that they can improve their productivity level (Jakhar, 2017).
Role of leader and manager in different situation context:
Employee engagement

AS IKEA is a multinational companyd ealing in furniture, it requires creative staff in
order furnish the needs of employees. Employee engagement is important where the workers are
required to have regular conversation with their peers and superiors so that a positive
environment and relationship is created. Both leader and manager has dfferent roles and
functions to play.
Role of leader- They have to create the healthy environment so that there is presence of
employee engagement. It must give proper directors to the team so that they work with mutual
involvement and discussion.
Function of manager- Its main role in IKEA is to bring such policies which encourages employee
engagement. It must motivate the workers in IKEA so that they are engageed in workplace.
Introducing new product
every organization requires change where so that it move forward. IKEA is a big
company so it is important that it brings something new in the market regularly. The role of
manager and leader in IKEA are-
Role of leader- They must communicate the strategies to the team and motivate them so that
objectives are achieved.
Function of manager- Its main function in IKEA is to develop such plans which can support
achievement and growth of aims of company. The manager of IKEA must have plans which
match with needs of organization so that new product can be introduced appropriately.
Various theories and models of leadership
There are various theories and approaches to leadership, some of them are as:
Situational leadership: In situational leadership, a leader changes it style according to the
employees or his followers. The type of behavior and the decision will be totally according to the
staff members. Here the leader tries to understand the behaviors of staff and then try to bring the
changes in his behavior according it his staff.
Contingency leadership: In contingency theory, the behavior of the leader changes according to
the situation. Here the leader fully understands the situation and then make the decision. It has
been observed that the decisions made by leader through the adoption of contingency leadership
style are always effective and very useful the business.
System leadership- IT helps in bringing the change in the environment of company so that
employees can work in flexible manner. It is mainly used in big companies. According to this
theory, there are many set of abilities which a leader posses. It combines mainly the collaborative
leadership that gives the insight as to how to mobilize the resources. The leaders in IKEA must
use this theory so that it can utilize its skills to lead the group for success of company.

For the association, IKEA, Contingency Leadership style well fitting on the grounds that
in this style the leader embraces distinctive demeanor and conduct as indicated by the
circumstance. This methodology helps the leaders in better dealing with the forks.
TASK 3
Approach for management of operations
Operation management is the cycle wherein the association makes methodologies
identified with their creation and operational exercises so that the association causes the less
expense with greater efficiency. At the point when the tasks of an association are acceptable and
arranged it would help the association in accomplishing the ideal usage of assets, bring about less
cost and improve the efficiency for the organisation. Operations the board is a significant part
inside an association and manages the assembling, booking, planning and controlling of the
creation cycle of merchandise and ventures. The different key ways to deal with activities the
board are clarified underneath -
•Kaizen – Kaizen is an activity the executives approach that depends on the prospect that little
persistent changes can prompt significant enhancements in the general cycle of creation of items
and administrations. The methodology was essentially created for the assembling business to
decrease the measure of deformities, dispense with the waste that is produced and improve the
general profitability. Soft organization has joined this methodology in its creation framework to
lessen the general measure of imperfections and dispense with wastage that is caused. The
manager has the duty of disregarding these exercises (Salas‐Vallina, Alegre and López‐
Cabrales,, 2020). Then again, a leader underpins the diverse Kaizen exercises that happen in the
framework and furthermore manages his colleagues to work viably to produce viable yield. Since
the principle thought behind the methodology is consistent improvement, Kaizen takes care of
issues from their root and furthermore urges colleagues to concoct groundbreaking thoughts that
can be actualized.
•Total Quality Management – This specific methodology of activities the executives manages
the drawn out progress which can be accomplished through clients fulfillment. All out Quality
Management includes all individuals from a group investing in amounts of energy to improve
items, measures just as administrations of the association. This methodology is significant as it
can assist associations with acquiring upper hand by improving their general cycles. The
fundamental reason for Total Quality Management is to beat and surpass the assumptions for
clients, recognizing zones of issue and advancing open dynamic among the colleagues. The
manager in IKEA has the obligation of helping representatives in actualizing Total Quality
Management. He plans and ensures that the cycle is done adequately. Then again, the leader
ensures that specialists play out all the assignments adequately with no issue and furthermore
helps the manager in detailing new procedures.

Significance and value of operation management
Operations Management is significant for the general achievement of an association as it
helps in overseeing every day exercises. An organization can use every one of its assets to their
full limit successfully. The operations supervisor ensures that all the crude material is
transformed into eventual outcomes with least wastage. The significance just as estimation of
Operations Management for accomplishing business targets is clarified underneath -
•Operations Management helps in improving the general profitability and effectiveness of a
framework. Likewise, since the idea is connected with utilizing the assets successfully, in this
manner it helps in upgrading the efficiency just as execution (Sims and et al., 2019).
•An association can achieve its objectives and destinations it uses the assets accessible with it
adequately and convert the equivalent into completed items. This can prompt the age of high
benefits and income for the organization.
•Operations management likewise helps in improving the general profitability of the workers as
the directors prepares and creates them to persuade them and improve their exhibition. The
guideline guarantees that the nature of items is continually upgraded and that the items are tough
just as dependable.
•The essential objectives of Operations Management is to guarantee that clients are happy with
the items. It tends to be utilized to create items that are in a state of harmony with the general
requirements and needs of clients. In the event that clients are fulfilled, they will purchase the
items which will prompt an expansion in the general income just as benefits.
•The basic purpose of operation management is also to monitor the degree of waste an
organization is producing. The approaches of operational activities are set up in such way that
the waste produce by an organization gets minimum to its best.
•Operations management increases the value of the different cycles just as results of an
association by ensuring that the general nature of its items is kept up and there is no trade off in
the equivalent. It additionally guarantees that the clients are fulfilled and get items that are of
some incentive to them. This will prompt an increment in the organization's income just as
generally productivity (Wang and et al., 2018).
•It also makes sure that the products or the service gets delivered to the customer at time so that
they can achieve the time utility. In this way, these abilities are useful in their future
undertakings too. Hence, all associations should actualize operations management in their
frameworks to have the option to deliver great items and thusly acquire an upper hand against
others.

TASK 4
Elements which impacts the operational management and related decision making process
There are a ton of components that sway operational administration just as dynamic by
administrators just as pioneers in an organization. The business climate contains various
elements, both inward just as outside. Effect of a portion of these components is clarified
underneath -
Internal factors
•Training of Employees – Employee preparing impacts the manner by which the general cycles
are completed in the framework. In the event that workers are prepared, they will have total
information on the frameworks and the manner by which they are worked. Supervisors should
follow the presentation of their colleagues to recognize zones that they need to prepared in.
Appropriately, preparing and improvement projects can be planned to assist the representatives
with conquering their shortcomings and create viable abilities. As for the situation with IKEA,
the Training given or given by the organization would help the association in expanding and
cleaning the abilities of the representatives which straightforwardly builds the creation exercises
or consequences of the association.
•Competition – Every association today needs to build its general client base and for this they
continue figuring diverse inventive approaches to draw in however many clients as could
reasonably be expected. This has made an immense rivalry in the market since clients have now
gotten cognizant about the climate and incline toward purchasing items that don't make any
damage it. In this manner, compelling operational administration strategies help organizations
produce items that are climate benevolent by wiping out the measure of waste that is created
during the creation cycle. The administration of an association ought to examine various
techniques of the contenders and create plans that help it hang out on the lookout. As for the
situation with IKEA, when it examine the opposition which are running into the business it
would empower to think about how they can develop themselves underway and development.
They can bring the items or the administrations which is additionally given by its rivals in low
cost and better quality (Whiteheadand et al., 2018).
•Equipment and Technology – If innovation and supplies accessible with an association are not
state-of-the-art, they can influence the creation cycle antagonistically. This is on the grounds that
the time needed to deliver completed items will be more and there are chances that the items
might be abandoned. In this manner, to be fruitful, organizations should execute the most recent
innovation in the framework just as utilize powerful equipments.As for the situation with IKEA,
when the innovation is advance the organization would have the option to play out the work with
all the more productively. The innovation embraced would assist them in completing their errand
with less time with more prominent creation. This will likewise help in acquiring the upper hand.

•Nature of Products and Risk in the Market – In IKEA,If the highlights just as plan of the
items are oftentimes changed, clients will think that its difficult to identify with the items and it
will be hard for them to find items in a store or on the web. Likewise, if there are a great deal of
vulnerabilities in the market like changes in the laws and guidelines, client interest, accessibility
of crude material and so forth, the administration of an association won't have the option to settle
on cool headed choices. This is on the grounds that danger in the market is high.
•Policies and Procedures – Like IKEA,Different associations have their own arrangements and
methods which the representatives are relied upon to hold fast to. In the event that they neglect to
do as such, the general cycle of operational administration and dynamic will be influenced as the
framework will get upset and the cycles won't be done proficiently.
External factors social- This involves the aspects which influences working of company as the sales
volume of company is dependent upon the factors such as preference, age, etc. Due to
any change in environment, the organization can shift to offer products which attracts the
customers. IKEA deals with furniture of unique styles which can satisfy the demand of
customer.
 Technological- As the market is growing in today's world by the use of technology.
IKEA effectively uses the technology in order to battle the competition. Like it uses
digital technology to attract large audience. The managers must motivate the employees
to bring such strategy which is beneficial for company.
CONCLUSION
From the report presented above, the role and responsibilities of a leader and a manger has been
mentioned. Leader is a person who set the mission and vision for an organisation. He is the one
who influence the employee of the organisation and motivates them to flow a particular
direction. Whereas a manager is a person who performs the managing functions like planning,
organising, staffing and controlling. Through this function a manager make sure that the goals
which are set by the organisation also get accomplished. There are various operation
management methods and theories, some of them may include Just in time, system theory, and
total quality management and so on. All these approaches and theories help an organisation in
making their operational activity very effective. A leader and a manager have different roles to
play in that.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals