Leadership Styles and Business Environment: Marks & Spencer Case Study

This case study analyzes the business environment and leadership strategies of Marks & Spencer (M&S). It begins with an abstract highlighting M&S's geographic diversity and commitment to ethical principles. The study includes SWOT and PESTEL analyses, assessing M&S's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, alongside political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors. The assignment critically examines how M&S addresses its strengths to mitigate threats and weaknesses, and compares different leadership styles, evaluating their appropriateness for the company. It recommends a suitable leadership style, supported by literature, to help M&S overcome business environment challenges. Additionally, it touches upon ethics and social responsibilities, offering a reflection report and concluding with recommendations and a reference list.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND LEADERSHIP– CASE
STUDY
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Abstract
The explanation why M&S is selected is its geographic diversity around the sector and
awareness from its consumers worldwide. The business is recognized also for its moral
principles and its commitments to Corporate Social Relations and to the quality of the goods
for all the vendors they deal with. M&S is one of the best developed and organized
organizations for which everybody can function, considering the fact the employees enjoy the
job they are doing. The M&S framework is however its sophistication also its operational
simplicity. It is still pretty tough to work collectively as a common organization while it
operates internationally, at the corporate and retail levels. Therefore, the cross-cultural actions
and collective identification of workers within one major umbrella emerges.
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Q1. SWOT and PESTEL analysis for Marks & Spencer...........................................................4
Q2. Critically comment on how the company is addressing their Strengths to negate Threats
and Weakness affecting their Opportunities...............................................................................6
Q3. Compare and contrast the different styles of leadership. Comment if the leadership style
is appropriate for the company of your choice...........................................................................7
Q4. Recommend a suitable leadership style that helps them grow and overcome the
challenges posed by the business environment. Justify your choice using appropriate
literature.....................................................................................................................................8
Q5. Responsibility, Response, and Obligations in the Ethics and Social Responsibilities in the
processes at Easy Jet..................................................................................................................9
Q6. Reflection report................................................................................................................10
Recommendation......................................................................................................................10
Conclusion................................................................................................................................10
Reference List..........................................................................................................................12
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Introduction
In "BBC News online 1998" Marks & Spencer becomes the first UK shop to earn over £1
trillion in taxes. Yet Mark and Spencer had recovered from the "crisis" that hit the business
dramatically in a new financial world a couple of years earlier. The original M&S is gone
now with the establishment of a modern Marks & Spencer. The latest blow resulted from
Marks & Spencer's announcement that it would terminate its cozy supply relationship with its
fourth-biggest provider, 30-year-old William Baird. In the 1920s, Marks & Spencer chose to
procure a very radical plan directly from manufacturers, as wholesalers were thought to be
self-evident.
Q1. SWOT and PESTEL analysis for Marks & Spencer
SWOT analysis
Strengths
As per the viewpoint of Kumar and Sharma (2018), Marks & Spencer has been active for the
past 136 years. It is one of the major grocery businesses in Great Britain. The company began
its retail tour with Penny Bazaar at Kirk gate Market. Over the years, the organization has
established a variety of broad worldwide partnerships. A wealth of experience is a big
advantage for the business. Spencer and Marks are notable for delivering quality items on the
market to their customers.
Weakness
By the end of 2019, the Wood 2019 report reports, several M&S outlets were sold fewer. The
ineffectiveness of the supply chain infrastructure was due to the failure to produce the goods.
Likewise, at Christmas 2017, the company struggled to satisfy the requisite demand for food
and clothes (Rahbi, Khalid, and Khan, 2017). It had a very negative effect on the credibility
of the group. M&S does not sell children or adolescents apparel, according to the general
public.
Opportunities
As commented by Abasilim, Gberevbie, and Osibanjo (2019), Marks & Spencer now has an
online store. However, in comparison to other leading e-commerce stores such as Amazon or
eBay worldwide. M&S is far behind in the competition. Even though the company is an aged,
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well-educated, and highly named company. Electronic shopping is the face of the retail
industry as consumers are active and avoid places. The company should also focus on the
online shop output. M & S lately announced that it intends to bring its fashion and home
items online.
Threats
Demir and Budur (2019) opined that great dynamics are becoming both the UK and the
international retail market. Among the most powerful rivals of Marks & Spencer are Amazon,
Tesco, John Lewis, ASDA, Debenhams, Sainsbury, Sports Direct, Morrison, Gap, and Next.
If the organization's strategy is not adapted, the market will inevitably decrease because of
intense competition.
PESTLE analysis
Political
The free exchange that has been developed between a multitude of countries is one of the
most optimistic facets of modern policies. It has tremendous advantages for Marks and
Spencer, who works primarily in the UK, but still have locations abroad. Free trade helps
Mark and Spencer, while also retaining a reasonable margin of profit, to purchase imported
goods for selling at lower rates in their shops. Although free trade, in particular with
European brands, has existed for some time, the decision by the United Kingdom to exit the
EU could impact this (Berraies and El Abidine, 2019).
Economical
Price has still been a significant factor in the industrial market, but several discount
distributors have arisen in the UK during the past few decades. These emerging consumers
are taking market shares from more expensive labels (such as Marks and Spencer) from
discount clothing shops to limited time and resources, allowing customers to carry
incomparable items at even cheaper costs. Indeed, Marks and Spencer undoubtedly facilitated
this discount rivalry to turn to international vendors in 1999 (Delanoy and Kasztelnik, 2020).
Social
The culture has evolved in recent years. According to the Guardian's statement in 2006,
Marks & Spencer Chief Executive Stuart Rose desired the company's brand expansion, such
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as offering goods on-line as part of a strategy for becoming a multi-channel store. In social
status and other sectors, Asda and Mark & Spencer cater to diverse audiences, which provide
an important impact on how they approach contemporary problems. In reaction to the new
cheap apparel industry retailers have been more and more conscious of the developments in
mode during recent years and help them cope with the cheaper models of highway clothing
stores.
Technological
Indeed, self-checkout is one of the big trends of modern supermarket outlets. This industry
trend aims to help retailers save money, which may otherwise be spent on cashiers, and to
provide shoppers with usually faster checkout. Marks and Spencer are now launching a
sequence in both of their outlets, like all other British food shops, of self-service check-out
systems.
Legal
The rules are always evolving. To strengthen their legal protections on health and safety
matters, Marks and Spencer re-train and change the laws and regulations applicable each
year. The company must change taxation and the products of Marks & Spencer between
many other things to retrain. Marks & Spencer promotes changes in objectives/approaches,
preparedness, and more development. Spencer & Signs
Environmental
In order to maintain their image as a premium firm, Marks and Spencer have committed to
being more sustainable merchants many times. This refers to a host of environmental effects
on fruit, garments, and the procurement of artisan materials. However, Marks and Spencer's
attempts to become a more profitable retailer is not that unique, like several other UK
businesses tried to do.
Q2. Critically comment on how the company is addressing their Strengths to negate Threats and
Weaknesses affecting their Opportunities.
In both UK and abroad Marks and Spencer are meeting some amazing competitors. For eg,
some main competitors from Marks and Spencer include Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's,
Morrison, Next, Gap, Sports Direct, Debenhams, John Lewis, or Amazon. Competition is so
fierce that it threatens Marks and Spencer to lose their scope in the market. The company's
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activities are scaling down internationally owing to intense rivalry and other considerations.
Marks and Spencer have in turn also been retired from China and closing down a range of
shops in France and the UK. In late 2019 Marks and Spencer announced a fresh decline in
clothes revenue when their retail inventory was low and the supplies chain was obsolete. In
2017 too, when food and clothing were shelled, it endured a frustrating Christmas time. This
had a major effect on the company. It reported in January 2018 that it plans to shut 14 stores
across the UK. Variable besides the decline in sales which helped to close these shops was
elevated corporate prices and higher staffing expense. Fozer, Sziraky, Racz, Nagy, Tarjani,
Toth, Haaz, Benko, and Mizsey (2017) stated that to correct policy execution in an
organization, it is difficult to predict, track and take the best actions at the right moment in the
course of ongoing operations and need to consider the limitations that we need for corrective
action and face. It offers a descriptive description of what happens at any given moment. It
should be well monitored and carried out to track and assess within a given period. It tests the
success and productivity of the strategic plan's desired performance. Customer responses,
industry appetite, and market share will sustain and track the outcome. The evaluation offers
a more in-depth review of whether or not the implementing initiative has accomplished its
intended objectives. At the end of the financial year, commodity demand and shareholder
value can be measured based on consumer input on market share. Customer interviews and so
on are the instruments used to determine the reactivity of the sector (Willis, Clarke, and
O'Connor, 2017).
Q3. Compare and contrast the different styles of leadership. Comment if the leadership style is
appropriate for the company of your choice.
Different types of leadership
Autocratic Style
An autocratic leader generally assumes that he or she is the best individual at the table, and is
more aware than anyone. The autocratic leader's expression, though, is not just the "Do as I
say." With no feedback from team members, you take all decisions.
Authoritative Style
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As commented by Racz, Fozer, Nagy, Toth, Haaz, Tarjani, Andre, Selim, Valentinyi, Mika,
and Deak (2018), the term that often points to this leadership style (also recognized as
"visionary") is "Follow me." Faithful leaders who map the course and establish goals as they
involve and energize supporters.
You prefer to adopt a "Consider this" attitude when you have a coaching leading style. A
coaching leader sees individuals as a talent pool to be built. The leader using a mentoring
strategy aims at unlocking the ability of individuals.
Affiliative Style
One term sometimes used to characterize this form of leadership is "People come first."
whereby a leader gets up close and intimately with the people from both leadership types. A
leader who practices this approach takes precautions and respects Team members' needs and
wants. The leader is attempting to open a channel linking him/her to the squad.
Leadership style in Marks & Spencer
Marks and Spencer's organizational style is consulting such that before the judgment is taken
the chief consults with others. The ultimate judgment would have a collective influence; the
chief even takes it. For example, the marketing department, if a new line of goods were to be
introduced, may suggest releasing the products right away. Both decisions are made into
consideration. The company of Marks and Spencer can, at times, use a variety of
management types, such as Marks and Spencer, which are consultative and could often use
democracy.
Laissez-faire – This is when people are empowered to do as they believe right, typically
when they are specialists in the area they recognize what their medium-size position is related
to. Marks and Spencer offer several management types, which also give management a
preference, although it relies on the degree of the hierarchy. They are autocratic higher and
inform the workers what to do, from the manufacturing to the logistical artists.
Q4. Recommend a suitable leadership style that helps them grow and overcome the challenges
posed by the business environment. Justify your choice using appropriate literature.
Marks and Spencer have quite a big organization and a vast number of staff operate together
to make the company smooth, coordinate, and maintain. The company also has a consumer-
driven mentality, which is very optimistic in its determination to fulfill customer needs.
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Leadership models are particularly successful in the market as managers may hold important
discussions and interactions before they decide, and also often have a collective management
model when teams work together to address problems. Structure, culture, and management
style both help to grow and sustain the business, including its sales, in achieving its
objectives. Therefore the staff would find themselves working together to meet their
objectives to boost sales and to attract business, so their market share will grow for the
advantage of the community at the moment. Marks & Spencer is devoting considerable time
and resources to its members' growth and progress. This proactive plan brought the company
considerable success and demonstrated significant changes in the manner in which people
communicate with their staff and barriers in the sector.
Q5. Responsibility, Response, and Obligations in the Ethics and Social Responsibilities in the
processes at Easy Jet
According to Morlotti, Cattaneo, Malighetti, and Redondi (2017), perceptions of socially
conscious aviation activities differ from one end to the other. Social accountability threatens
to dilute market emphasis on economic development and profitability, skeptics and other
aviation experts say. CSR supporters claim, though, that CSR offers aviation firms with an
incentive to reach past economic returns and to consider broader social issues. The notion of
aviation industries being transformed from simple enforcement into a style of interaction,
from threat avoidance to value production is at the heart of the conversation on corporate
responsibility.
The European airline sector has faced significant improvements in the last ten years. While
the best players still are filled carriers (FSCs), LCCs such as EasyJet are well placed on the
market in recent years. In 2005, EasyJet is in the same league as FSCs like Lufthansa, Air
France, etc. with a passenger capacity of 29 million (Al-Malki and Juan, 2018). The
businessman Stelios Haji-Ionone formed EasyJet in 1995 and is operating on 218 routes
through 65 airports and 62 cities in Europe. Owing to the transition to low-cost air carriers
and the general aviation market, airlines have been directed to take action to monitor and
manage the detrimental impact on climate change. Social obligation has been reaffirmed.
EasyJet is struggling with the crisis on its own.
Passenger pollution - EasyJet appears to have fewer and larger planes than most low-cost
airlines. Honey. The Airbus A319's basic seating configuration is 124 (Cattaneo, Malighetti,
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Redondi and Salanti, 2018). The non-frozen operation of EasyJet helps them to minimize
weight and room in the aircraft for packaging, washing machines, and clothes. They hold 156
passengers a trip for the Airbus A319, which usually lowers pollution per passenger. Every
EasyJet's A319s has a 26% higher seating per flight than normal and is packed with up to
57% more travelers per flight than EU standard, implying that an Airbus A319's 'typical'
European airline will consume 27% more fuel per plane.
Q6. Reflection report
I agree that Marks and Spencer's have for many years been very successful and efficient in
their attempt to provide high-end service. The global trends have pushed Marks and Spencer
to deal with cheaper items, younger, more faded clothing stores, and, more recently, with the
shoppers having been struck hard by the recession. Unless M&S had to change previously, its
practices had never been repented to the same degree. Political, fiscal, sociological, technical,
environmental, and legal strategies are all to be taken in the dynamic world, with the rivals of
Marks and Spencer and the battle to live. The corporation needs to be fully renovated, the
manager wants to be simplified, the advertisement mix needs to be modified and the
corporate process restructured to render its business model more effective and more
competitive for consumers. The factors for EasyJet’s CSR activities are also subject to
speculation since most businesses like EasyJet tend mostly to embark on CSR activities for
business and sustainability rather than racial and social reasons. In the last few years, CSR
movements have taken on board a variety of concerns (Fiaz, Su, and Saqib, 2017). As the text
demonstrates, EasyJet utilizes mass marketing to disseminate its CSR activities to further
redefine its brand value from medium-cost firms to low cost, 'ethical' operators. This impacts
the buyers and the far higher visibility of CSR practices typically indicates that this idea will
draw environmentally conscious consumers who may therefore become a possible
spokesperson for the company.
Recommendation
In order to stay in the forever Top Ten, Marks & Spencer must improve their processes in
input logistics, procedures, suppliers, shop design, layout, and more. Their stores can be free
of existing stock to allow more up-to-date tools for them. The packaging of their products
must also be brought into due consideration. Marks & Spencer is proposed to import goods
from outside the country for savings that enable customers to offer their products at a less
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costly cost. Marks & Spencer still needs to upgrade its store so that consumers can sail, suit
and shop in a room, comfortable, and comfortable environment. Marks & Spencer monitoring
will eliminate delays in the decision and use automatic systems. Marks & Spencer needs to
see fine staff, imaginative, fun, speedy, fair, and efficient.
Conclusion
Marks & Spencer is a leading retailer serving a broader area. The well-known company was
founded to thrive the service in the form of clothes, food, home supplies, and gifts, as well as
accessories for its sustainability and expansion. It is very pricey but holds the ranks in the top
ten in the UK. Goods are real, whereas resources are immaterial that please citizens. Marks &
Spencer is among the most prestigious supermarket glossary firms that recognize consumers'
modern preferences and expectations. It played a crucial function in the management of the
service industry. While numerous retail stores are in Britain as well as globally, Marks &
Spencer has retailed them back and forth to offer uniform quality items. Marks & Spencer
must design clothes in fashion and aim to raise its publicity expenditure to develop its brand
awareness on fashion values.
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Reference List
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innovation? Case of knowledge-intensive firms. Journal of Knowledge Management.
Cattaneo, M., Malighetti, P., Redondi, R. and Salanti, A., 2018. Changes in frequencies and
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Fiaz, M., Su, Q. and Saqib, A., 2017. Leadership styles and employees' motivation:
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Fozer, D., Sziraky, F.Z., Racz, L., Nagy, T., Tarjani, A.J., Toth, A.J., Haaz, E., Benko, T. and
Mizsey, P., 2017. Life cycle, PESTLE, and multi-criteria decision analysis of CCS process
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Kumar, V. and Sharma, R.R.K., 2018. Leadership styles and their relationship with TQM
focus for Indian firms. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management.
Morlotti, C., Cattaneo, M., Malighetti, P., and Redondi, R., 2017. Multi-dimensional price
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