Leadership Report: Analysis of Virgin Media and Development Strategies

This report provides a detailed analysis of Virgin Media's leadership practices, focusing on the company's objectives, situational analysis, and current leadership style, which is identified as autocratic. The report examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) facing Virgin Media. It critiques the existing leadership approach and its impact on employee performance and engagement. The solution section proposes a shift to a participative leadership style, outlining its benefits, including increased productivity, employee retention, and improved decision-making. The report also covers leadership theories, critical arguments for the recommended leadership style, and a discussion of leadership development programs. The report also includes a reflection statement, and concludes with a summary of the key findings and recommendations for leadership improvement within Virgin Media.

INTERNATIONAL
LEADERSHIP

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
PART 1 COMPANY REPORT.......................................................................................................1
PART 2............................................................................................................................................7
Literature review.............................................................................................................................8
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...................................................................................................12
PART 3 .........................................................................................................................................14
REFLECTION STATEMENT .....................................................................................................14
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Leadership is ability of company's management to set and achieve organisational goals
take swift and decisive action outperform the competition and inspire other to perform well.
Leadership style can make or break company. So in this report various roles and leadership style
is analysed in details and suggestion have been made to improve leadership practice. Specific
leadership problem have been discussed and how problem in leadership affect the performance,
effectiveness and efficiency of employees. Analysis of current leadership performance, skills and
potential improvement have been discussed (Lee and Lawrence, 2013). Furthermore leadership
development programme that solve leadership problem is analysed. Impact of leadership style on
current business practice as well as business resource planing, budget and time planning is
mentioned. what is the effect on organisation if proposed leadership development programme is
accepted, opportunity cost , research and research problem and its effect have been discussed.
DBA and research methodology in order to investigate the problem and covering all issues such
as sampling technique, variable definition and statistical method is applied. In the end complete
stigmatization and learning of employability skills and core capability needed to achieve
consultancy task for clients and current leadership experience, potential and competencies, area
of personal leadership development and career organisation have been discussed.
PART 1 COMPANY REPORT
Objectives of Virgin Media
 To become a best media provider in the world
 To improve service and sustainability performance of every new customer product
 Obtain more channels from other provides
 To raise market share and to create opportunities for 100,000 small business to grow in
the UK and Irish economies through digital
 To grow business without increasing carbon footprint.
 To transform life of disadvantaged people in the UK through digital technology.
 To be more inclusive and to develop nature to engaged workforce which represents the
diversity of Virgin media's customer and communities.
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Situation analysis
In situational analysis refers to collection of method that managers use to analyse
organisational internal and external environmental factors. So SWOT analysis is done in
situational analysis
SWOT analysis
Strengths:
 Brand popularity and strong image
 Excellent consumer base
 Strong technical infrastructure
Weakness:
 Reduction in outsourcing of customer
service
 Cultural clash between two style and
emerging virgin style by merger
between NTL and Telewest
 lack of loyalty from staff
 Conflicts between cultural shift and
customer experience
Opportunities:
 Offering value added services and more
reliable broadband customer
 In media sectors to grasp great market
share
 Can continue evaluate in one stop shop
signed with Sky media.
Threat:
 Competitors like Orange, or British
Telicom
 Difficulties with infrastructure
reliability
 Though media sector is fast pace it can
fail in keeping pace and can lose its
customer pace.
Current leadership style
A leadership style a process of planning direction and motivation people. Leadership
style is a way a person uses power to lead other people. Some leader cannot perform their work
with high number of followers participation in decision making. Some employer lack the ability
or desire to take responsibilities. So leadership have different styles. They are covered as under1. Autocratic leadership:It is concentrated on boss. In this leadership leaders hold all
authority and responsibility. In it leaders take their decision without consulting their
subordinates. They rake decision communicate them to subordinates and order for prompt
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implementation. (Krogh, Nonaka and Rechsteiner, 2012) For ex. Albert J Dunlap of
sunbeam corp. and Donald trump of trump organisation.2. Democratic leadership:Opposite to autocratic style in this subordinates are involved in
decision making with leaders. First leaders consult with their subordinate before taking
any decisions and after taking best suggestion from various subordinate then they reach
on certain decision and implement accordingly (Frick and et.al., 2014). Democratic
leader holds final responsibilities but they can delegate authority to their subordinate.3. Strategic leadership Style: The leaders who is essential head of organisation is involved
in it. It is not centric to only top level management but at every level of management
where everyone wants to create high level performance.4. Team Leadership: Team Leadership is all about working with heart and mind of all
purpose for which they are doing. Team leadership require all level of quality for its
success.
5. Laissez Fair Leadership: In this style subordinated are allowed to work as they choose to
work with minimal interference. It is found to be least satisfying and less effective
management style.
Virgin Media PLC is wireless broadband, Wi-Fi, TV broadcasting and direct to home
DTH service provider in UK. It is subsidiary of Liberty Global and international television and
communication company. The company's leaders are currently following autocratic leadership
style, wherein Virgin Media's leaders make business decisions and formulate strategies and
planning as per their own choices without involving their subordinates in the planning &
decision making process. Thus, it does not help to motivate the staff and as a result their
productivity and performance is adversely affected. As a result, company's performance in sales
is getting down and employees had negative impact on their performance (Avolio and Mhatre,
2012). So there is proportionate negative relationship between the current leadership style and
performance. If leader is having positive intent to work with their team then team performance is
also increased. Every employee want involvement in work and decision making so from this
leadership style they cant participate in decision making process, rather they have to follow what
decision is taken and circulated in organisation.
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Suggest new leadership style
As per the analysis of the current report suggested new leadership style can be a
participative leadership style, and this type of leadership is used to used to evaluate leadership
skills, measured with performance, removal of negative leadership quality and weakness and
development new skills required for leaders. it is also used to face main and immediate
challenges. So following are points covered in participative leadership style.
1. Establishing a set of clearly defined leadership competencies: Leadership
competencies means a quality which owns leader for its success. Some of them are
Strong ethics and safety, Provide goals and objective, Communication expectation,
flexible to change, Training and development, helps to grow in next generation leaders,
Provide safety and trial error.
2. Create a process of measuring overall performance and growth: Once the necessaries
leadership competencies have been determined assessment at various stage of
development program can help future leaders on track. There are numerous assessment
for problem solving, decision making and identifying approaches to innovation. Putting
all 360 degree angle on assessment can lead to whether employees learning in right
direction or not under leadership and if not corrective measures need to be taken.
3. Fast tracking of young leadership talents in organisation: Studies have shown that
leadership development program is effective when high performing employees are
identified (Barrick and et.al., 2013). Organisation must clear about the on whom they
putting their eye for leadership and how much they are investing. Investment can take to
develop opportunities such as special assignment or training, reward and incentive, great
authority and responsibility, additional resources and feedback.
4. Change in behaviour: Positive changes in behaviour related to negotiation, influence,
communication and greater self awareness.
Benefits of new leadership style
The proposed leadership style, participative, also called democratic will drive number of
benefits to Virgin Media, that are as follows:
1. Increase productivity: The right constant leadership can increase productivity of
employee. At prime level effective leadership can motivate employee by understanding
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their emotions and work problems and solving them out. Time to time encouragement of
employee can increase work efficiency and hence increase productivity.
2. Retain Employee: Most of the peoples resignation is managerial behaviour. As it main
problem persisted with Virgin media companies employee people don't retain in their job
because of tough leadership style. So by adopting discussed Leadership Development
plan retention of employee can be possible.
3. Increase Employee engagement: All employees want to be in progressive roles, want to
receive praise when it is well earned and feedback taken. Feedback is skill of successful
leader so employees who are highly engaged receive more feedback then employees with
low engaged (Barrick and et.al., 2013). So from effective development managers learn
giving feedback that can motivate employee to work more.
4. Better Decision Making: Leadership training can leads to effective decision making that
can make huge productivity, efficiency and growth of organisations. Leader's functioning
at high level of emotional intelligence have the prospective to make informed, intelligent
business decisions.
5. Implementing effective leadership style: Leadership training can assist the managers or
leaders to implement the most appropriate style. As they can brought down their
weakness and increase or adopt new skills in their ability. So they can take better
decisions.
Introduction to leadership
The process of moving a group of people in some direction through non coercive.
Leadership is ability of company's management to set and achieve organisational goals take swift
and decisive action outperform the competition and inspire other to perform well. Leadership
style can make or break company.
Leadership theories
Early leadership theory focused on what qualities distinguish between leaders and
followers, while subsiquent theories looked at others variable such as situational factor and skill
level. Many different leadership theories are as follows
 Great man Theories: Great man theories assume that the capacity for leadership is
inherent that great leader are born not made. These theories portray great leaders as
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heroic, mythic and designed to raise the leadership when needed. Term great man was
used because at time leader was thought of primarily as male quality, especially in term
of military leadership
 Trait Theories: Similar to some way to great man theory trait theory assumes that people
inherit certain qualities and traits that make them bater suited to leadership. But if
particular trait are key feature of leadership, how do we explain people who possess those
qualities but are not leaders, this question.
 Contingency Theories: Contingency theory of leadership focuses on particular variable
related to environment that might determine which particular style of leadership is best
suited to the situation. According to this theory no leadership style is best in any
situation. Success depend on number of variable including the leadership style.
 Situational Theories: Situation theory propose that leaders choose the best course of
action based upon situational variables. Different leadership style may be more
appropriate for certain type of decision making.
Critical argument for recommended leadership style
Arguments of Autocratic leadership style:
 To claim to close supervision with detailed instruction to reduce stress and
improve productivity , researchers suggested that such actions actully unmotivate
employees, and cause them to become tense, fearful, resentful
 Lack of involvement from the employees in the decision making process leads to
employee not assuming ownership of their work, contributing to low moral, lack
of commitment, and manifesting in high turnover, absenteeism and work
stoppage.
 All power vested with the leaders leads to take decision based on ego rather then
sound management principles, and punishing employees who dare to disagree
with their decisions.
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PART 2
As per the above discussion it has been ascertained that in the Virgin Media organisation
is British company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet
services to organisations and customers in the UK. Major it delivers the telecommunication
services to the customer and business and it has major objective is to provide effective and high
quality of services to customer and gain high profitability and market share. Currently company
is facing the issue related to the leadership through which employees are highly dissatisfied. By
this leadership issue, company is facing the high level employees turnover. In order to overcome
this problem, company required to adopt an effective leadership style so as company
performance can improve and turnover of personnels can reduce. There is direct relationship
between the leadership style and performance of the team members. If there is suitable and
effective leadership then employees can properly carry out their work and also satisfied from the
business enterprise. Employees turnover and dissatisfaction can easily overcome from the
organisation by use adopt effective leadership. Thus, it can be said that leader plays a very
crucial role within organisation who is responsible to motivate and encourage team member and
In addition to this cited venture required to understand the leadership problem and find out the
appropriate styles and method of leadership through which employees can get motivate and
satisfied with business unit and provide their best contribution to attain the determined objective.
In the Virgin media, leader can able to attain the business objective by effective leadership and
encourage employees.
Rationale of study
In the following research study, scholar will select the topic of leadership issue in the
Virgin media that is international businesses. The major reason for this topic is investigator
interest. Scholar has high interest about this leadership topic and sufficient knowledge about this
topic is another major reason for selecting this subject. In addition to this, researcher desires to
identify the actual leadership issue within the Virgin media and develop appropriate strategy to
overcome this issue. Furthermore, investigator requires understanding that why employees are
highly dissatisfied from the Virgin media and why the rate of employees turnover is high. Leader
of this Virgin media organisation has not effectively focused on the employee's performance and
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does not motivate and encourage them for high performance and productivity. They is lack of
motivation within team members thus employees got leave the organisation. Investigator wanted
to identify the actual reason for employees turnover and identify the actual leadership issue.
Moreover, researcher likes to study on the performance of the company and investigator has
sufficient knowledge about the topic of research. That is why investigator will select this
particular topic for the research proposal
Literature review
Introduction of leadership
As per the view of Daft, (2014.) leadership is an attribute through which leader can motivate,
encourage, control, influence, guide and direct to the team members. In the context of
organisation, leadership plays a very crucial role through which all employees can get effective
maintained and motivate for higher performance and productivity. Different organisation adopt
different leadership style and generally it depends upon the company's culture, structure, value
and system of business. As per the view of Frick and et.al., (2014) leadership is both a research
area and a practical skill encompassing the ability of an individual or organisation to lead or to
guide other individuals. In the process of leadership, leader can adopt such effective attitude and
personality through which he/she can encourage, motivate, direct, guide, monitor and control the
team member or subordinate and influence them for attainment of determined objective. In a
simple word it can be said that leadership is an approach which is pursued, for leading a group of
people within an organisation. It is generally followed and adopted by the leader or manager of
the organisation. In the context of global leadership, is the process under which leader or
manager manage the business and activities of employees at the international level. The virgin
media is a global company and its manager have to adopt the international leadership in order to
manage the personnels at global level. In this manner, global leader requires global leadership
skill, characteristic, knowledge of business survival, positive attitude for survive the business at
global level. There are various kinds of challenges for the global leaders includes balancing the
benefits of standardisation with the requirement for local adaptation, managing virtual team
across geographic ad time zones. As per the view of Daft, (2014.) leadership is very essential and
crucial part of the organisation by which manager and leader manage and motivate employees
for higher performance and productivity. In the absence of effective leadership, no business
enterprise can survive its business activities and function for long time. In addition to this, by
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adopting effective leadership style, manager can also motivate and influence people so as they
will not leave the organisation and retain within fir for the long time period. Leadership is the bes
sources to retail the employees for the long period within the organisation.
Leadership theories
As per the view of herrmann and Felfe, (2014) there are various kinds of leadership styles within
the organisation and which all have different concept and meaning of leadership. In this manner,
manager or leaders have to adopt the leadership style according to the culture, nature, objective,
business system of the corporation. In this context, manager and leaders have to understand the
nature, objective and system of the business and adopt the leadership style accordingly. The
leadership style must suit and appropriate for all the employees working performance, objective,
culture and nature of the business so as every one can adopt this mentioned aspect in an effective
and appropriate manner. As per the view of García-Morales, Jiménez-Barrionuevo and
Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez, (2012) there are major five type of leadership styles that is laissez faire,
autocratic, participative, transactional, transformational etc. In the context of Laissez faire
leadership style leader lacks direct supervision of personnels and fails to provide regular
feedback to those under his supervision. Generally this kind of leadership style adopted by that
organisation which required very less leadership and employees are well trained and highly
skilled. On the other hand autocratic leadership style is that under which leader or manger adopts
strict supervision and develop high control and monitoring over the employees. This leader does
not take participation of employees in the decision making process of business and only put
command over the team member or employees within the organisation. This kind of leadership
style adopted by the leader or manager within organisation here required high level of disciplines
and control over the employees. As per the view of Krogh, Nonaka and Rechsteiner, (2012)
democratic leadership is one of the most effective leadership style within the organisation under
which manager and leaders can motivate and encourage employees in large manner. Under this
democratic leadership style, leader invites employees in the process of business decision making
and promote them to share their view, knowledge, opinion, issue related to working practices
within the company. This kind of leadership style adopted by the organisation where is
requirement related motivation and encouragement within the workforce. In addition to this in
order to adopt the new changes in the policies, practices and method, firm can use the democratic
leadership style under which manager and leader motivate, encourage and influence personnels
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for accept the new changes and retain within organisation for long time period. This is one of the
best leadership style under which manager can effectively motivate and encourage by taking
their active participation within organisation. This leadership provides opportunity to employees
for share their view, idea, opinion and suggestion related to business practices and policies. By
this leadership style, employees can feel as important part of the business enterprise. In order to
retain and motivate employees within business enterprise, democratic leadership style is one of
the best style through which management can easily involve employees within the decision
making. Transformational leadership is one of the major style under which involve high level of
communication from the management to meet the objective. In this style, leader motivate
employees and enhance productivity and efficiency through communication and high visibility.
On the other hand in the transactional leadership style is one under which manager and team
members set predetermined goal together and employees agree to follow the direction ad
leadership of the manager to accomplish those objectives.
Make argument for recommended leadership style
In every business organisation, leadership style plays a very crucial role by which leader
and manager motivate and encourage employees to attainment of the objective. Leader is a
person who develop the relationship with employees and close with employees. In the firm only
leader is a person who can close touch with employees and personal interact with them. With
help of effective leadership style they can easily identity their issue and make effective measure
to resolve that issue related to working in the business. It is very important for the organisation to
adopt an effective leadership style so as they can motivate and retain employees for long time
period. In the Virgin media company, employees are highly demotivate and dissatisfied due to
ineffective leadership style. By this ineffective leadership style, company's sales and profitability
is also decreased because firm have high employees turnover. As per the view of (Ardrey,
Desmond, Tolhurst and Mortimer, (2016) leadership problem is hugely influenced the
employee's motivation and satisfaction level. Once leader does not effectively guide, lead,
motivate to employees then they may feel dissatisfied and demotivate. Thus, in the virgin media
many employees has leave the organisation and many of employees has absenteeism. In the
virgin media, employees has not gained proper guidance and direction through which they
unable to understand the proper way of working and due to this issue their productivity has
decreased which directly affected the sales and profitability of company. Poor leadership within
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