Analysis of Leadership, Management and Operations at Amazon

This report provides an in-depth analysis of leadership and management practices within Amazon, a leading multinational corporation. It begins by defining and comparing the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, highlighting their distinct approaches to achieving organizational objectiv...Read More

Management and
Operations

INTRODUCTION
Management is considered to be the effective administration of overall organisational
functions in order to attain objectives in stipulated time period. Where as operations is
considered as the procedures of transforming raw material to finished goods with evaluating
qualities for facilitating effectual goods into market area. Both operations as well as management
is a management are that involves procedures design as well as control for recreation of business
operation as well as production may be accomplished in effectual way. Moreover, this is a
business operations administration in order to attain high efficiencies in it within company. This
report is based on the company Amazon, it is a leading multinational organisations as well as
facilitating their services into cloud computation as well as electronic commerce. Its
headquarters is in Washington, U.S. This particular assignment will explain about the managers
and leaders role with its features. Theories of leadership that facilitates supportive role to leaders
and managers into managing various types of circumstances. Along with this, the business
environment factors that facilitates the effects upon operations of the business as well as
procedures of decision making are also explained in this report.
Activity 1
Definition and comparison of the roles and characteristics of leader and manager.
Leader is considered as the one who have overall skills as well as abilities of motivating,
supportive to its group for doing the work in order to attain the specific objectives into stipulated
duration (Paglis and Green, 2012). So, few characteristics of Amazon leaders are mentioned
below:
LEADERS CHARACTERISTICS
 Capability to to make effective decisions: Leaders have all capabilities as well as more
experiences in particular area so that they can able to make effective decisions according
to the circumstances. By appropriate examination of the circumstances, respective firm
leaders can make proper decisions that drive company to functions the operations
smoothly (Starr, 2014).
 Delegation ability: As leaders has the characteristics to delegate accountabilities as well
as roles to its group according to its skills, experiences and knowledge. With the aids of
it, respective firm leaders has to facilitate responsibilities to its employees based on its

level of performance that will be useful fro them for attaining objectives at stipulated
duration.
Leader's Role:
 Incorporates the firm's objectives with individual one: The essential role of the leader
is to direct as well as inspire its group in order to obtain major contribution from them
and attained the objectives of the firm. For instance, within respective firm leaders of the
group have to facilitate rewards to its employees fro enhancing tist level of motivation.
Moreover, it puts effort according to the work desires that will helps company to obtain
development as well as sustainability into market area.
 Development of strategy: Leader is considered to be the crucial component of company
as it has whole essential abilities as well as knowledge that can be utilised into
procedures of decision taking. Within Amazon, leaders of the team has to facilitate
support its managers into strategies development like giving training to employees or
not to give, goods and services pricing and so on for gaining the competitive edge into
market area (Turner, 2014).
Where as manager is the individuals who have whole the accountability and controlling
as well as managing the overall organisational activities with optimal usages of resources.
(Grint, Jones and Holt, 2016). Few functions as well as characteristics of manager are as follows:
Manager's Characteristics:
 Communication: The essential manager's characteristics is communication as staff will
know about its accountabilities as well as roles. Thus, the delegate work may be
performed in effective manner. When the employees of the company will be done its
work in appropriate way then this is drives company towards competitive advantage.
 Problem resolving: This is considered as the effective characteristics of manager which
they has to consider while making appropriate decisions in order to remover disputes at
work area. It has to take decisions without performing any biassesness so that feelings of
employees do not get affected as well as it do its work in more effectual way. With the
aids of it, the organisation's productivity will be maximised as well as staff can be retain
for longer durations.
Manager's roles:

 Developing plans and policies: The crucial role of the manager is, it has to develop
effectual policies as well as plans for gaining competitive advantage into market area. It
also has to delegate staff accountabilities and roles as per its strengths and experiences so
that they can do their work more effectively. Manager has to take feedbacks from its
workers in order to get optimistic results in upcoming times.
 Monitoring and controlling: This is also considered as the huge responsibility on
manager that it has to set as well as observe the overall organisational operative activities
so that effective quality goods can be provided into market area. (Chandran, 2016).
Distinguish among managers as well as leaders
Basis Leader Manager
Approach Leaders in the Amazon have to set
direction for their team members so
that desired tasks can be
accomplished within the given time
period (Zaleznik, 2014).
Managers of Amazon have to make
plans and policies so that the given task
can be done by the employees in
desired manner.
Authority and
power
Leaders of Amazon have authority
to make the decisions and
implement it during the task for
achieving the organisational goals.
Managers have authorities to make
plans for whole the firm and delegate
responsibilities to their employees
according to their skills and strengths.
There were few Leadership as well as management approaches that are mentioned below:
Leadership theory:
 Action centred leadership theory: It is the theory of the leadership which has to
regulate as well as control the overall functions of its group at the time of performing
work. Moreover, it also perform the various types of roles like maintaining relation with
staff in order to gain effectual contribution from its, maximise its level of confidence and
so on. With the assistance of this particular role, it can simply develops a positive
surroundings at work area that will aids company for gaining more profit.
Theory of the management:

 Behavioural theory of management: It is also considered as the human relation theory.
As per this, manager has to concentrates upon showing the behaviours of the people at
work area. For instance, respective company manager has to facilitate encouragement to
its staff into financial as well as non financial aspects that will aids company to enhance
their profit as well as productivity.
Differentiation of two position on the basis of different range of theories:
Theory Leader Manager
Situational leadership theory This theory states that leaders
have to adjust their behaviour
according to situations so that
all the activities of task can be
managed in an effective
manner. Such as in the
situation of pressure, Leaders
have to play the role of
autocratic leader so that the
task can be completed by the
team members in given time
period. Whereas, in stable
situations they have to provide
support and guidance to their
team members for enhancing
their skills and efficiency so
that effective outcomes can be
received in future period
(Ravindran, 2016).
According to this theory,
managers of Amazon have to
formulate plans and policies
according to the situation so
that negative influence of the
situation can be overcome in
easy manner (Kotterman,
2006).
Charismatic leadership theory This theory states that, leaders
have to play role of guide and
motivator in the firm so that if
In this theory, Managers have
to evaluate the performance
level of their employees and

the team members feeling
demotivated during the task so
leaders have duty to provide
support and motivation to
them. Through this, working
performance of the team
members will be enhanced
which will be helpful for the
firm in gaining growth and
success (
Difference Between Leader
and Manager, 2018).
guide them for enhancing their
working efficiencies so that
they provide more efforts for
achieving the organisational
goals (Fagiano, 2017).
House's path-goal theory This theory states that a
company's performance is
generally dependent upon the
behaviour of the leader's. A
company is dependent on the
leaders because they are only
responsible for clarifies the
goals and objectives of the
company to its subordinates. In
context of Amazon, the leaders
of the company is responsible
for their performance because
their behaviour is the reason
behind employees satisfaction,
performance, and overall
production of the company.
The leaders is responsible for
providing employees
information, support and how
In this situation managers is
responsible for planning,
communicating, and
conducting the plans which
they can do with the help of
leaders. On other hand, leader
is responsible for convey their
messages and goals to the
employees. If behaviour of
both manager and leader is
supportive then employees are
inspire to give great
performance.

they can attaining the rewards
by clarifying the path for
achieving the goals.
Evaluation as well as examination of several leadership theory:
 Trait theory of leadership: As per this, leader has few qualities as well as traits that can
be utilised through them in order to attain the expected goals. With the assistance of it
respective firm leader can attain their higher level aim as well as energy that will aids
them to deal with the difficult circumstances which are taken place into company.
 Charismatic theory: This is adapted through company in order to determine activities as
well as behaviours that will aids them to encourage and motivate their staff so that they
can considered the modification effectively. Respective company Leader can utilise
charismatic theory of leadership in order to inspire the emotional feelings within
subordinates (Purce, 2014).
 House's path-goal theory – Through adopting this kind of theory manager and leaders of
Amazon will be able in influencing the behaviour of their employees so that they provide
efforts for achievement of goals. A leader should be achievement oriented so they able to
motivate their employee in a right direction.
Role of leader and functions of manager under different situational contexts
Both managers as well as leaders has to play essential function and role into several
circumstances. Few situations with leaders and manager roles are mentioned below:
Conflict management: This can be utilised through company's administration when
there is a situations of disputes that is raising into work area (Luo, 2012). As the firm Amazon
is considered as the famous brand where various staff do its responsibilities. The organisation's
workers are from different culture or backgrounds as well as have modification in its languages
so its nature is also different that can maximise disputes between themselves at the time of
performing work. For obviating these types of problems as well as disputes, so role played by
them are different from one another that are as follows:
 Leaders has to establish an effective standards with the aids of charismatic approach to
accomplish the work so that it can simply create appropriate coordination between its
groups as well as they put efforts to accomplish the task in effect manner. With the

assistance of it, problems as well as disputes can be solved easily that will be useful for
organisation for obtaining sustainability.
 Manager has to examine the disputes situations as well as considering feedbacks from its
staff by which it will be capable to know about the origin of such problems can be resolve
consequently. With the aids of it, manager will able to manage the circumstances that will
be useful for them in developing effectual relationship with the staff (Purce, 2018).
Product line extension in Amazon: In case management has decided to launch goods
and services into market area the both leaders as well as managers has responsibility for
performing a analysis of market by which it will be know about the present trend of the market
and consumers demands which will be useful in developing goods and services consequently.
For instances, both managers as well as leaders has to play few efficacious roles that are
explained below:
 Leaders have to assure about raw material as well as resources so that administration can
be capable to introduce new products into market area. For instance, leaders has to use
situational leadership theory as well as facilitates effectual training to its group in order to
give them knowledge about its accountabilities and roles and do works consequently.
 On the other hands, manager has to develop effectual policies as well as plans in order to
delivered new goods into market area at give time periods. Also, accomplished the
desires of the consumers in appropriate way.
Models and theories of leadership along with their strength and weaknesses
Leaders has whole capabilities as well as knowledge that is utilised through them in order
to motivate the personnel so that objectives of the company can be accomplished at stipulated
durations. Thus, few types of leadership theory can be executed through management to manage
various circumstances into organisation. Few approaches of leadership are explained below:
Situational Leadership approach: This theory is used by the leaders for taking
decisions according to the situations. This kind of approach provides supports to the leaders of
firm in every situation as it guides them in taking effective decisions so that situation can be
handled in easy manner. For example- if the employees have no skills to perform the given task
then in this situation, leaders have responsibility to provide training to them so expected skills
can be gained by the employees and productivity of firm will be increased. Apart from that,
leaders have to encourage and motivate their workforce so that their hesitation will be decreased

and they perform on the given task in better manner. Hence, it can be said that this approach is
very helpful for the leaders in taking decisions as per the changes in conditions or situations
(Laudon,2016).
Strength:
 The major strength of this approach is that, it provides effective supports to the
employees which increases the profitability and productivity of firm.
 It also enhances the confidence level of employees which helps the managers in making
effective decisions (Turner, 2014).
Weakness:
 When leaders have less experience of handling the situations then this theory can't
provide effective results
 when situations are interrelated with each other then it provide confusion to the leaders in
finding the proper solution of problem.
System leadership approach: This kind of approach includes effective strategies, system
designs, appropriate principles which assists the leaders in completing desired task in the given
time period. It also provides help the leaders in formulating an effective workplace so that
essential features can be implemented in the employees which will be helpful for the
management in achieving organisational goals in more efficient manner (Van Wassenhove,
2014).
Strength:
 The main strength of this approach is that it provides proper interpretation of every
situation to the leaders due to which their decision-making skills can improved.
 It provides proper framework to the leaders which guides them in taking effective
decisions so that organisational goals can be achieved within predetermined time period.
Weakness:
 It provides complexity in decision-making because it includes various kind of approaches
in it.
 This approach needs consumes more time for understanding so that it can't be adopted by
every leaders and less popular than the other approaches of leadership.
Contingency leadership- According to this theory, leaders have to make adjustment in their
behaviour as per the situations so that situation can be handled in proper manner. It also provide

supports to the leaders to enhancing their skills and strength so that the essential features can be
implemented in them.
Strength
 It guides them in formulating a flexible organisational structure so that effective decisions
can be taken by the leaders (Kull,2014).
Weakness
 It does not provide effective solutions according to situations some time which consumes
more time and cost of organisation
From the above approaches of leadership leaders of Amazon have to adopt the situational
approach of leadership which will be helpful in enhancing cooperation and coordination among
the employees.
Conclusion
It has been concluded from the above activity that managers and leaders are essential
aspects for the organisations who provides their support and guidance to the employees. These
managers and leaders uses some approaches which are chosen based on their strengths and
weakness.
Activity 2
Covered in PPT and Booklet
CONCLUSION
It has been summarised from the above report that operations management plays an
important role in the firm because it enhance the efficiency level of production process due to
which the organisation is able in providing better quality products and services in the
marketplace. This report provides the clear understanding about the roles and characteristics of
managers and leaders along with differences between them. It also defines the roles in different
situations which are played by the managers and leaders. In the last, various kind of external
factors are evaluated along with their impact on decision-making process of firm.