Comprehensive Report: Leadership and Management in Amazon's Operations

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership and management operations within Amazon, the e-commerce giant. It begins by comparing the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, emphasizing their importance in achieving organizational goals. The report then delves into practical examples of leadership and management functions within Amazon, followed by an exploration of different leadership theories and models, such as the Adair model. Key approaches to operation management are also examined, highlighting the value of operations in achieving business objectives. The report concludes by discussing the impact of various factors on Amazon's operations, such as team building activities and problem-solving strategies, ultimately demonstrating how effective leadership and management contribute to Amazon's competitive advantage. The report also examines the importance of resource allocation, assignment of roles and responsibilities, and the use of models like Henry Fayol's model to manage various tasks and activities effectively. The report highlights how leaders and managers must work together to motivate employees, improve communication, and create a healthy work environment.

MANAGEMENT
OPERATION

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................3
P1 Compare the roles and characteristics of leader and manager in the organisation................3
TASK 2 ...........................................................................................................................................5
P2 Example of role of leader and functions of manager in the organisation..............................5
P3 Different theories and model of approach.............................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
P4 Key approaches to operation management............................................................................8
P5 Importance and value of operations in achieving business goals and objectives..................9
TASK 4 .........................................................................................................................................10
P6 Impact of various factors on business operations................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Management operation is basically concerned with managing the various task and
operations of the organisation in the systematic manner. It is the continuous practice of various
organisations for creating efficiencies in the organisation. In this various plans are made for
converting the raw materials into finished products with the motive of earning maximum profit.
In this plans for each and every activity is made after analysing the needs and demands of the
market and potential customer's in the best possible manner. This is because it majorly aims at
satisfying the customer's and increasing the sale and profitability(Ansoff and et al., 2018). If the
organisation is unable to make proper plans regarding its operations than various other functions
will also be affected, so management and operations is very much essential for the every kind of
organisation. The organisation chosen for this report is Amazon which is the biggest e-
commerce organisation . Major topics covered in this report are various roles and characteristics
of manager and leader, theories and approaches of leadership, importance and value of operation
management and the various factors which can affect the decision making process of the
organisation.
TASK 1
P1 Compare the roles and characteristics of leader and manager in the organisation.
The major function of managers in the organisation is to monitor and manage the various
task and operations of employees in the organisation. While on the other hand a leader is the one
who guides its subordinates for achieving desired goals and objectives in the best possible
manner. Manager as well as leader is very much essential for every organisation. As they
directly help in achieving long and short term objectives in the best possible manner. It is the
duty of the leader and manager to guide and motivate its subordinates for extracting work from
them in the systematic manner(Boxall and Purcell, 20113). Both of these have various kinds of
roles and characteristics which are briefly discussed below-
ROLE OF LEADER
A leader is the one who guides and leads the group individuals in the organisation. It is the
individual who has superior position and focuses on motivating and guiding its subordinates, so
that assigned work is completed in the best possible manner.

Creative vision- It is the duty of the leader to provide creative ways and ideas for
completing the task in the best possible manner. Leaders analyse the situation and than take
possible actions regarding the task and activities. At the initial stage Amazon introduced its
business with the motive of selling books through online medium but the major vision of Jeff
Bezos was to expand and diversify its business on various other platforms.
Coach Potential- The leader of the organisation also performs the duty of coach because
their major focus is on increasing the ability and growth of the valuable employees. Leader of
Amazon makes proper plans and strategies for solving the problems and issues of the employees
in the systematic manner. Employees of Amazon are also given control to various projects, so
that work is completed in the effective and efficient manner. This also allows the employees to
take better decisions for the completion of work(Chang, 2016).
Adair model of leadership is concerned with three major functions. This basically
includes achieving and completing the task, managing the team and meeting the needs of the
individuals. It is very much essential for the leader to focus on these functions, so that
organisational and individual goals are achieved in the best possible manner. With the help of
this model leader of the organisation will be able to manage each and every subordinates in the
systematic manner.
Some of the Leadership Functions
There are always certain aspects that need to be achieved by the leader and that is
possible only if leader is able to complete the task on specific period of time by taking the help
of team or individual. There are altogether eight function that need to be performed by the leader
so that goals can be accomplished. They are explained below: Defining the Task: Here, leader of Amazon should try to defined the task to each
employee's where clear objective should be there so that goals can be achieved easily. Planning: It is important for the manager of Amazon that they try to do planning before
executing any of the work and after that they should implement the planning to find
whether it is acceptable or not. Briefing: Leader should try to brief the work which should be done by their subordinates
so that positive atmosphere can be developed. This will help to motive the employee's of
Amazon.

 Controlling: It is necessary for each and every leader to have a better control upon his
own team so through which results are achieved easily. In context of Amazon, their
manager should have a self control and better control system through which every single
things can be monitored easily. Evaluating: Manager and other supreme authority of Amazon should try evaluate the
work which is performed by their team. On the basis of evaluation, worker should be
judged and if required additional training should be given. Motivating: Employee's should be motivated on the basis of work which they do. The
best way to motivate the employee is giving appraisal, rewards and many more. It will be
benefited for Amazon. Organising: Manager must try that how they can organise and manage the their team and
subordinates through which effective results can be achieved in Amazon.
 Setting an example: The manager of the team must try to set the example so that better
example can be set because that helps to maintain the level of quality within the
subordinates.
ROLE OF MANAGER
Manager is the one who has roles and responsibilities for controlling and managing the
task of the organisation. Manager is also responsible for making plans regarding the available
resources of the organisation. The major functions of the manager includes planning, organising,
staffing, directing and controlling. By following such activities and functions manager focuses
on achieving the goals and objectives in the best possible manner.
There are number of qualities which are required to the person who works in the capacity
of manager of leader of the company. In context of Amazon, it is necessary that their manger
should be able to plan each and every single detail in detail form. It is important for them that
must have done proper planning so that work can be done as per in that manner. Manager must
be able to organise the work load in systematic manner were they should be able to contol every
work so that effective results can be obtained. In addition proper direction should be given to
subordinates so that they can easily bring out the best out of employee's.
Resource allocator- It is duty of the manager to make best possible use of the available
resources, so that activities of the business is not affected. Manager of Amazon assign various
available resources to its employees on the basis of their skills and capabilities. The management

of Amazon take necessary decisions for providing various resources to each and every
department , so that goals and activities in the organisation are achieved in the effective and
efficient manner.
Assignment of roles and responsibilities- Managers take appropriate decisions for
assigning various roles and responsibilities as per the current situation of the organisation. The
roles in the organisation are also assigned according to the skills and talent of the employees of
Amazon. The major motive behind this is to increase the productivity of organisation in the best
possible manner. By doing this manager of Amazon ensures that work is completed before the
deadline, so that wastage of resources is not done in the organisation(Freeman and Hasnaoui,
2011).
COMPARISON BETWEEN LEADER AND MANAGER
Leader: The leaders of Amazon are loyal towards the organisation and their work. They
focuses on encouraging and motivating other employees, so that work is completed. The leaders
focus on using most appropriate and effective style of leadership, so that the morale of its
subordinates is increased. Leaders focuses on using adaptable leadership style, so that chances
can be easily made in the working structure of the organisation.
Manager: The manager of Amazon are also loyal towards their organisation. As they
make plans for communicating the strategies and plans to every employees, so that challenges
can be overcome in the best possible manner. Manger of Amazon uses various management style
with the motive of managing each and every activity in the systematic manner. Mangers of
Amazon also focuses on making flexible plans for the organisation, so that chances of risk and
uncertainty is reduced.
The functions of managers in the organisation can be easily managed and planned by
using the model of Henry Fayol. As this model will help the management in planning and
organising various task and activities in the best possible manner. This model basically consist of
5 functions which are inter- related to one another. These functions include- planning,
organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling. As per this model the manager of
Amazon can plan each and every task after analysing the situation. The major motive of this
model is to achieve the goals and objectives in the best possible manner.

TASK 2
P2 Example of role of leader and functions of manager in the organisation.
The leader in the organisation plays a vital role because it motivates and guides each and
every employee in the systematic manner. If the leader and managers are unable to perform the
their duties in the proper manner than work of the organisation directly gets affected. If the
leader is unable to make proper plans and strategies for its subordinates than chances of risk and
error will be increased and the productivity of the organisation will also be decreased. The
manager and leader of Amazon continuously focuses on making plans for performing their roles
and responsibilities in the best possible manner(Krajewski, Ritzman and Malhotra, 2013).
Proper management of activities by leader and manager will help Amazon in achieve
competitive advantage in the market for longer period of time. As the work will be handled in the
effective and efficient manner. Some of the common problems faced by the leader and manager
of Amazon are mentioned below-
Team building activities- It is the process of encouraging a group of individuals to
perform in the coordinated manner, so that goals and objectives are achieved in the systematic
manner. Teams in the organisation is formed after evaluating the skills and capabilities of the
individual. The major motive behind this is to extract better output form the various team
members. If the manager is successful in using right techniques for the team building than better
relation with the superior and subordinate can be made. Manager of Amazon is also responsible
for increasing and improving the communication skills of the team members. As with the help of
this better ideas can be used for completing the assigned task. Manager of the organisation is alos
focusing on providing proper work based, so that employees are encouraged for working in the
teams. While on the other hand leader of Amazon focuses on using new and innovative plans for
increasing the productivity of the organisation. They also focuses on maintaining adequate and
healthy working environment. As by doing this employees will have a sense of belongingness
towards the organisation. One of the main role of the leader is to solve the problem and disputes
of its subordinates, so that they performance is not decreased. Team building is quite essential
for the organisation as it will help in increasing the productivity of the employees. Proper
management of the team in Amazon will reduce the chances of high work pressure and
dissatisfaction among the employees. But some situations in the organisation can also lead to

increase in problems of the leader or manager which will directly impact their morale and
productivity(Magad, 2013).
Launching new product- Before launching and introducing any new product in the market. It is
the duty of leader and manager to make proper plans and strategies after analysing the market
need and demands. It is the duty of the manager of Amazon to make better strategies for newly
introduced product. This can be done by involving leader and other members in the decision
making process. By doing leader and manager will be able to solve the problems and issues in
the systematic manner. As the leader will give guidance and motivation to the team member for
making better plans and strategies before introducing the new product. Amazon launched a new
product Alexa using the technique of Artificial Intelligence. The major motive behind this
technique was to give tough competition to its competitors. This product was launched after
analysing the opportunities by leader and manager.
P3 Different theories and model of approach.
The different theories and approaches which can be used by the manager and leader of
Amazon are discussed below-
Situational leadership- As per this theory it is not essential for the leader and manager
to use any particular technique or theory for a particular situation. But this theory focuses on
using various leadership styles , so that problems are solved in the best possible manner.
Situational leadership theory is also known as life cycle theory of outcome. This means as per
this their it is the duty of leader to make better plans for uncertain working environment with the
motive of increasing outcome for the employees(Marie Lauesen, 2013). Leaders of Amazon can
make use of supportive leadership style for providing proper guidance to the employees in case
of any problem. While on the other hand choosing the democratic leadership style will be more
suitable for the manager. As with the help of this better plans can be made for introducing the
new product. Ideas and opinions of each and every member in Amazon can be taken for
improving the work.
System leadership theory- According to this theory it is essential for the organisation to
properly treat its employees. This theory is generally used in Amazon for increasing the
motivation level and performance of employees in the systematic manner. Manager is the
organisation uses this theory for providing various rewards and benefits to the employees. The
major motive of using this theory is it will help in increasing the productivity and will also lead

in maintaining work friendly relation with superior and subordinate. If the management of the
organisation wants to launch any new product in the market than this theory can be used for
achieving the goals and target in the effective and efficient manner.
Contingency leadership theory- This theory focuses on increasing and maintaining the
personality of leader. This theory is further divided into two parts which are task and people
oriented. It is the duty of leader and manager to take appropriate decision regarding the plans and
strategies for this theory. If the motive of organisation is launching a new product than task
oriented theory can be used(Matta and et al., 2014). As by using this theory performance of the
employees can be increased and the organisational and individual goals will also be achieved.
While on the other hand if the motive is building proper team than people oriented theory can be
used. As this style will focus on increasing the skills and capabilities of employees in the best
possible manner.
By using these theories and techniques manager and leader of Amazon will be able to
achieve the long and short term goals in the systematic manner. As in this each and every task
will be properly analysed. In context of the company they should try to adopt situation leadership
style because there are most of the situation were market is not same due to which marketing
strategy cannot be same so in this condition Leader of Amazon should try to adopt situation
leadership approach so that organisational goal can be achieved.
TASK 3
P4 Key approaches to operation management.
Operation management is the process of maintaining and managing various operations in
the organisation. It is related with the related managing the resources and operations of the
organisation is the systematic manner. It is concerned converting the raw materials into final
products, so that needs of the customers are attained in the systematic manner. The major motive
of this is to increase the efficiency and productivity of valuable employees in the organisation.
Operation management is concerned with using various tools and techniques in the systematic
manner. Such as total quality management, kaizan, etc. these techniques are briefly discussed
below-

Just in time- This type of approach is used to make best possible use of the resources.
This theory is basically used to reduce the wastage in the organisation. As with the help of this
theory organisation will be able to sustain in the market for longer period of time.
Six sigma approach- This theory is generally used to know the strength and weakness
of employees working in the organisation(McCrie, 2015). With the help of this approach
management can easily make plans for overcoming the weakness, so that their efficiency and
productivity is increased.
Total quality management- This approach is used to provide better goods and services
to the potential customer's. This is usually done by making necessary changes in the working
structure.
Operation management is concerned with guiding and monitoring the activities of the
organisation in the best possible manner. The major focus of operational manager is to provide
wide range of services to the potential customer's. Various plans and strategies are made for
satisfying unlimited needs and wants of the customer's. The major duty of the manager and
leader is to make plans for using right tools at the right time. Operational manager of Amazon
performs various functions related to the products and services of the organisation. Some of the
major role of operational manager are discussed below-
Satisfying customer- One of the major role manager is to make plans and strategies for
satisfying the needs and wants of potential customer's. This is usually done to increase the brand
image of the organisation in the market for longer period of time(Ortega, Garrido-Vega and
Dominguez Machuca, 2012). Operational manager perform this function be taking help from the
research and marketing department. As they provide new and innovative ideas for increasing the
market share.
Workflow and staffing- It is the duty of Operational manager to manage and handle the
requirement of staff in the organisation. This is done by coordinating the with the human
resource department. Both the departments analyse the need and requirement of the work force
and than make plans for hiring right candidate for right job. Hiring process is done according to
the workflow of organisation. This means if there is high work pressure in the organisation than
the focus is emphasised in selecting large number of candidates for the job.

These were some of the major role of operational managers in the organisation. There are various
other such as enhancement of productivity and maintaining proper financial information and
budget by the management of the organisation.
Some of the key approaches
TQM (Total Quality Management): It is the organisational structure approach through
which work is focused. It is helpful because it try to provide guidelines that how quality of the
product can be improved so that better result can be achieved. In context of Amazon, this
approach will be helpful for them because company will be able to deliver the good and services
to their customer in best possible manner.
JIT (Just-in-Time): It is the concept which helps to guide that how work load can be
reduced through which they can be provide the services to their customer on given period of
time. In terms of Amazon, it will help them because delivery system will be improved.
Kaizen Theory: It is the concept where it is mentioned that how organisation can do
better in future on the work which they are doing at the present situation. In context of Amazon,
it is necessary for them they must keep upgrading themselves that how they can enhance their
performance through which targets can be accomplished easily.
P5 Importance and value of operations in achieving business goals and objectives.
Operations of the organisation is very much essential important because it directly helps
in increasing the productivity and performance in the best possible manner. It is also concerned
with managing overall activities of the organisation, so that customer's are satisfied and sale is
increased within the limited period of time. In absence of proper operation management Amazon
will not be able to make better plans and actions for competing with the competitors.
Importance of role of manager- Amazon is one of the biggest e- commerce organisation which
has various kinds of functions and operations. Managers of the organisation plays a very
important role in forming plans for the future course of action. This is done by involving leader
and employees in the decision making process. Ideas and suggestions are taken into
consideration by the manger(Reimann, Schilke and Thomas, 2010). This leads to increase in the
motivation level and morale of the employees. If the manager is not successful in performing the
activities in the proper manner than long and short term goals of the organisation will not be

attained. The various operational functions which are performed in the organisation are discussed
below-
Inventory management- It is one of the most important function of operation. As with
the help of proper management of inventory organisation will be able to meet the needs and
requirements of the potential customer's in the best possible manner. Organisation also focuses
on using the latest tools and techniques for managing the inventory in the systematic manner.
Operation manager aims at increasing the efficiency of its employees. This is done by reducing
extra work and managing the operations in the systematic manner. Due to this wastage of
inventory is reduced(Scalet and Kelly, 2010).
Quality management- It is also essential the organisation to maintain the quality
standard of its products and services. As with the help of this organisation will be able to attract
more and more customer's in the best possible manner. The major focus is emphasised on
providing wide range of service to the customer's, so that their satisfaction level is increased.
This is done by using total quality management technique. Organisation is able to retain its
customer's because strategies are formed as per their needs and requirements. For increasing the
quality of the product and services organisation also gathers feedback form the customer's. This
is done to improve the services and sale of the organisation(Sharp and Zaidman, 2010).
Operation management is very much essential for the every organisation because it directly aims
at increasing the living standard of the employee's and customer's in the best possible manner.
Operation management also has the ability to increase and enhance the productivity of the
organisation. With the help of proper operational management better quality of goods and
services can be provided to the customer's, so that their satisfaction level in increased.
TASK 4
P6. Factors of business environment which creates influence on operational management and
decision-making by leaders and manager.
There are various factors within business environment which creates impact on both
operational management and decision making process of managers and leaders. These factors are
categorised into external and internal factors.
Internal Factors