Leadership and Management in Operations: Amazon Case Study

This report delves into the distinct roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, contrasting their approaches and focuses within an organization. Using Amazon as a case study, it examines the functions of managers in planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling, and coordinating, while also highlighting the leader's role in decision-making and conflict resolution. The report further explores how leaders and managers function in various situations, such as conflict management, new product launches, and resource allocation. It discusses situational leadership theory, system leadership, and contingency theory to understand leadership approaches in operations. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of leadership and management in achieving operational efficiency and productivity, and also highlights the significance of CSR within a business.

Management and operations

Table of Contents
TASK 1.......................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.......................3
TASK 2.......................................................................................................................................................6
P2 Role of a leader and functions of a manager in different situations:...................................................6
P3 Theories and approaches of leadership in operations:........................................................................7
TASK 3.......................................................................................................................................................9
Covered in PPT.......................................................................................................................................9
TASK 4.......................................................................................................................................................9
Covered in PPT.......................................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..........................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Operation management is concerned with effectively production,coordination of goods
and services so that delighted results can be acquired in proper manner in organization.
Operation management help managers and leaders help in properly manage tasks and duties so
that they can give desirable results to organization (Dekker. and Mallidis2012).. In this report
chosen organization is Amazon which is largest chain of goods and services that deal in online
market by delivering all goods and services by capturing a large market share in world and its
headquarter is in USA. This report study about role and functions of a leader and manager in
organization. And responsibilities of manager and leader while launching a new product in new
market. In addition to importance of operation management with quality improvements theories
which help to increase quality of goods and services by decrease wastage of goods and services
in Amazon.
TASK 1
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.
Manager is a person who is responsible for managing the employees and some sections of
the company on day to day basis (AldertonandSaieva, 2013). It exercises the managerial
functions such as planning, organizing, directing and control on employee’s behavior and
performance and has the power to hire and fire employees. Manager of amazon should have
certain characteristics for proper functioning of its business.
Characteristics of manager
 Communication- There should be open and honest communication between employees
at amazon and manger so that employees can freely share their ideas and problems which
can effectively increase their performance.
 Knowledge- Manager should have high level of knowledge in order to solve business
and employee problems which greatly help to resolve issues and achieve high
productivity.

 Delegation and Empowerment- Manager at amazon should properly delegate work
according to employee’s skills and knowledge in order to avoid issues and effective
performance of work.
Functions of manager
Manager at amazon should perform certain functions in order to increase the efficiency of
its operations and increase productivity by proper guidance and resolving of issues and conflicts.
 Planning- Manager should make certain plan or strategies to achieve business goals. For
example, manager at amazon wants to increase sales it should adopt some advertising and
marketing strategies to increase sales and productivity of business.
 Organizing- After plan is made manager need to reorganize its team and resources to
achieve goal. He needs to allocate resources and grant authority to employees and to
achieve business objective (BarrattChoiand Li, 2011).
 Staffing- Manager should provide adequate training to its employees to increase their
work performance. They are also responsible for proper recruitment and selection of
employees at amazon which increases the productivity of respective organization.
 Directing- Managers are responsible for assisting and directing in employees when
problem arises. They should guide and encourage its employees towards achievement of
goals.
 Controlling- Managers need to take proper control on the work performance of its
employees. Sales manager at amazon should be responsible for taking corrective actions
to make sure that idea of achieving goal remain on track.
 Coordinating- Managers at amazon coordinate activities of different department which
leads to the implementation of new practices and helps to attain business goals.
Leader- Leader is an individual in organization who influences a group of people towards the
attainment of common goal (Chevalierand et. al., 2015). They are responsible for convincing and
inspires people confidence which move them to action to achieve business goals.
Characteristics of leader

 Decision making- Leader at amazon should be responsible for taking decision related to
employee or business to avoid delay in work and achieve high productivity (Brandon
andMullan, 2013).
 Communication- There should be open and honest communication between employees
at amazon and manger so that employees can freely share their ideas and problems which
can effectively increase their performance.
Role of Leader
 Resolves conflicts- Leader when works with opinion of different team members it leads
to number of ideas and suggestions from members it leads to conflict. Leader with their
effective decision -making resolves conflict and makes team to work effectively.
 Integrates personal goals with organizational goals- Leader through effective support
and motivation guide employees at amazon and helps to reconcile personal goals with
organizational goals (Galindoand Batta., 2013).
Comparison between leader and manager
Basis Leader Manager
Approach Leader provides direction to
its employees by guiding
them on work performance
and helps to achieve goals at
amazon.
Manager s responsible for
planning details about
executing its work.
Focus It focusses on employees at
amazon by providing them
necessary direction to
achieve business goals.
It focuses on procedure to
effectively increase
performance. Manager at
amazon focuses on
techniques to effectively
increase its sales.
Strives It strives for effectiveness of
employees.
It strives to achieve
efficiency in its operations.
Risk taking They take risk and increases Their main aim is to manage

the performances. risk with certain process
which does not harm
organization.
TASK 2
P2 Role of a leader and functions of a manager in different situations:
Role of a leader and manager is very crucial in organization, and contributes a lot in
organization development and enhancement in different situations. Leader is one who by their
views, beliefs and opinions influence behavior and thoughts of others in Amazon. Manager is
one who directs and operational towards business objectives and goals to attain and fulfill them
in a proper manner in Amazon. There are different functions in which a leader and a manager
play different roles and responsibilities in different situations in Amazon. There are different
situations and contexts in which leader and manager play different roles and responsibilities:
In situation of conflict management:
There are many situations in which organization and their members have to face different
problems regarding management of conflicts and rivalries in Amazon. Conflicts arise due to
miscommunication and misinterpretation of works and doings in organization. There are some
other reason to increase conflicts in organization is cultural gaps and disputes that arise due to
different caste, religion and regions in different countries while operate multinationals. Conflicts
are due to miscommunication at different hierarchical levels in Amazon. In that case managers
investigate in deep and after that know about reasons behind conflict and after that leaders know
in depth the reason of conflict (O'Fallonand Rutherford, 2011). After management and resolve
conflicts in different so that permanent solution of problem can be found in Amazon.
In planning phrase:
Planning phrase is used at the time of new product launch and at time of existing product
launch in a new market with new features. While launching a new product there is lot of
planning and implementation of that planning requires a lot of steps. In that phrase manager and
leader play a crucial role in implementation of planning phrase. A manager directs to their

employees and knows their ideas and views before launch a new products and directs roles and
responsibilities of each and every employee. At same leader also know reactions of every
manager of different fields and direct them to accomplish new roles and responsibilities while
launching a new product in new market (AldertonandSaieva, 2013)..
In organizing phrase:
After launching a new product in new market with new product that requires a lot of
planning and after that organize all resources to implement a new products in new market. In that
case manager allocate all resources while implement a new product in new market. While leader
distributes and allocate resources to different managers. It requires new planning and
implementation.
In phrase of directing:
In phrase of directing products and services while launching a new product in new and
existing market. In phrase of directing manager play a crucial role to give instructions to their
potential employees while leaders directs actions that use by managers while launch a new
product in new market.
P3 Theories and approaches of leadership in operations:
There are different approaches in understanding in leadership theories and models in
organization. Leader plays a crucial role in achieving objectives and goals of Amazon in
different ways and there are different theories and traits that helps in understand behavior of
leaders in different circumstances and their observing behavior (Yang,Hong and Modi, 2011). To
understand different behavior and characteristics of leaders there are many theories and these are
as follows:
Situational leadership theory:
In situational leadership theory states about behavior and traits of leaders in different
situations. This theory is flexible enough that helps to adopt existing and critical environment
that are need of Amazon. It is not based on leadership skills of leader but it rely on that arise
while dealing in organization in different situations. Key component of situational leadership
style is adaptability according to situation that face by manager and leaders. They have to change

their leadership styles according to situations and circumstances at present arise on Amazon.
Leaders have knowledge and insights about future and current changes according to their
experience in career. There are some characteristics that require for situational leadership style:
 Insight: situational leaders requires to understand wants of followers and according to
adjust their management style in Amazon.
 Flexibility: leaders have to be flexible enough to adopt new methods of leadership style
according to the circumstances.
 Trust: Leader have to trust on followers and followers have to trust upon leaders.
System leadership: system leaders help to organisations to create situations and
conditions where all people work in a productive environment in organization. This theory uses
sound and practical theory, strategies, design and processes to understand models of leadership
in different ways in Amazon. This theory help to create build tools to effective system which
enhance in productivity in organization. System theory follows a chain of actions in distinct way
by understand situation in environment that change rapidly.
Contingency theory: contingency theory states about different leadership style a leader
can adopt according to circumstances in organization. In contingency theory effectiveness of
leadership depends on how rapidly a leader adopts any leadership style according to situation in
Amazon. it based on principle that there is no best style of leadership in organisations while
operating in different situations (Dekker. and Mallidis2012). On other hand leadership style is
best which suited according to the circumstances or situations arise in Amazon.
How it works: contingency theory works on principle of adaptability according to
situation thatarises in organization. There are three factors which decides about that leadership
style is suitable or not according to situation. If these style or factors match up with leader style
than, success is projectedand implemented.
Leader-Member relation is in which way leader interact with employees.
Task structure: in which manner tasks and responsibilities distributed among members in
organization.

Position power: the power and responsibilities distributed among members and leaders in
distinguish ways.
TASK 3
Covered in PPT
TASK 4
Covered in PPT
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been concluded that Management and operation define as
one of the most essential department within an enterprise. Manager and leaders are crucial part of
organization and play an important role in managing the business operations and uses principles
and approaches to achieve efficiency and high productivity. It also evaluates the role of
operational management in daily activities from production to delivery process. This report
determines that every organization should adopt CSR in order to support culture, ethics of
employees and maintains sustainability in environment which would help to achieve efficiency
in its operations.

REFERENCES
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