A Comparative Analysis of Leadership and Management at Argos

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership and management practices within Argos, a prominent UK retailer. It begins by defining operations management and its importance in transforming raw materials into finished products to generate value. The report then delves into a comparative study of the roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers, highlighting their differences and similarities. Key aspects discussed include interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles of managers, along with their planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling functions. The report also examines the functions of leaders, such as setting vision and problem-solving, and explores different leadership approaches, including situational, system, and contingency leadership. The analysis is supported by examples of how leaders and managers handle situations, such as new product launches and project management. Finally, the report emphasizes the importance of adapting to dynamic business environments, making it a valuable resource for understanding effective leadership and management strategies in a retail context.

Management and
Operations

INTRODUCTION
Operations management is defined as a procedure in which combination of different aspects
like evaluation, monitoring, review and controlling of process like manufacturing of organisation
offering is included (Johnstone, 2016). It is a process in which procurement of raw material is
done in order to transform it into finished product in order to create value from them. This
process mainly focus upon making significant improvement in product and services quality in
order to ensure organisational revenue generation capability in limited cost. Present report has
been conducted on Argos, company offer their train as Britain catalogue retailer in the provinces
of United Kingdom and Ireland. Entity was founded in the year 1972 and offer different type of
consumer goods with high quality. In this report formative discussion has been made on
comparison of leaders and manager role along with their characteristics and similarity. In
addition to this report include theories and model of leadership approach. In addition to this
report include operation management importance and factors that affecting decision making and
operational management.
Leaders and managers are key individuals in an organisation as both of them successfully
contribute their contribution in effective and efficient management of entity operations. They are
having responsibility to manage and control different type of aspects in a company along with
motivating individual towards organisational objectives. Mentioned below different type of roles
and responsibilities of leaders and manager is defined:
Leader- A simple definition is that leader is a person who motivates a group of individuals to
pursue a shared goal. This can include guiding staff and peers in a corporate atmosphere in order
to adapt to the requirements of the organization.
Manager- Manager is the one who works in the best possible way with his / her staff out of
regard for the effective audit committee will and score tactic. A good manager will still
demonstrate his / her staff great compassion and courtesy.
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Manager
Manager are defined as an individual who is having responsibility to effectively manage
company administration process and direct individual and group towards company main
objective and goal. Argos manager undertake diverse range of functions and roles in order to
facilitate entity towards maximum profitability.
Role of a manager
Interpersonal role of manager
In terms with interpersonal role Argos manager conduct different type of responsibilities and
duties in which they effectively act as figurehead in which manager is treated as a symbolic head
in which duties that are mainly related to legal documents are considered. Along with this they
also act as leader in which they motivate individual in entity and influence their performance as
to make them work with more confidence to fulfil entity mission and vision. In addition to this
manager within Argos also act as liaison as they have responsibility to effectively maintain
contact from individual outside of entity.
Informational role of manager
This is one of the most important roles which managers perform in this there are require
to have responsibility of all the essential information substances and content of competitors in
order to develop strategies by accessing external business environmental factors (Parisio, Rikos
and Glielmo, L., 2016). They act as a simulator in which they evaluate and allocate information
and communicate the same with subordinates in order to develop plan accordingly. Managers of
Argos also act as spokesperson in which they further communicate necessary and essential
information related to entity strategy policy procedure to outside people.
Decisional role of manager
Within an organisation manager perform different type of roles like namely, entrepreneur
in which they are responsible to undertake risk in order to facilitate innovation within entity.
Along with resource handler role is also being performed by manager in order to allocate
resources to different departmental units as to accomplish organisation vision with great
effectiveness. Other roles that a manager performs in Argos include disturbance handler and
negotiator.
Functions of a manager
Planning:
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This is the initial function of manager within an organizational management of Argos in
which they are responsible to formulate plans and set out vision and mission of entity along with
plans in order to fulfil them in effective manner.
Organising:
After formulating plan Argos manager is having responsibility to organise activities and
functions of plan according to resources in order to align operations in effective manner (López
and. et. al., 2015). Along with this in this stage manager within Argos also allot roles and
responsibilities among staff member according to their abilities and skills in order to
collaboratively fulfil entity objectives.
Staffing:
After fulfilling organising function manager conduct their function of staffing in which
they fulfil workforce requirement of organisation different department with skilled and efficient
employees. Main aim of this purpose is to recruit talented employees in order to fulfil objectives
with effectiveness.
Directing:
This is one of the most important function that Argos manager undertake as in this there
are responsible to direct team and individual towards determined goals and objective of entity. In
order to fulfil this manager encourage communicate, guide, lead and encourage employees in
order to make them work with full zeal.
Controlling:
It is the last function in which Argos manager effectively check and review all the
objectives as to assure that they are facilitating according to executed plan in order to overcome
any error and control this with corrective actions.
Leader
Leaders are the individuals who have responsibility to encourage individuals towards
organisational objectives.
Role of a leader
Sets vision: Being a good leader Argos leader influence individuals by setting vision as to
align their behaviour accordingly.
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Problem solving: Argos leader play most important role in which they act as problem solver
by offering reliable solutions to each and every problem in order to satisfy individuals in best
effective manner.
Functions of a leader
Motivation: Leader is also accountable to influence and motivate people to work towards
the accomplishment of business goals and objectives (Morschett and. et. al., 2015). For this, the
leader of Toyota will use financial and non financial motivation techniques like incentives,
bonuses, respect, etc. so that they can encourage people to work in accordance with business
goals.
Difference between leaders and managers
Basis Leader Manager
Meaning A leader is a person in an
organisation who work for
leading the people to
accomplish business goals and
objectives.
Manager is having
responsibility to manage
functions, activities, plans,
resources, and workforce etc
to accomplish organisational
objectives.
Formal right Leader is having no form of
formal rights within an
organisation.
Manager is having different
types of formal set of rights
within an organisation.
Follower/ subordinate Leader is having followers
who effectively follow leaders
because of their way of
working as well as leadership
styles.
Manager is having different
sub-ordinates those who
perform their roles and
responsibilities under them.
Scope Leader is having narrow scope
as they acts as part of
management.
Manager in an organisation is
having wider set of scope as
they diverse range of roles and
responsibility and leader also
operate their functions under a
manager.
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Risk taking Leader is an individual who
undertake risk and acts as risk
taker in order to facilitate
innovation.
Manager however, restricts
risk as they mainly aim
towards controlling risk in
order to maintain revenue and
cost.
Similarities between leader and manager
Basis Similarities
Business goals and objectives Main goal of both manager and leader is to
effectively fulfil organisational objectives in a
well defined and effective manner as to
increase company profitability at great extent.
Flexibility Both leaders and manager are having same set
of flexible nature as they have efficiency to be
adaptive towards dynamic changes that are
prevailing in business environment.
Argos operates their functioning as leading retailer in which different type of functions
and activities are conducted in order to satisfy customers in effective manner to assure more
competitive advancements. Leaders and managers in this effectively contribute their contribution
with their roles and responsibilities, in this perform diverse range of roles such as provide
motivation to employees in order to utilise their talent and skill to enhance their efficiency. It has
been evaluate that there are different situation at mainly under take place in Argos and required
to be monitor and managed by leaders and manager with their skill and knowledge in order to
accomplish organisational objectives in a well defined manner.
Implementation of plans and policies:
This is situation in which Argos introduce new consumer good product within
marketplace with having in objective to fulfil consumer satisfaction at maximum rate and assure
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high revenue (Nunna and. et. al., 2016). Main motive of this is to increase organisational
competency and profitability in market. In order to accomplish this objective leaders and
manager align their roles and responsibilities with implementation’ and formulation of new
policies and plans. In this manager is having responsibility to develop new ideas in order to
launch new product as to ensure sustainable advantage in respective time period, for instance
option of social media platform as to influence large page of consumers. While in this, leader
play key essential role in order to increase employee skill and efficiency by offering them
different development and training programs in order to accomplish organisational objectives
with new techniques and tools.
Working on new project
Argos top management have duly decided to bring a new product in market place, as to
effectively manage this there is a requirement of machine, skilled employees, resources materials
money etc. As to effectively conduct this process different type of activities and functions are
required to be undertaken by leaders and manager in order to accomplish project requirement
with maximum efficiency. In this situation manager is responsible to undertake diverse range of
programs in order to explain and inform employees with project requirement. In this leader is
also responsible to manage human resource in effective manner in order to facilitate employee’s
performance towards new task. In this leaders effectively motivate organisational workforce to
maximize their performance efficiency and manager allocate different resources and materials in
order to accomplish project requirement.
Situational leadership approach:
Situational Leadership is the best style of leadership. This activity emphasizes leaders to
review and assess the many variables at job choosing the style of leadership that best meets their
objectives and situations. According to Ken Blanchard, leading theorist, 'A leader had been a
boss in the past. The leaders and managers can no longer only lead by positioning authority.
Situational leadership style is one of the most flexible model within which Argos leaders can
effectively influence any form of leadership as per according to the current prevailing situation.
This approach is highly adaptable and allows leaders to change their style according to factors
that are dynamically changing in business environment. With the help of these approach leaders
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within Argos effectively drive changes in employee’s behaviour through which they accomplish
organisational goals and objectives in a well define and effective manner.
System leadership approach:
With assistance of systematic leadership approach Argos leaders allow themselves to
build condition within which work force of entity conduct their operations with high productivity
as per according to their potential, skill and knowledge. Within this approach leaders undertake
use of philosophies in order to develop effective as well as good leadership system design,
strategy of company and social process. In addition to this system leadership approach allow
leaders with Argos to forecast attitude as well as behaviour of employees within organisation.
Contingency leadership approach
This form of leadership approach is mainly emphasised upon style of leadership that is
mainly related to result that fit in a best among leader and a situation. With the assistance of this
approach leader of Argos assure success that mainly depends on demand that is created by a
situation (Caniani and. et. al., 2015). In addition to this it has been evaluated that contingency
leadership approach is mainly character size by diverse range of factors such as relationship
among leaders and members, power of position that refers to authorities of leader as to punish or
recognised employee and task structure within which particular structure or manner of work is
duly assign.
Operation management refers to the administration of entire business practices used by
firm in order to develop best strategies in order to get desired results on time. With the help of
this they can achieve their targeted goals and achieve competitive scenario frequently. Herein,
Argos, is one of the best retailer operating its business within the UK is operating their business
in a proper manner through identifying several factors within the internal environment of firm.
For this, respective firm used different types of operations management tools and techniques in
order to run business smoothly. Some of the important approaches of operation management are
going to be discussed below:
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Six sigma: Six sigma approach aims to increase product performance efficiency by
recognizing and reducing the sources of faults and decreasing production and business product
effect variability. It employs a variety of methods of performance management, mainly scientific
research analysis, and helps create an increasing investment for organization specialists. This
approach includes different types of tools and methods and having main purpose to reduce
defects from the manufacturing of entire goods and services through the business. In regards
with Argos industries, as they dealing with online and physical shops so that they use this
principle and improve their capability of business effectively. Further it helps firm to achieve
targeted goals din a proper way (Hidayat and Akhmad, 2015). Argos leaders will anticipate both
the mindset and the actions of their employees in relation to this program management design.
Role played by Leader: The main role of leader is they apply this theory and implements
good team work for the betterment of firm.
Role played by Manager: In this, managers always develop better global strategies in
order to make better business plan so that they can utilise several resources.
Total quality management: TQM refers to the particular process of bringing efficiency
within the production of firm. This approach mainly focuses on regular improvement process
within the goods quality and makes services better provided by Argos industries. Along with
they can focus on those needs that accomplish customer’s demand and needs.
Role played by Leader: Main role of leader within this approach is motivates employees
at workplace as team members and eliminate resistance to change towards employees in order to
improve working quality of them.
Role played by Manager: In this manager of respective firm able to use large number of
strategies so that they can easily focuses on production changes process and bring further
improvement (İkinci, 2014).
Just in time approach: This approach refers to the process to order the material from
any supplier at that time of required while production process. In regards with respective
industry, this approach is used by managers and leaders both that increase the efficiency and
eliminate wastage from the inventory within the company.
Role played by Leader: Leaders are able to evaluate employee’s performance in proper
time and track inventory effectively.
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Role played by Manager: Managers always directs production and operational
department of firm so that they can keep inventory safe and control along with able to improve
entire process of manufacturing in firm (Amanchukwu, Stanley and Lobule, 2015).
As per the above mentioned key approaches of operation management this can be said
that OM plays crucial role that make Argos industries utilize overall resources in a perfect
manner. With the help of using this tool regularly they can bring improvement within their goods
and service process and convert raw material into finish goods.
Within the organization there are different types of importance and values of operation
management that can be underpinning by firms in order to achieve targeted goals and objectives
properly. In context with Argos industries, there are different types of shops and having ample
number of customers by which they are operating their business at high level. For further
improvement they need to understand the concept of OM, those are going to be discussed below:
Trends in market: Within the competitive world scenario there are different types of
firms who are operating their business via online and offline both criteria to achieve
organizational goals. Thus, it is essential for every organization to produce their products and
services as the changing trends so that they can make their position in a well manner. In regards
with Argos industry, there are several goods and services developed by trends that always fulfil
entire needs and wants of people at marketplace. Thus, it helps firm to retain employees for long
time at workplace (Dragnić, 2014).
Increasing revenue: Operation management always helps frim to develop best sales of
their profit ration in order to get desired outcomes in a frequent mode. In regards with respective
firm, this feature of OM helps them to expand its business in several areas so that they can easily
capture market segmentation. It helps them to achieve huge profits along with new targets within
the competitive scenario.
Increasing sales: Operation management always considered as helpful tool for every
firm as it helps to increase sales of firm through making effective and qualitative products and
services through conducting research as well. In relation with respective firm, this is used by
managers so that they can conduct better research about various factors within the environment
that helps them to find out those ways that increase their entire sales.
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