Leadership and Management: Aston Martin Case Study Analysis

This report examines leadership, management, and operations within Aston Martin Global Holding Plc. It begins by comparing the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, highlighting their responsibilities in achieving business goals. The report then evaluates how different situations impact the roles of leaders and the functions of managers, differentiating between leadership and management styles. It explores various leadership theories, including situational, system, and contingency leadership, providing examples of their application within Aston Martin and other companies like Mercedes Benz and Rolls Royce. Furthermore, the report assesses factors in the business environment, such as corporate social responsibility, culture, ethics, and sustainability, and their impact on operations management and decision-making processes of leaders and managers. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and implications of the analysis.

Management &
Operations

INTRODUCTION
Management & operations is the business practices which help the organization to
generate high level performance and it further beneficial in terms of achieving business goals &
objectives. Operations management is the process of developing finished finished goods from the
raw material (Addo-Tenkorang and Helo, 2016). All the process will be done to maximise profit
margin or productivity. For the better understanding of this concept, this report select Aston
Martin Global Holding Plc which is British independent luxury car manufacturing company.
This report cover various topics such as different role of leaders & characteristic of managers
along with this, how they perform in different situations. In addition, apply various theories
along with examples where managers or leaders perform their responsibility.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
P1. Compare different role and characteristics of a leader and a manager
Leader: It is a person who perform their role & responsibility in the organization in order
to achieve business goals & objectives. A great leader also lead a team to success and trained
them to perform in any situation. Leaders required various qualities which helps them to
motivate, encourage or guide their followers.
Manager: A person who have responsibility to supervise all the business activities and
employees performance. Along with this, they have to accountable for their actions within
organization to achieve business goals & objectives.
Role of leaders & managers:
Vision: Before implementing any action managers and leaders have to clear business
vision. Because further they instruct or guild employees accordingly and all the actions and
activities will be based in this.
Goal: In the organization, goals should be clear and common for every one then it helps
the business to achieve (Bromiley and Rau, 2016). So managers & leaders have to ensure that
each team member follow common goal to achieve desire outcomes.
Directions: Manager have to formulate strategy and provide directions to the employees
that how to complete task and achieve business goals. Along with this, leaders will motivate each
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employee and instruct them, how to complete task and provide necessary training to improve
their skills & competencies.
Characteristics of leaders & managers:
Experience: Leaders & managers should have working experience in professional
environment where they manage operational activities and lead a team.
Communication: It is the most effective quality which required in leaders & managers
because in order to achieve business goals & objectives they have to communicate with team
members and other staff regarding business policies and activities.
Knowledge: Managers or leaders required experience but they should have knowledge as
well (Chevalier and et.al., 2015). For example: bachelor's degree in business or management and
required degree in leadership or project management.
Confidence: Leaders & manager should have confidence on their ability, skills and
decisions. It does not mean that, they have to be arrogant even they have to play their role in
organization through inspiring others by using their other skills and motivate as well.
TASK 2
P2. Evaluate that how different situation impact the role of a leader & functions of a managers
Leader and manager both have big role inside and outside of the firm and influencing to
achieves business objectives in most supported manner. Role of leader and function of a manager
is depends on happening of the situation and condition at time business operates its function. To
achieve this assessment, it is essential to do difference between leadership and management are
as follows:
Leadership Management
Being a leader is more realistic to achieve
competitive advantage for an organisation.
The owner of the company can use coping
with complexity in any kind of planning. Need
to formulate effective strategy for competitive
advantage.
Creation of the well organise challenges
opportunities for employee which can be best
option for Aston Martin.
Manager are being responsible for control and
to solve tough issues which are associated with
an internal Dept. of the firm.
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There is no such situation faced by Aston Martin company. It can be categories into
below mentioned points:
 Business stability: Its specific kind of scenario to estimate and control business
sustainability (Waller, 2015). It is already found to alter uncertainty from Aston Martin to
ensure chances of growth.
 Slow-moving: Organizations face such situation where business growth is very low. So
manager have to take effective decision in order to get benefits in terms of high growth
(Hitt, Xu and Carnes, 2016). Manager have to take time before taking decision because
further it helps in getting success.
 Fast changing: Now a days, managers have ability to take fast decisions in serious or
difficult situations. It provide competitive advantage to Aston Martin and become easy to
ensure future planning and make it more effectively.
Tackling of situation by leader and manager:
In context role & functions of leaders and managers, they has major influence to build
define results and achieves business objectives or targets. Requirement of role of leader and
function of manager are as follows:
Decision maker: Leaders play important role to motivate employees by using effective
leadership style in the organization. They are necessary leaders as, they mainly focuses on course
of the firm. Also , staff individuals is mainly depend on a directors and best level management to
settle on important ch important choices for achievement of the association, which takes place to
compel choices to keep in mind an end goal to accomplish higher deals and benefits.
Coach: There is a obligation on leaders & managers to provide effective guidance to the
workers because they are the representatives of organization. They increase the commitment of
representatives in work by rouse them and give preparing and improvement with the goal that
more elevated amount of execution can be accomplished.
Moreover, function of the manager has great influences to begins with planning,
organising, co-ordination, direction and control to achieves business objective and long term
goals of the firm.
P3. Explain different theory and models including situational, system and contingency leadership
Performance and productivity is necessity of every business firm with help of leadership
to lead organisation at the profitable basis (McCrie, 2015). Role of a leadership is to lead and
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manage employee within business organisation at the growth oriented platform. Aston Martin is
one of the leading luxury auto-mobile firm is suffering with issue of ineffective manpower
support as due to lack of leading ability and focus. With role of leadership, priority has been
started given to build perfect human support within organisation. Hence, its essential to discuss
several theory related to proper leadership to benefit business for achieving business objectives.
Explanation of such concepts are as follows:
Situational leadership theory: Situational leadership refers to those leader who mainly
style as per the situation given to ensure development of their team members. Its an effective
way of leadership, because it adopts to team needs and set beneficial balance for whole business
firm (SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP, 2019). Specific examples are coaching, democratic and
authoritative, which would helps to govern team and individual of an Aston Martin to achieves
big success for organisation. Benefits such as: flexible, creative and collaboration of the team
people to business goals or targets. Apart from Aston Martin, Mercedes Benz has its focus to
build chain of relationship among team working to enables long term business growth for Aston
Martin. Advantage of situational leadership style is solving problem or issue, in case of critical
or prominent case and situations.
System leadership theory: System theory is based onto create flexibility in the business
organization by enabling proper execution into market. Its a complete approach consumed by
leaders for ensuring improvement with measuring goal that its viability can be achieved. System
leaders see themselves as directors, executives etc., with standards to rise success of the Aston
Martin. System leaders attain changes into system by consideration of ethics & value which
leaders need to follow at the time of making strategy (Venkat and et.al., 2015). In context of
Aston Martin, barriers to system leadership are break down of the power, lesser authorities etc.,
which directly threats system leadership theory. Apart from Aston Martin, jaguar gives priority
to this leadership style to ensure productivity within business culture.
Contingency leadership theory: Contingency leadership theory is depends on an
expressing that there is no as such defined method to pursue choices to lead and takes on
initiatives to handle entire organisation. History of contingency leader has mainly based on use
of the personal leadership to lead and work among people. It works actually by supervising
activities of an administration and other department of the firm (Walker And et.al., 2014).
According to this model, business firm is open framework, which is used to put light on manage
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works and task of the firm in supportive manner. Fielder contingency theory states effectiveness
of the leadership style with match up of critical situation. Apart from Aston Martin, Rolls Royce
also used contingency theory of the leadership to utilises their ability to lead to solve critical
issues. Its one of essential approach for Aston Martin to urges for pioneer to enables
administration viably within Aston Martin.
TASK 3
Covered in PPT
TASK 4
P6. Assess the factors in the business environment which impact operations management and
decision making process of leaders & managers
Factors that impact operational management and decision making process:
Relationship of management and leadership styles both are influencing various factors
which impact the business environment such as corporate social responsibility. Company adopt
various policies & develop their strategy accordingly that impact social responsibility. Manager
have to communicate these policies to the employees so they work accordingly. Leaders of
Aston Marin have to make sure that, all the policies effectively inform to the workers and further
they have to encourage them to achieve business goals & objectives.
Corporate social responsibilities (CSR): It is very important factor which affect the
organization as well as decision making process of managers & leaders. Corporate business
identify the need of community and conduct such programs for social development and welfare
of society. Aston Martin committed to doing business in ethical, transparent manner and follow
corporate governance for the sustainable development of organization. In order to promote
responsible or sustainable economic growth, company introduce various CSR activities and it
further impact the decision making process of managers.
Culture: In context of Aston Martin, company perform all the activities in order to focus
one way development where one team has one vision that is manufacturing most beautiful and
accomplished automotive art in the world. Company deliver high performance culture with the
help of diverse and inclusive workforce. As per the gender pay gap report, if organization do not
reduce the gap then it enable to recruit, develop or retain their female talent. So manager of the
company have to develop their strategy accordingly and further decision will be based on this.
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Ethics & Sustainability: This factor impact the organization as well as it is very
important because manager & leaders will make their decision on the basis of organizational
ethics and sustainability. Aston Martin focus on Second Century Plan where they make
sustainable luxury business with the help of effective promotional strategy. CSR activities also
provide market growth as well as suitability for the longer period.
Relationship with stakeholders and their exponentiations in context of encouraging,
developing and sustainable entrepreneurship:
When any organization conduct various social programs for sustainable development
then it positively impact the stakeholders and their expectation. For example: In order to increase
product demand, manager of Aston Martin improve product quality which meet customer
expectation. On the hand, company provide various training to enhance workers skills which
provide them feel of valuable work. Along with this, it organization perform well and earn profit
then potential investors attract and make their decision to invent to maximise their wealth.
Growth of these organizations will further motivate other businessman and encourage to become
an entrepreneur.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it has been concluded that management & operations play
very important role in the organization. It further helps in increasing operational efficiency and
effectiveness. Managers and leaders required to play their role & responsibility in order to
achieve business goals & objectives. Managers formulate various strategy to accomplish
business goals and leaders provide them necessary training to make them capable to achieve
effectively. With the help of various leadership style managers & leaders able to face any kind of
situation and perform their duty accordingly. It helps the individual to identify their ability or
potential in different circumstances.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Addo-Tenkorang, R. and Helo, P. T., 2016. Big data applications in operations/supply-chain
management: A literature review. Computers & Industrial Engineering. 101. pp.528-
543.
Bromiley, P. and Rau, D., 2016. Operations management and the resource based view: Another
view. Journal of Operations Management. 41. pp.95-106.
Chevalier, P. and et.al., 2015. Revenue management for operations with urgent orders. European
Journal of Operational Research. 240(2). pp.476-487.
Ghiani, G. and et.al., 2014. Operations research in solid waste management: A survey of
strategic and tactical issues. Computers & Operations Research. 44. pp.22-32.
Heizer, J., Render, B. and Munson, C., 2017. Operations management. Pearson Education
Limited.
Hitt, M. A., Xu, K. and Carnes, C. M., 2016. Resource based theory in operations management
research. Journal of Operations Management. 41. pp.77-94.
Ivanov, D., Tsipoulanidis, A. and Schönberger, J., 2017. Global supply chain and operations
management. A Decision-Oriented Introduction to the Creation of Value.
McCrie, R., 2015. Security operations management. Butterworth-Heinemann.
Venkat, A. and et.al., 2015. Strategic management of operations in the emergency
department. Production and Operations Management. 24(11). pp.1706-1723.
Walker, P. H. And et.al., 2014. Sustainable operations management: recent trends and future
directions. International Journal of Operations & Production Management. 34(5).
Waller, D., 2015. Operations management: a supply chain approach (No. hal-02297985).
Online
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.cleverism.com/situational-leadership-guide/>
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