Management and Leadership Strategies at Corus: Detailed Analysis

This report examines leadership and management principles within the context of Corus, a media and content firm. It defines and compares the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, highlighting their similarities and differences, such as vision creation versus goal setting and risk-taking versus risk control. The report explores various management functions like planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling, and applies situational leadership theory and transactional leadership to different organizational scenarios such as conflict resolution and high employee turnover. The report also considers how different leadership styles and management approaches impact business objectives and decision-making, including an assessment of external factors that influence leaders and managers. The report also explores the importance of operational management for achieving business goals.

MANAGEMENT AND
OPERATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Definition and comparison of different roles and characteristics of leaders and manager3
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................5
P2 Roles of management and leadership with different organisational situations with theories
and concepts...........................................................................................................................5
P3 Theories and Models of approach considering the situational leadership, system leadership
and contingency......................................................................................................................8
LO 3.................................................................................................................................................9
P4 Using knowledge of key operations for winning a new business by Corus......................9
P5 Importance of operational management in achieving business objectives.....................11
LO 4...............................................................................................................................................12
P6 Impact of external business environment factors which influences decision making by
leaders and managers............................................................................................................12
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................15
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................16

INTRODUCTION
Management is the process of getting things done from through others. It can be defined
as all tasks and activities were undertaken for the purpose of archiving objectives and goals by
performing activities like planning, organising, leading and controlling. This report is based on
the firm Corus which is the part of Tata Steel Group. Corus is a leading media and content firm
that creates and delivers high quality brands and content for the public across the world. This
report will summarise various roles and characteristics of a leader and manager and provides the
examples of such roles and functions of leader and manager in the context of the organisation.
This report will explain the various theories and models of approach considering the situational
leadership, system leadership and contingency approach. Further, the report will explain the
approaches to the operation management and importances and values of operation management
for achieving the goals of the business. Lastly, this report will assess the factors that impact on
the operational management and decision making by mangers and leaders.
LO 1
P1 Definition and comparison of different roles and characteristics of leaders and manager
Leader:
A leader is someone who influences or persuades the group of people or individual to
preform the task to achieve the specific goal (Antonakis, and Day, Eds., 2017). A good leader
motivates the individual in the firm to perform the given task in effective manner and encourage
them to contribute their best efforts towards the objectives or goal.
A leader can be defined as an individual involved in motivating a group of people for
acting towards achievement of a common objective. In a business, a leader can be determined as
a person directing workers and colleagues with a strategy for meeting the needs of the company
(Ghrmay, 2016).
Manager:
A manager is the person who manages all the activities that are performed in the
organisation. A manager can control over the departments in the firm, or guide the individual
who work in firm. Manger is the person who is responsible for administrating and controlling an
organisation or group of employees.

A manager can be defined as an individual responsible for motivating and supervising
and motivating employees with directing the progress of an organization. Manager is the person
who is in-charge of all the services to customers, they also deal with the disputes raised by the
customers and supervises customer service agents.
Objective theory: It is the model whose main aim is to improve the overall performance of the
company by clearly define objectives which are agreed to both management and employees.
Therefore, as per the theory if the company define its objectives and have action plan to
encourage the participation and commitment among the employees, then the firm will easily
leads towards success. For example, in Corus, the managers clearly communicate the goals to
leads, so that they will easily communicate further to the employees. Therefore, it clearly
identified that by using objective theory, the company's staff will corporate and work to achieve
the goals.
Autocratic Strategy: it is one of the traditional form of strategy in which the entire authority is
in the hand of single person and all the decisions are also taken from the manager itself and there
is a little input from group members. For example, in Corus, there are some situation, where
leader have to take autocratic strategy and then make decisions as per requirement.
Similarities and Difference characteristics between Modern leader and managers
Similarities
1. Forecasting plans and decision making
Modern leader: Leaders focusing on forecasting the future plans and develops the strategies to
achieve such planned goals (Baškarada, Watson and Cromarty, 2017).
Managers: Managers are also focuses on the short term planning to achieve the immediate goal
or completion of specific task.
2. Motivation
Modern leader: Leaders are motivating and encouraging their followers to take part in the task
and perform better.
Managers: Managers are also motivates the employees of the organisation to perform better in
the firm. (Bernheim and Bodoh-Creed, 2017).
Differences
1. Leaders creates vision whereas managers creates goals:

Modern leader: Leaders in the organisation makes vision of what they see and makes plan for
achieve that goal (Lussier, and Achua, 2015). Leaders may think beyond what the people do.
They initiate individuals to take part in the task.
Managers: While the mangers of organisation focusing on setting, measuring and achieving the
goal of the firm. They have control over the activities or situation to exceed their goals.
2. Leaders take risk and managers control risk:
Modern leader: Leaders are willing to try new experiments even they may fail or get successful
because they know that failure is often step of the way of success.
Managers: Mangers are try to avoid risk in the organisation (Northouse, 2018). They work for
minimize the risk to avoid the problems rather than clench them.
3. Leaders are build relationship whereas mangers builds systems and processes:
Modern leader: Leaders focusing on building and maintaining relationship with their followers
and stakeholders of the organisation (Thompson and Glasø, 2015). Leaders are trying to
influence other in order to conveying their vision.
Managers: Managers of an organisation focus on the structure which is necessary to establish and
achieve the specific goal.
Reasons why leaders are difficult from managers
Being a leader it is necessary to remove ego and they even cannot show frustration, rather
than this, they always try to motivate their employees and this makes leader tough as compared
to managers. On the other side, they re not emotionally attached with anyone and as a result, it
makes their work rigid. On contrary, managers only communicate to with the leaders related to
new strategy and goals and this behaviour make leader differ from the managers.
LO 2
P2 Roles of management and leadership with different organisational situations with theories and
concepts
As per Henry Fayol , there are five function of managers such that:
 Planning: it is the process in which mangers of the company makes plan in order to take
action. The planning is the a bridge that generate gap between present condition and
future plan. In the same way, Manager of Corus wants to increase the sales and for that
they makes plan to implement new promotional strategy.

 Organizing: In this stage, managers organize the team and make resources so that the
action plan can be easily implemented. For instance, in order to generate sales, managers
of Corus implement new training programs in which they train their employees so that
the develop new strategy for increasing sales.
 Commanding: it is about instructing the team and make sure that team is motivated
enough in order to complete the task. For instance, the manager of Corus, may carry out
audit of the firm in order to determine the loopholes and then take actions accordingly.
 Coordinating: it is about to make sure that the work is completed by having right
resources at right place. For that, the manager of Corus should make make coordination
with team procedure and action in order to determine the objectives.
 Controlling: It is all about controlling the team and resources so that the plan is
implemented by complying with company's rules and regulations. In the same way, the
company's manager also make proper controlling and uses tool such as benchmarking by
setting standards in order to determine the gap and that initiatives.
Situational leadership Theory:
Situational leadership theory by Paul Hersey and ken Blanchard which is states that
leaders and mangers in an organisation adjust their leadership styles as per the requirements of
the organisation. For example, In Corus, if there is high turnover situation in the organisation,
and employees are left their job because of lack of job satisfaction and because of rigid
environment in the firm. Then to overcome through this situation, the leader opt situational
leadership theory and apply employee engagement strategy in which employees get some
authority and creates a workable environment to reduces such turnover (Grint, and et.al., 2016).
While manager gives compensation and rewards to the employees to motivation them for better
performance and reduces the employees turnover.
Management by objectives
Conflict situation:
If there are conflicts among the employees of the organisation, for resolving the problem
or conflicts the leader may apply transactional theory. Transactional theory may focuses on the
performances and supervision. A leader can use transactional theory for effective control over
the employees of the organisation (Afsar and et.al., 2017). This theory mainly focus on maintain
the authority and using such power to reduces the conflicts in the firm in such way that the

resolution serves to the firm. According to this theory leader's role in organization is to provide
better guidance and supervision to reduce the conflicts at work place. Role of manager in conflict
situation is to organize different process meetings to make verbal communication with people to
conflict on immediate basis. Whereas, the manager of the organisation is using Accommodating
strategy. Accommodating strategy is an essential entitles giving the opposing side what it wants.
The use of this strategy often occurs when on of the individual wish to keep the peace and the
issue is minor.
Higher turnover ratio:
In the firm when there is a situation of high turnover ratio or employees are frequently
left the organisation then, for overcome though this situation the leader may use employee
engagement strategy for reduces the turnover of the employees in the Corus (Barnlund, 2017).
Employee engagement is a factor in which the level of employee involvement is very high, by
creating an environment in which the workers have power and the knowledge to make their own
decisions, by getting such power the employee feels more responsible towards the work and then
it reduces the turnover. In this approach role of leader is to provide support and motivation to
employee to encourage them to increase involvement in various organizational procedures. Role
of manager in this condition is to manage the work load efficiently to reduce the pressure on
employee to improve their satisfaction level. While management is use reward as compensation
strategy for reduces the turnover. In reward strategy the employers get rewards on their effective
performance and they feel motivated in the organisation, which leads to reduction in the turnover
ratio.
Role of leader and functions of manger applied in different situational context
In quoted firm there are different situations, in which the leader and manager plays
important role which are as mention below:
Conflicts between the staff:
Corus firm often faced with conflicts that arise between workers under the supervision of
leaders. For resolving the conflicts the leader will firmly and promptly takes action in order to
resolve the conflict (Ghrmay, 2016). Leader's role is to interact directly to the workers that are
involves in the conflict and identify the exact reason of conflict or dispute. After that leader may
analyse the issues through verbal warning and outlines expectations for better future behaviour
that might puts an end of the dispute.

Management of Corus is using the situational strategy, so that it will help to first analyse
the reason of conflict and then provide effective solutions as well.
High turnover ratio:
P3 Theories and Models of approach considering the situational leadership, system leadership
and contingency
Management by different leadership styles with appropriate theories
Situational leadership theory:
Situational leadership theory by Paul Hersey and ken Blanchard which is states that
leaders and mangers in an organisation adjust their leadership styles as per the requirements of
the organisation. This is also known as life cycle theory. Managers and leaders make changes in
their leadership styles in order to met the requirements of the particular situations. It is essential
for Corus to understand this theory of management as it can help the company in providing such
type of leadership where decision making is being done as per the situation in the organization
which makes an organization more effective by determining the inefficiency and working at the
same moment of overcoming the issues faced in operations of the organization.
Strengths: It can increase the productivity of the organisation through performing according to the
situation which is being developing efficiencies in the operations. (Nawaz and Khan,
2016). Stability in working environment, by working as per the environment of the company.
Weaknesses:
 Fluctuation in the demand may arise because of multiple situational demands.
 Increase the number of competitors in the market.
System leadership theory:
System leadership enables the leaders in the firm to create the condition where the
individuals at all levels can work productively to their full potential (Mann, and Harter, 2016).
This theory includes the process of the firm that hold to the different system that dominate to
different actions. In Corus, group of workers are motivated and encourages to the extended
results. System leadership can help the Corus in creating a condition in which at all the levels
individuals can work more productively with their full potential.

Strengths:
 Maximise the profitability of the business by performing the operations in a more
effective manner. Empowers the leadership styles by executing system leadership.
Weaknesses:
 Measurements and reviewing techniques (Yetwale, 2015).
Contingency:
A contingency theory is the management theory that helps the manager to adapt the best
management style which depends upon the context of the situation (Mone and London, 2018).
Manager of Corus firm use this theory for making effective organisational structure. This theory
can be executed by Corus which can help its managerial in taking actions according to the
situations in the organization that makes a leader more effective by making necessary changes on
a regular interval for increasing productivity of the company.
Strengths:
 Contingency theory supplies the data on leadership style that could be useful to the firm
in developing HR planning (Ghrmay, 2016). It helps to design the organisational structure and plan the information decision system.
Weaknesses:
 It is reactive in nature.
 These approach suffers from inadequately of literature.
 When it comes to the practical it becomes more complex.
LO 3
P4 Using knowledge of key operations for winning a new business by Corus
In a recent period, steel industry has grown rapidly. Corus is in the market from a long
period and giving a tough competition to its competitors by covering a major market in steel
industry. Key operations are the most essential part in an organization which play a major role in
production of products and services, Corus has used its knowledge of key operations for
achieving targets of new business as it helps in various aspects which includes better decision
making, competitive advantage and customer satisfaction (Baškarada, Watson and Cromarty,
2017).

Better decision making
Rather than relying on consultancy firms, Corus used to make its decisions by their own
as they were having a good knowledge of their key operations which helped them to make
decisions in an effective manner in order to achieve business objectives
Competitive Advantage
Corus has processed more efficient processes by implementing the knowledge of key
operations which helps them to generate the need of changes for the purpose of effective
production, this provides them a competitive edge as they are more focused on operational data
rather than analysing consumer data which helped them in winning new business.
Customer Satisfaction
Company has a good knowledge of its target customers as the company continuously
analyse the trend in market (Northouse, 2018). Therefore it helps company to gain knowledge
regarding customer needs and wants which results in customer satisfaction.
Analysing key operational functions with identifying roles and responsibilities of managers
in these functions
There are several key operational functions which are being considered by Corus includes
cost management, asset management and human resource management, these aspects are to be
analysed by managers as they are responsible for performing these functions in Corus.
1. Cost Management: It is one of the most important operational function which helps in
analysing the cost of goods produced by an organization. It is essential for the company
to manage the cost of the product in such a manner that it doesn't effect the current
productivity of the company, reducing cost can result in increase of profit margin that
significantly help in improving the profitability of Corus. Managers of Corus had taken
responsibility for ensuring that the operations of the company are taking place in an
effective manner which can help in reducing costs (Thompson and Glasø, 2015).
2. Human Resource Management: A significant workforce can help the company in
achieving objectives in a significant manner. Human resource management is a vital
operational function which provides all the benefits that are assigned to the employees
and encourages them to work more effectively for attaining the targets of Corus.
Managers play an essential role in managing human resource in Corus as they motivates

and encourages employees by supporting them in such a manner that they work in a
effective way for achieving organizational objectives.
3. Asset Management: Operations of an organization are only performed when it have all
the required assets available at the time of production. It is essential for Corus to manage
its assets in a significant manner that it incurs minimum number of expenses which helps
in reducing the cost of operations in the organization. Managers are the individuals who
are responsible for ensuring that all the assets are being provided and utilized in a
significant manner so that it doesn't stop production at any level and reduces expenses by
significant allocation of assets (Bernheim and Bodoh-Creed, 2017).
P5 Importance of operational management in achieving business objectives
Operational management can be referred to a complex set of activities which is being
involved in leading, organising, planning and controlling an organisation's operations. It is
essential for Corus to manage its operations in a significant manner in order to achieve objectives
of the business. It helps the company in making good use of its resources like labour, money, raw
material and other resources. This is also helpful in improving the overall productivity of the
company as it provides a measure of efficiency to its employees as well as to its managers which
helps them to take corrective action that leads to attain the business objectives.
Operational management is important for Corus because it helps in improving the quality
of product which helps in product as well as service quality enhancement. Operation
management along with service and product quality also ensures that customer needs are met.
Operational management handles issues like maintenance, operations and designs of the system
which are used for the production of goods, it is a vital role in an organization. It also helps in
proper utilization of resources which helps in reducing the cost of products produced and this
significantly results in increasing the productivity of the company, that helps the business in
achieving its objectives.

LO 4
P6 Impact of external business environment factors which influences decision making by leaders
and managers
There are several external factors which affects decision making of the management
which can be determined with the help of PEST analysis that includes factors like political,
economic, social and technological factors (Ghrmay, 2016).
 Political Factors: Different nations have different rules and regulations which may differ
from the countries where company is being operated, managers have to consider that
these laws and regulations are being considered while conducting a business. Corus is a
huge organization which can expand its business through increasing its exports in
different nations, at that time, managers have to consider political factors for preventing
any unlawful activity (Lussier, and Achua, 2015).
 Economic Factors: It includes aspects like recession which can effect the business in a
negative manner, so managers must make decisions according to the economic conditions
of the market and have to make several strategies if an economy faces issue of recession.
 Social Factors: As social factor is related to attitude, beliefs and values of people
therefore it can be seen that in today's era customers are becoming more conscious
toward their health and environment. Therefore it is a positive aspect from the point of
view of Corus as they have achieved several achievements in ethical behaviour by
involving ethical practices in an organisation and improving the lives of employees with
their families.
 Technological Factors: It is one of the major external factor which influences the most in
operations of the company Thompson and Glasø, 2015). As innovation in technology
arrives, substitute company is has also need to upgrade their technology in order to
provide a competitive edge. Corus involves an e-portal system which is recognised as
Metal Junction, which has provide steel market an upgraded stage for operating its
businesses. Leaders of Corus have to make sure that the technology which is being used
by the company is upgraded from its competitors in the market.
 Legal factor: The factor deal with laws such that when Corus want to expand its business,
the company have to monitor all policy and laws because every country have their own