Detailed Report: Leadership and Management in Corus Company

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership and management practices within Corus Company. It begins with an introduction to management and operations, defining their roles in business efficiency and profitability. The report then delves into the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, highlighting their differences and functions within the organization. Task 1 examines the roles of leaders and managers, including their characteristics and differences, using the example of Corus Company, a part of Tata Steel. Task 2 explores the application of leadership and management in various situations, such as employee retention, adaptation to change, and handling unforeseen market conditions. Task 3 delves into operational management, discussing its approaches, importance, and measures to improve efficiency, with a critical evaluation of its application. Finally, Task 4 examines factors within the business environment that impact operational management. The report incorporates leadership theories, such as behavioral and relationship theories, to analyze the leadership styles and their impacts on organizational success. The report emphasizes the importance of adapting to changes, motivating employees, and making strategic decisions to achieve sustainable growth within the competitive business environment. This report provides a detailed overview of the role of leaders and managers in the context of a steel making company.

Management &
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1: Role and characteristics of leader and manager....................................................................3
M1: Analyse different role of leader and functions of manager..................................................5
D1: Critically analyse different theories of leadership................................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
P2: Examine the role of leader and manager in various situations..............................................6
P3: Apply different models and theories.....................................................................................7
M2: Strength and weakness of different approaches...................................................................8
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
P4: Approaches of operations management................................................................................8
P5: Importance and value of operation management.................................................................10
M3: Evaluate the measures to improve the efficiency of operational management..................11
D2: Critically evaluate the application of operation management.............................................11
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................11
P6: Factors within the business environment that impact upon operational management........11
M4: Different factors that affect the business............................................................................13
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Management and operations refer to the administration of the adequate business activities
that is used to produce best possible efficiency by transforming the resources into the valuable
material and gain maximum profit out of it (Al Shobaki, Amuna and Naser, 2017). This is an
effective part of business that include activities like planning, organising as well as supervising
the operations by implementing suitable business strategy. Within this report the discussion will
be made on Corus company which is the part of steel making company known as Tata Steel
whose headquarter is in London, United Kingdom. The steel making plant of Corus is operated
in various countries like Wales, and England. This report cover topics like various roles of leader
and function of manager along with their application. Demonstrate the role that leaders and
manager play within operations function. Further, determine the relationship between leader and
management in contemporary business environment.
TASK 1
P1: Role and characteristics of leader and manager
Leader is responsible to inspire and encourage the members so that they perform their
respective tasks willingly and help to attain the business objective. Within Corus company they
are basically responsible for turning out vision into the reality by thinking beyond the limit and
engaging employees effectively.
Role
 Leader on the basis of leadership trait helps the employee to integrate their personal goals
while accomplishing the organisational goal (Clarke, 2012). This develop the urge among
the employees to coordinate their effort and attain shared objective.
 Leader maintain the interpersonal relationship amongst the employee and between the
employer and employee which further reduces the chances of conflict.
Characteristics
 Leaders tend to have optimistic attitude where they work and expect for the best possible
outcome. Along with that they exploit the opportunity by managing the situation
effectively.
 Their listening and problem solving ability help them to share the good bond with the
workforce of Corus company.

Managers are basically responsible to conduct the managerial activities by forming a
link between the firm as well as stakeholders which include customer, employee, society,
government and so on. The managers of Corus company usually analyse external environment
and control the situation in order to meet or exceed the pre planned objectives.
Role
 Managers are responsible to undergo the best possible strategy that can lead to
profitability of business.
 Along with this they maintain the liaison between internal as well as external contact by
manage the balance between the various networks (Czarniawska, 2012).
Characteristics
 The manager have the capability to manage their time successfully due to which Corus
company is able to prioritise all their tasks and make sure their staff perform their
activity within confined duration.
 Further, the manager are capable enough to delegate the project to concerned authority by
allowing staff to achieve productive result.
Difference
Basis Leader Manager
Focus Within Corus company the
leaders on the basis of their
foresight vision aims to
successfully grow and develop
the organisation by adopting
and promoting the changes.
So due to motivation from
leader the employees of Corus
company apply innovative
technique such as develop the
best possible specification in
the steel and sell it at
competitive pricing. This can
finally help the company to
Manager usually organise and
make favourable decision by
adopting the changes in order to
enhance efficiency. This assist
the Corus company by bringing
new product as well as services
in the market. As the whole
process require huge investment
due to which the respective
company's manager follows lean
production technique to
minimise the chances of wastage
and reduce the manufacturing
cost associated with the

build global network. development of the steel product.
Therefore, this technique can
help the company win and
sustain various contracts like
Royal Navy contract.
Style Leader adopt Transformational
style under which they inspire
the employee to come up
innovative idea and participate
to successfully shape the future
of Corus company. Thus,
because of the immense effort
of leader and employee the
company gained the approval
from Lloyds register to
develop the quality steel plates
for other customers like Royal
Navy. Hence, with the use of
employee's knowledge as well
as research and development
department of an organisation
has provided distinct
advantage to the company.
Within Transactional style the
manager offer the incentive or
monetary benefit to the
employee by associating them
with the objective of Corus
organisation. It basically
promote win win situation for
different parties of an
organisation. As the company
has worked with various other
parties like Aircraft carrier
design team and Royal Navy so
with the help of staff the
company create new design and
specification to make desirtable
product.
Approach Leader provide the direction or
guidance to the staff which
they need to follow. Thus, this
is an effective process that
leads to the improvement of an
organisation. In addition to it,
the contracts put forwards their
The Corus company manager's
plan out the details of different
activities to maintain
coordination and control
(DRURY, 2013). Along with
that the assistance of Research
and development department has

demand which the company
need to fulfil by using the
creative idea to develop a
unique product. Also to
undergo the whole operation
process unique conditions need
to be offered like high seas or
extreme temperature to
strengthen the final product.
prominently satisfy the contract
by using innovation ways to
product the product.
M1: Analyse different role of leader and functions of manager
The successful business required the strong role of leader as well as manager that can
make the whole team efficient enough to fulfil the vision of company. Like, leader influence the
staff to understand the vision of company in order to draw up long term relationship with them
and achieve the goal effectively. On contrary, manager's role is more about making the contact
and administrating the routine activities smoothly. Further, other then this the manager and
leader of Corus company play different role which is explained beneath:
 The manager and leader can adopt Motivation theory as it can help the internal member
to remain encouraged and deal with the adverse situation. Like, the manger can set the
monetary benefit such as salary hike to achieve the specific target. Along with that leader
guidance makes the employee competitive enough to attain the feasible target within
stipulated time period (Dutta, and et.al., 2013). Here the constructive feedback are
promoted from the side of staff which are then implemented to maintain the liaison
between different level of an organisation.
 Additionally, the manager of Corus company follows situational leadership theory which
help the examine the different situation of the organisation like loss of market share or
increase in turnover rate. So to control the unexpected event or adverse situation the firm
adopts the best possible strategy that fits the prevailing situation and achieve the desirable
outcome effectively.

D1: Critically analyse different theories of leadership
Behavioural theory: Within this theory other than the leadership trait like courage and
passion the leader also need to have specific skill set like human skill under which one is able to
effectively interact with other. Similarly, technical skill reflect the knowledge and the technique
used to undergo effective solution while conceptual skill assist the leader to come up with
innovative ideas and smoothly run the business. Application of such skill is used by Corus
company to face the challenging situation and enhances the loyalty of employees over employer.
Relationship theory: As per relationship theory of leadership the first priority for the
leader is the welfare of their staff. So they always make the effort to establish effective bond with
their teammates (Grote, 2012). This style can be adopted by Corus company as it motivate their
team members to take best possible actions and attain the objective effectively.
TASK 2
P2: Examine the role of leader and manager in various situations
The role of manager and leader are competitive enough which guide the behaviours of
each and every individual and help then to accomplish their personal and organisational
objective effectively. Within, Corus company the manager's job is to utilise the organisational
resources and figure out the effective ways by which they can maximise the wealth of business.
Additionally, as the firm operate in changing environment so the leader of company make sure
that they bridge the gap between standard and actual performance by enhancing the knowledge
and use effective technique required to perform business activity effectively. Thus, it depict thata
both the leader as well as manager make suitable effort to cope up with the challenging situation
and make collective effort to attain along term sustainable growth. Hence, the role of leader and
manager to handle the different situation are defined below:
It is vital for the successful company to formulate effective relation with employer for
which respective company need to retain the existing employees as well as attract the fresh
talent for the smooth functioning of business (Guang Shi and et.al., 2012). In order to gain the
compensative advantage respective company invest in their employees by providing them
adequate training and development session. Along with that to cope up with the ineffective
situations like high absenteeism rate the manager of company can play controlling function
where the whole management process so that right talent becomes the part of an organisation.

Moreover, leader plays favourable role where they influence the behaviour of staff to take
efficient steps and participate in organisational success.
Herein, Corus company the manager focuses on the operations of business so that best
services and quality product is delivered to the customer. The company usually adopt the
innovative technique and latest technology so that they can meet the expectation of client.
Although this is an effective practice but the workforce of an organization may at-times remain
reluctant to the changes. So here leader play an effective role like they encourages the staff to
adopt the changes and adapt new working pattern to remain ahead of their competitors.
In order to manage the business during unforeseen condition the manager of Corus
company can identify the potential market. This help the firm to determine the changing
requirement of the customer due to which they can make contingency plan to deal with the
adverse situation (Huuskonen, Saltikoff and Holleman, 2014). Thus, for this the manager can
adopt planning function where they make effort to delivery the suitable services to the customer.
Whereas, the role of leader is to build interpersonal skill and enhance the effectiveness of team
by maintaining the coordination among the team member.
P3: Apply different models and theories
Leadership and management are the essential part of management which function
together in order to achieve the set objective of an organisation. The leader influences the
behaviour of their subordination and manager within Corus company is prime responsible to
take all major decision and carry out the functioning of entire organisation. Therefore, different
approaches adopted by company are defined below:
Contingency theory: This theory is based upon the effectiveness of leader that depend
upon the particular leadership style as well as external situation. It determine the relationship
between different parties which can be either task oriented or relationship oriented. There
prevails different conditions within the business due to which they adopt the different strategy
that can positively affect its functioning. Like, within Corus company which is one of the largest
steel producer which is used for various purpose like engineering, construction, mining
equipment etc. So the main objective of company is to make their client satisfied of their services
and in case of adverse situation like dissonance or lack of trust towards company the leader can
adopt task oriented relationship. Within this the leader supervises and control the functioning of
staff to generate the best possible result. On contrary, if case of low employee retention the

leader can go for relationship oriented leadership style under which employee and employer
share effective relational and employee makes best possible effort to be the part of an
organisation.
System theory: This theory enable the condition where leaders encourages the workforce
to function productively in order to enhance the profitability of an organisation. Such leadership
style enhances the efficiency which can be used by the Corus company to successfully attain the
best possible target of company. For instance, on the basis of monetary and non monetary
benefits like promotion, incentive and recognition can motivate the employee to hit the set
targets. This is useful for the firm to enhance the efficiency of their employee and attain the
productivity successfully.
Situational theory: As per situational theory there is no particular leadership style
adopted by the company so they adopt the style as per the external situation which is one of the
effective way to maintain the balance (Molina-Azorín and et. al., 2015). Like, during the time of
huge workload the management either decide to hire the new members or make the existing
employee to work for long hours. In different cases the leader of Corus company pushes the
effort of employee so that they remain motivated and overcome the hurdle with the heal of team
work.
Relationship oriented approaches: According to relationship oriented approach the
leader remain concern for the personal growth of their employees due to which they interact and
motivate their staff on the continuous basis. The manager of Corus company adopt this approach
to decrease the chances of turnover as well as absenteeism rate and concentrate on maximize the
performance of staff by encouraging them to give constructive feedback. In addition to it this
leadership style is suitable to maintain the coordination and promote teamwork to attain the
shared goals of an organization.
Chaos theory: This theory is used to determine the unpredictable or dynamic
environment that help the firm to sustain in the complex environment. It include the butterfly
effect that demonstrate how even a small change can make the large change in the future. Like,
this effect is used as a metaphor which signifies the flapping of butterfly wings in China can lead
to the hurricane in Texas. Thus, it is the mathematical branch that can help the Corus company to
predict the future due to which they can change their working pattern and leads to long term
sustainable growth.

Management by objective: It is the significant management technique used by the
manager as well as employees to plan out all activities and attain the goal within specific
duration. The core concept of this method is to set and record the goals so that employees can
measure their personal efforts while achieving the objective of an organization. Further, this
theory can helps the Corus employees to prepare the actions plans that encourages their
participation as well as commitment by reducing the chances of performance gaps. Hence, the
major benefit of management by objective is that it leads to the effective communication among
different level of an organization with the motive to set and attain the goals.
M2: Strength and weakness of different approaches
Contingency theory: On the basis of this theory, there is no other way to organise corporation,
make decisions and lead an organisational. It aids manager to adopt better management style
according to situation.
Strengths- It helps manager to increment decision making and leadership skills.
Weaknesses- It has complex approach and complex to handle situation to manager.
Scientific management theory: Its objective is to make improvement in economic efficiency
mainly in labour productivity. In this, manager motivate its staff members by providing them
monetary and non monetary incentives.
Strengths- It includes division of the labour according to skills which minimize wastage
and the delays through increasing labour productivity.
Weaknesses- It is expensive and complex to replace old method.
TASK 3
P4: Approaches of operations management
Operation management: It can be defined as the process of managing all the operational
activities so that high level of efficiency for business could be generated. With the help of it
managers within the organisations can plan, control, monitor and evaluate all the operations so
that possibility of their success or failure could be determined (O'Brien, and et.al., 2014). There
are various approaches which are used by leaders in Corus for the purpose of proper
management. All of them are described below in detail:
Total quality management (TQM): It is s well structured approach of operation
management which is mainly used to properly handle whole organisation. It is also utilised by

leaders and managers in Corus for the purpose of focusing on the process of improving the
quality of goods and services which are sold to customers according to their requirements. There
are various elements which are focused by leaders while using this approach. These are
employee involvement, continuous improvement. Communication, decision making etc. With
the help of it effective strategies for future could be formulated and implemented so that
appropriate modifications in organisational processes could be made. It is oriented with
customers and guides staff members to make appropriate modification in the items which are
sold by Corus to its clients so that long term business goals could be achieved.
Just in time inventory (JIT): JIT was developed in year 1923 by Henry Ford which is a
model and used by companies to create items so that demand could be met. It is an operation
management approach which is used by managers and leaders of different organisations such
as Corus for the purpose of aligning raw material orders from suppliers so that production
activities could be performed appropriately. It is mainly used to enhance efficiency and reduce
waste by receiving material only when it is required for manufacturing processes. With the help
of it inventory cost could be reduced (Rasula, Vuksic and Stemberger, 2012). In order to get
positive results from this method for organisations it is very important to forecast the demand
accurately. Managers in Corus are currently using it to reduce the burden of staff members which
is increasing due to struggle in inventory management.
Continuous improvement (Kaizen): It is an approach which is used by leaders and
managers to make continuous improvements in business with the help of small and positive
changes. Main purpose behind use of it is to try for major favourable modifications in
organisational processes. In Corus it is used by manages and leaders to make sure that radical
changes are made by them which can transform business and helps to reach long term business
goals. It is focused with implementation of proactive solutions for problems which are faced by
companies while operating business.
Six Sigma: It include the management tools as well as technique that is designed by an
organisation in order to reduce the chances of error and eliminate number of defects. The
primary purpose to implement six sigma approach is that it enhances the quality of product and
leads to specialised operations. Herein, Corus company the role of manager and leader is to
identify the market and discover innovative methods that can streamline the quality control in
order to reduce the chances of error by adopting suitable business and manufacturing process.

From the above analysis it has been assessed that managers and leaders in Corus play
vital role in the implementation of operation management approaches such as JIT, TQM and
Kaizen. They try to make sure that proper processes are followed while implementing the plan of
actions. Main roles which are played by them are analysers, planner, controller etc.
P5: Importance and value of operation management
Operation management is an essential element which is required to be focused by all the
organisations so that long term business goals could be achieved. In all the large as well as small
organisations managers and leaders are required to formulate effective strategies for proper
execution of all the operational activities (Shepherd and Patzelt, 2013). For Corus operation
management is important and valuable because with the help of it all the long term objectives
and goals such as profit maximisation, customer attraction, reducing waste etc. could be
achieved. With the help of following points its significance and value could be understood:
Increased product quality: If managers and leaders at Corus pay higher attention on
operation management then it can help to increase product quality because their quality will be
checked before delivery. Total quality management approach is used by the company in the
process of operation management which helps to make sure that all the items which are sold to
clients are made with high level of quality. It also guides staff members to focus on reliability
and durability of all the goods so that customers can rely on them.
Customer satisfaction: As mentioned above operation management helps to improve
quality of products therefore it results in higher satisfaction level of customers. When Corus
deliver best items to the clients then they get satisfied as their needs and demands are being
fulfilled. With the help of it the goals of consumer attraction could be achieved by the company.
Increment in revenues: Operation management is a technique which is valuable for
companies such as Corus because with the help of it revenues could be increased. Higher focus
on quality helps large as well as small enterprises to achieve their objective of high profitability
because when revenues gets increased at the same time it contributes in the increment of profits.
Declined waste: In operation management different approaches such as Just In time is
used by managers within the organisations such as Corus for the purpose of making reduction in
waste. It is one of the main goals of all the companies which are executing their operational
activities in manufacturing industry. It can help them to save costs and increase profitability so
that a good market image could be established.