Marks & Spencer: A Comprehensive Analysis of Leadership and Management

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Marks & Spencer, examining its company background, vision, leadership, and management practices. The report explores the company's history, its vision statement, and its adoption of a democratic leadership style, emphasizing employee involvement in decision-making. It further delves into the management practices employed, including employee training, empowerment, and the application of management theories such as Theory X and Theory Y. The report also examines the implementation of strategies, focusing on product quality and employee retention. Finally, it offers recommendations for improvement, such as adapting leadership styles and conducting market analysis, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of effective management for achieving organizational goals, enhancing productivity, and maintaining a positive working environment. This report is contributed by a student to be published on the website Desklib, a platform providing AI-based study tools for students.

Context
Of
Business

Contents
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...........................................................................................................3
Company Background.............................................................................................................................3
Company vision, leadership and management practices..........................................................................4
Implementation of strategies....................................................................................................................6
Recommendation.....................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................7
REFRENCES...........................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
In every organization management is essential so that they conduct work or task in
appropriate and effective manner. By proper management manager able to get work done from
its subordinates in efficient way. That will help respective firm conducting their work in
appropriate manner in order to attain goal as well as objective in best manner (Easterby, Thorpe
and Jackson, 2012). Organization taken for this assignment is Marks and Spencer which is
operating its business operations and functions in retail sector. This company is founded by
Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in year 1884, along with this it’s headquartered is in
London United Kingdom. They offer variety of products on worldwide range or market. Topics
covered in this report are summary and history of company, its vision, leadership style,
management practices adopted by company and its strategies. Moreover it will include its
implementation in order to attain goal and recommendations for improvement.
MAIN BODY
Company Background
Marks and Spencer is a public limited company which operate its business function at
world wide level. This company is established by Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in year
1884 on partnership basis. Headquarter of respective company is situated in Westminster,
London, United Kingdom and they have currently having approx 980 store United Kingdom
which is including 615 food selling stores. Marks and Spencer offers variety of products and
services such as clothing for men, women and kids, home products and luxury products (Burke
and R , 2013). The respective company also gets listed in London Stock Exchange and FTSE 100
index. They start selling branded food products like Kellogg’s corn flakes form November 2008.
There are approx 80,787 employees of Marks and Spencer is working at world wide level and in
appropriate manner.
Now Marks and Spencer is one of the leading as well ads well known brand which is
operating its business function at international level. The first store of respective company is
opened in Kabul, Afghanistan in year 1960 and after that company expands in Canada in year
1973. Marks and Spencer conduct various activities in order to expand their business in

international market in proper manner. But in year 1999 near by 38 stores in Canada were closed
due to loss in money or less profit. Then in 1975 Marks and Spencer established their shop in
Paris at Boulevard Haussmann and Lyon. Along with this expansion process in France and
Belgian cities is conducted in year 1980. For conduct assignment respective sector is used
because clothing retail sector is one of the big retail sector as well as Marks and Spencer
conducting its business at worldwide level for which they adopt variety of theories of
management and leadership. This will help project manager in conducting report in effective and
appropriate manner.
Company vision, leadership and management practices
Marks and Spencer is one of the leading and famous brands of clothing industry which
offer variety of products and services for men, women and kids at worldwide level. Manager and
leader of respective company develop appropriate vision and mission statement which help them
in conducting and achieving it in effective and efficient manner. Vision statement of Marks and
Spencer is to develop innovative and unique product which attract customers on the huge basis
as well as develop a benchmark for competitive company so that they compare their products
with respective company products in order to check quality and effectiveness (Marks and
Spencer, 2019). Respective company offer quality and variety of product at affordable price
which makes them unique and help in gaining competitive advancement in effective and
appropriate manner.
Leader is a person who develops and manages strategies and process in order to
accomplish task in effective and appropriate manner for attaining goal as well as objective of a
company. Every leader of an organization has their working style which helps them in
conducting work in effective manner that is known as leadership style. In other word leadership
style is a method which provide direction for implementing plan as well as motivate staff for
accomplishment of task in effective and appropriate manner. There are various types of
leadership style which can be used by a leader such as democratic, autocratic, laissez faire, and
strategic, transformational, transactional and bureaucratic leadership.
Leadership style which is adopted by leader of Marks and Spencer is democratic
leadership style in which each and every person of an organization have right to take part in
decision making process (Clarke, 2013). This leadership style is also known as participative

leadership style or shared leadership in which every member of a firm take part in process of
decision making as well as provides their valuable feedbacks and advice in front of leader. This
is used in almost every sector starting from school to government. By adopting this leadership
style respective company able to take appropriate decision on timely basis that helps them in
increasing their productivity and profitability ratio. Along with this employees of Marks and
Spencer get motivated and satisfied because they felling like a part of an organization. Due to
which there is enhancement in employee’s productivity as well as retention for a long run.
For conducting work in effective and appropriate manner an organization need to adopt
management practices. Management practices are refers to method of working and innovation
which is used by a manger in order to improve effectiveness of working condition and system.
Management practices can be adopt in various ways such as empowering staff, training staffs,
introducing strategies for improving quality, adopt or introduce new technology, retain
employees and many more (Pierro and et.al, 2013). In respect of Marks and Spencer they adopt
management practices in order to empower and enable their employees in effective and
appropriate manner. For which they adopt and prepare varies plans such as they provide training
and development to employees so that they able to conduct their work in effective and
appropriate manner. Along with this they also involve their staffs in decision making process by
which they fell connected towards the respective company in effective manner. They also
conduct appraisal activities on regular basis after 12 months by which employees fell motivated
and conduct their work in proper and effective manner. Moreover to adopt management practices
in appropriate and effective manner Marks and Spencer adopt management theory such as
Theory X and Theory Y. This will help them in conducting and developing strategies in effective
and efficient manner. Whose explanation is given below:-
Douglas McGregor, a behavioral scientist, has developed approach to manage and
motivate on the basis of various assumptions relating to human behaviors. It has been formulated
as Theory X and Theory Y. Both these theories are based on certain assumption regarding human
behavior. Though, his Theory X is related to philosophy of traditional management, assumption
about employees and the way to manage them (Drucker, 2012). Theory Y is based on humanistic
assumptions about employees and describes the approaches to manage and motivate them. In
Theory X are that it has average employee who are lazy, self centered, resists change and does

not want to share responsibility. They have limited number of needs, mostly physical needs. For
them McGregor suggested rigid, bureaucratic and rules based organization. In contrary, in
Theory Y are that that it has average employees who likes work and. They capable of assuming
responsibility and accepting challenges. Provided, they are ambitious, achievement oriented and
capable of exercising self control. For this organizational structure should include participative
management, self direction and control.
Implementation of strategies
It is one of the essential portions where leader of an organization decide how they will
implement strategies and plans at their workplace so that they attain goal and objective in proper
manner. In respect of Marks and Spencer they develop various strategies and plan in order to
implement and fulfill vision and mission in efficient manner (Nanjundeswaraswamy and Swamy,
2014). Such as in order to achieve vision of developing products which create benchmark for
competitive companies, respective company implement strategies plans and policies related to
their working process and product quality. Along with this for producing standard quality
products respective company cross check product process on every step, in order to insure about
quality of products.
Marks and Spencer adopt democratic leadership style in order to lead employees or staff
in effective manner so that they will accomplish their work in effective and appropriate manner.
For adopting respective leadership style this company leader involve their staffs in decision
making process so that employees feel motivated and encourage. By this employees conduct
their work in effective quality. Along with this in order to retain employees they must conduct
various activities like appraising and encouraging employees by giving awards and benefits.
They can also develop effective relationship and working conduction at a workplace so that
employees feel satisfy and share issues with superior in proper manner (Easterby, Thorpe and
Jackson, 2012). Through which leader of Marks and Spencer develop strategies in effective and
efficning manner. For this respective company leader also adopt Theory X and Theory Y so that
they develop strategies and plans in appropriate manner according to behavior of employees.
Recommendation
By analyzing all the above points it can be evaluate that management is essential for an
organization in order to attain their goal and objective in effective and efficient manner. Along

with this by appropriate management a company can accomplish their work or task with best
quality which enhance their productivity as well as market shares in proper manner. Moreover by
this an organization able to develop proper strategies and plan as well as accomplish it in best
manner which help in achievement of goal and vision in proper manner. For this company also
adopt various methods or theories such as Maslow need theory, motivational theory, theory X
and theory Y and many more. In respect of Marks and Spencer there are conducting its business
in appropriate manner but in some point they are lacking such as increase in employees turnover
ratio, management style and many more. For which project manager of respective company
provide various recommendation so that they able to overcome their issues in effective and
appropriate manner. such as management of Marks and Spencer must change their leadership
style so that every employees feel motivated and connected towards the company. They must
also conduct market analysis in order to develop appropriate products according to need and
requirement of respective company. This will help them in attracting customers and encourage
them to purchase project in effective manner as well as they also able to retain their customers
for a long run in proper manner. Moreover, to retain employees on long term basis respective
company must understand and motivate them so that they fell connected towards respective
company and retain for long run.
CONCLUSION
From above discussed point it can be conclude and analysis that management is essential
in order to attain goal and objective in effective and appropriate manner. By proper management
style a firm cans accomplish their work in best manner which leads to increase in their
productivity and profitability ration in appropriate manner. For adopting proper management
style a company need to conduct various work such as analysis, understanding situation and
many more. Along with this an organization can also adopt various theories or model such as
theory X and theory Y, Motivational theory and so on in order to maintain proper working
environment so that there will be enhancement of employees retention as well as profitability
ratio.

REFRENCES
Books journals
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. and Jackson, P.R., 2012. Management research. Sage.
Burke and, R., 2013. Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA.
Clarke, S., 2013. Safety leadership: A meta‐analytic review of transformational and transactional
leadership styles as antecedents of safety behaviours. Journal of Occupational and
Organizational Psychology. 86(1). pp.22-49.
Pierro, A., and et.al., 2013. Bases of social power, leadership styles, and organizational
commitment. International Journal of Psychology. 48(6). pp.1122-1134.
Nanjundeswaraswamy, T.S. and Swamy, D.R., 2014. Leadership styles. Advances in
management. 7(2). p.57.
Drucker, P., 2012. Management. Routledge.
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. and Jackson, P.R., 2012. Management research. Sage.
Belbin, R.M., 2012. Management teams. Routledge.
Drucker, P., 2012. Management challenges for the 21st century. Routledge.
Weske, M., 2012. Business process management architectures. In Business Process
Management (pp. 333-371). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Shafritz, J.M., Ott, J.S. and Jang, Y.S., 2015. Classics of organization theory. Cengage Learning.
Online
Marks and Spencer. 2019. [Online]. Available through :<
https://www.slideshare.net/parakaldavis/marks-and-spencer>.