Comparison of Managerial and Leadership Roles in Mark & Spencer's Ltd

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of management and leadership within Mark & Spencer's Ltd. It begins by comparing the characteristics and roles of managers and leaders, emphasizing their distinct yet complementary functions in achieving organizational success. The report then explores how these roles are applied in various situations, highlighting the importance of leadership in motivating employees and addressing operational challenges. It further examines leadership theories such as situational, contingency, and system leadership models, and their application within the company. The report also delves into operational management approaches, including the just-in-time and system approaches, and the role of managers and leaders in maximizing production efficiency and achieving business objectives. Finally, the report addresses the impact of external factors on operational decision-making, offering a holistic view of management and leadership in a dynamic business environment.

Management and
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................4
P1 Comparison between characteristics and roles of managers and leaders in Mark &
Spencer's Ltd...............................................................................................................................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
P2 How manager and leader's role can be applied in various situations in Mark & Spencer's
Ltd...............................................................................................................................................6
P3 Models of approaches and theories in Mark & Spencer's Ltd...............................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
P4 Approaches regarding operation management and the role of managers and leaders...........8
P5 Value and importance of operational management in order to achieve business objectives
in Mark & Spencer's Ltd.............................................................................................................9
TASK 4 ........................................................................................................................................11
P6 Factors in the business environment that have impact on operational management decision-
making by managers and leaders..............................................................................................11
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Management and operations are the two basic things of an organisation, that needs to be
done in an efficient and effective manner so that the company can achieve success and growth.
Operation management is that subject which deals with the managing and convincing people of
business activities during production of services and goods. It maintains effectiveness and
efficiency, make optimum use of resources, and helps to meet expectations of consumers
(Barratt, Choi and Li, 2011). Management of operation is concerned with the process of
production and assist exercising management and control of the process of production, where
input get processed in order to have desired output. This report is based on the case study of
Mark and Spencer's Ltd, a multinational retail company in London. This report will helps to find
out business' external factors that have a effect management decisions and operational
management of a team. Various approaches regarding operational management and the factors
that have effect on management of operations will also be analysed.
TASK 1
P1 Comparison between characteristics and roles of managers and leaders in Mark & Spencer's
Ltd
In each and every organisation, two major and important roles are being played by
managers and leaders for the effective and efficient operations of the business and also for the
proper management. There is a continuous debate in regards with correlation between
management and leadership. Leadership can be defined as an individual's ability which helps in
motivating and influencing other people for the contribution towards success and effectiveness of
a particular organisation. On the other hand management includes controlling and directing a
group of more than one entities or people for the purpose of harmony and coordination among
people for the accomplishment of goals and objectives (Boddy, Ladyshewsky and Galvin, 2010).
In Mark & Spencer's Ltd, an effective role is being played by a manager and the leader which
helps in increasing goodwill and reputation of the company.
Leader's Role
 Leadership is very necessary at each and every level of administration and management,
it helps in making various plans and policies so as to execute and interpret plans.

 Leader helps in representing an organisation in different meetings, events, conferences
etc. Vision is being set up by leader, and then he motivate and develop morale of employees
in order to achieve that vision (Burke, 2013).
Manager's Role
 Information role
1. Observation of team is being done by manager in order to achieve productivity and
wellness in an organisation. He is responsible to communicate important information in
regards with targets of an organisation.
 Interpersonal role
1. Inspiration is being given by manger to leader and his team, he transfers information
behalf of organisation (Understanding operations management. 2017).
 Decisional role
1. Various important decisions are being taken by managers regarding resources, funds etc.
Difference between manager and leader's role in Mark & Spencer's Ltd.
Leader Manager
 Personality of a leader can be defined
as they are mercurial and brilliant
having excellent charisma. They feel
comfortable in taking risks and leaders
have high imagination level (Casolino
and et.al., 2012).
 Leaders are people oriented.
 Their outcomes are in the form of
achievements.
 Leadership styles are consultative,
transformational and participative.
 They look at the problem and make
creative and new solutions.
 Managers are problem solvers and
rational. They focus on personnel,
structures, goals and available
resources. They have strong will,
intelligence and good analysis.
 Managers are task oriented.
 Their outcomes are in the form of
results.
 Management styles are authoritative,
autocratic, transactional, dictatorial,
democratic and consultative.
 Make policies, strategies and methods
to solve problems (Leadership
Theories. 2016).
M1

There are various difference among manger and leader's role which helps in
organisation's success. Leadership theories are there which make leadership different from
managers (DeChurch and et.al., 2010). Action centred leadership theory includes three functions
in regards with team maintenance, task achievement and meeting needs of individual. Situational
theory includes maturity model regarding team members functions. On the other hand, managers
take various decisions and communicate necessary information.
D1
As per Heizer and Barry, (2013) growth of leadership should be contextual and
collective. Leadership is the process, which is performed by an individual in order to reduce risk
in an organisation. Development of the leadership could not get ignored in several situations in
which there is an involvement of leadership. As per Hunt, Hosking and Schriesheim, (2013)
leadership styles are participative, supportive, directive which helps to support employees, On
the contrary Krajewski, Ritzman and Malhotra, (2013) says that different situations in which
there is performance of different tasks, it is very necessary to analyse leadership styles which can
helps in the achievement of success and goals.
TASK 2
P2 How manager and leader's role can be applied in various situations in Mark & Spencer's Ltd
Managers and leaders play a key role in Mark & Spencer's Ltd, for the solution of various
problems that occur in an organisation during management and working. They help in solving
different problems that are in relation with operational activities. Proper management and
leadership helps to solve different conflicts and disputes in an organisation that occur among
employees regarding mismanagement of activities. Leadership helps in leading people in an
organisation for the achievement of different targets .
Leadership in an organisation
 Leaders make clear vision and mission in an organisation. Sometimes employees are
unable to understand what they needs to do, then leadership helps in influencing
employees so that they can understand the things which they need to do in an
organisation (Lencioni, 2010).
 There are various situations in which employees morale goes down in Mark & Spencer's
Ltd, in such situations leadership plays a main role in the motivation of the employees.

They helps in finding out requirements of the employees which they are expecting from
the company.
 Roles of the employees should be clearly defined in relation with the work which they
needs to perform. Leaders helps in defining clear role to the employees and also give
them necessary resources which will be helpful in increasing participation and
performance of employees. Effective leadership also give direction to the employees and
assist them in various problems. Leadership helps in creating good relationship among employees, which will eventually
make good organisational culture (Northouse, 2012).
Managerial role in an organisation
 Manager's main role is to create productive workforce in Mark & Spencer's Ltd, he sets
up various different goals and objectives, organise tasks and helps in the development of
employees.
 Manager is also responsible for the hiring of effective workforce, when there is lack of
such workforce in an organisation.
 Several situations are there where employees performance and productivity is not at all
satisfactory, then it is the responsibility of the manager to maintain proper performance in
mentioned company.
 Mangers give proper direction to employees, by defining jobs, targets etc.
 Managers are also responsible for the management of the resources in an organisation, for
improved process and quality.
P3 Models of approaches and theories in Mark & Spencer's Ltd
Models of approach and different leadership theories are significant in Mark & Spencer's
Ltd, as they play vital role in the development and growth in the external environment, which
will help in gaining competitive advantage and goodwill (Pless, Maak and Waldman, 2012).
There are three kinds of leadership theories which are applied in the company, for the effective
and efficient management of operations, which helps company to make leading position in the
market and also helps in gaining more profit and revenue. These models and theories which are
applied are situational leadership, contingency leadership and system leadership, which are
defined as follows:

 Situational Leadership: It is a type of leadership which plays a significant role in an
organisation regarding effective management of operations and activities. It is the type of
style which managers and leaders generally make use of in an organisation, and it is also
ensured by them that the style which they are using is in coordination with the
development of followers and team members (Seddon, Calvert and Yang, 2010). In this
leadership theory, leaders should modify their style according to the followers for the
desired results. Contingency Leadership: This kind of leadership theory is much needed for the effective
development of the company. It defines that effectiveness and efficiency could not be
achieved only by particular leadership style but it also needs proper control on various
situations. It helps in defining that effective relations should be there among leaders and
team members and targets regarding different tasks should be defined clearly.
 System Leadership: Mark & Spencer's Ltd make use of another kind of leadership style
which is called system leadership. This leadership style make collaboration and
coordination of people among various groups at several levels and at different places.
This thing helps in the creation of shared network among employees and also make
involvement of employees regarding various changes in an organisation. This theory
helps in increasing leadership awareness among managers and also saves money which is
involved in mass training (Slack, 2015).
M2
The approaches that are applied in Mark & Spencer's Ltd have different strengths and
weaknesses. The situational leadership style makes sure that followers are aware of their duties
and responsibilities, but the negative thing which is associated with it is like followers can take
unnecessary advantage of low intervention mangers. Contingency theory does not include all
types of leadership style, but it helps describing different attributes of leadership. Proper analysis
cannot be made with the help of system theory but it helps in effective and efficient achievement
of goals by a team or a group (Subramanian and Ramanathan, 2012).

TASK 3
P4 Approaches regarding operation management and the role of managers and leaders
Operation management is the type of management in which there is designing,
controlling and managing of the production process and it also helps in the redesigning of the
production operations. Mark & Spencer's Ltd make use of various key approaches which helps in
maximization of the production process which is carried out in an organisation. Various key
approaches in regards with management and operations are:
 Just-in-time approach: In Mark & Spencer's Ltd, this approach helps in explaining that
managers guide and employ employees for the purpose of increasing efficiency in work
and decreasing wastage of resources which will he helpful in the production process, this
will also helps to decrease cost of inventory (Tang and Musa, 2011). For this, major role
is being played by managers and leaders in guiding employees regarding low wastage,
this can be done by:
1. Managers and leaders give guidance to employees regarding production of required
goods and not extra ones.
2. Wastage sometimes there in relation with defects, so this things needs to be stopped.
3. Wastage is also created by keeping unnecessary stock, so leaders and managers should
guide workforce to keep desired stock which is necessary for production.
 System approach: This approach is the main part of the companies which have large
system which is in the relation with environment and economic systems. It includes the
communication between external environment and organisation. In the system approach,
roles of leaders and managers are very necessary, which includes:
1. Employees should be guided regarding inputs which are taken from external environment
like finance, human resources, technologies etc. (Wu, 2012). Managers and leaders
should be responsible for the coordination between organisation's laws and policies.
2. Managers and leaders should carry out proper communication system in an organisation
among employees and employers.
3. Mangers and leaders should also focus on the organisation's output to know whether they
will be able to meet customers requirement or not.
 Strategic planning approach: This approach helps in making proper planning regarding
different strategies in an organisation. It generally make use of the corporate approach

which is in relation with strategic planning. Managers and leaders play main role in the
process of strategic planning, other roles are like:
1. Portfolio of various activities should be managed properly which will help in comparing
finance based methodology.
2. Managers and leaders should take fair decisions in order to face dynamic environment.
P5 Value and importance of operational management in order to achieve business objectives in
Mark & Spencer's Ltd
Operations are the main part of the company in which there is wide range of input
transformation into output by achieving quality level and proper management. Management of
operations helps in identifying customers needs and also helps in getting feedbacks in regards
with various services and products (Pless, Maak and Waldman, 2012). It has two main
objectives which includes resource utilisation and customer service. Operational management
make sure that there is proper fulfilment of customers needs with proper resources utilisation. It
includes controlling, overseeing and designing of process of production. It is necessary in every
organisation for the designing of the product, maintenance of equipments and acquisition of raw
materials. It also helps in the coordination among different departments so as to have the smooth
working in an organisation. Several roles of operation management in Mark & Spencer's Ltd can
be defined as:
 Operation management is responsible for the effective and efficient administration and
management of business operations which is very helpful for the achievement of targets
in an organisation.
 Operational management supports in the process of decision-making regarding several
strategies in a company, it assist top level management of a company in making
decisions. In the process of decision making, use of current market situation and
resources are there so as to make efficient and effective system (Casolino and et.al.,
2012). These decisions include mergers, technology advancements etc.
 For the effective management in an organisation, several tactics needs to be applied
which helps in management of operations and inclusion of tactical decisions in an
organisation. For this several tactics are being used which is needed in the formulation of
plans and policies. It also gives support to the management and administration regarding

efficient use of resources, and the staff management under various constraints and
regulations that are described in strategic plans.
 With the help of operational management various decisions which are in relation with the
operations can be taken in Mark & Spencer's Ltd. It is helpful for the administration and
management to take decisions regarding planning, controlling and monitoring of various
operational decisions. Decisions which are in relation with operations have been taken to
control various activities in an organisation (Burke, 2013).
M3
Efficiency and effectiveness of the operational management can be maximised by the
managers and the leaders in Mark & Spencer's Ltd. They are responsible to drive mechanism of a
company which makes involvement of management operations, designing and implementation of
communication system etc. They helps to manage products quality and inventory. Leaders and
managers are also responsible for supply chain management. Management of supply chain is the
process which has a proper starting and finishing point and it includes delivery, purchase,
transportation and storage. Efficiency and effectiveness of leaders and managers helps in
performing various business operations in Mark & Spencer's Ltd.
D2
According to Barratt, Choi and Li (2011), application of operation management involves
several other things like management of project which involves scheduling of workforce and
acquisition of resources, it also helps in the analyse of various details which is necessary for the
manufacturing of the product. Operation management applications also includes control of
quality and inspection which is the basic part of the manufacturing process. As per Seddon,
Calvert and Yang (2010) product scheduling and maintenance of equipment can also be done
with the help of operational management. Business environment gets affected by the external and
internal factors. External factors includes political, social, legal, economical and technological
factors, competitors, technologies etc., whereas internal factors include norms, values and culture
of business.

TASK 4
P6 Factors in the business environment that have impact on operational management decision-
making by managers and leaders
There are some of the major factors that effects the operational management as well as
leader and manager's decision. Perception issue: Perception refers to the manner in which individual make interpretation
of the work environment. Perception of an individual have impact on the way of
decision-making in Mark & Spencer's Ltd. For example: if there is a conflict in an
organisation, then various details regarding particular problem is gathered and then the
perception of the individual will be helpful in taking outcome from that information.
Perception get influenced by the situation, objects and perceiver (Tang and Musa, 2011).
Perceiver can be defined as the person who will get influenced by an information. Object
is referred to any event or person who affects the perceiver's perception, and the situation
involves the date, time, location and different situational factors which will affect object's
perception.
 Organisational Issues: In an organisation there are various organisational issues which
are in relation with the procedures and policies of an organisation, organisational politics
and organisational hierarchy.
1. Organisational procedures and policies are the can be defined as the norms and rules,
which will help in solving problems that are being faced by an organisation and it also
helps in the process of decision making.
2. Organisational hierarchy is the structure of the management which is followed by the
various organisation. Every organisation follows different hierarchy of organisation at
different level for the practising authority and responsibility.
3. Organisational politics can be defined as the group or individual's behaviour which have
influence on other's decision in an organisation, it also includes advancing of interest and
ideas of individual (Lencioni, 2010).
 Environmental Issues: These issues are in relation with external factors which affects
organisational decision making. External factors involves area of the market in which an
organisation makes various operations, organisation's economic trends, gross domestic
factor level in the economy etc.

M4
Various factors which are being discussed i.e. perception issues, organisational issues and
environmental issues affects the environment of the business in several ways. Individual's
perception affects the operations of the business, organisational policies are responsible for the
achievement of targets and environmental issues helps in identifying competitors and
opportunities that are available in external environment (Burke, 2013).
CONCLUSION
Management and operations plays a very important role in Mark & Spencer's Ltd, which
helps in the smooth and effective management of organisation's functions, and also helps to carry
out business operations in proper way. From the above report it can be concluded that efficient
and effective operational management is must in an organisation for the growth and success of
the company. It has been analysed that major role is played by leaders and managers in Mark &
Spencer's Ltd in setting different goals and objectives. Various leadership theories like system,
situational and contingency theory will help company in the proper management. Managers and
leaders have significant impact on the working of an organisation. If there will be improvement
in the operational efficiency, then company will be able to achieve targets easily.
REFERENCES
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