Leadership and Management in Operations: A Morrisons Case Study Report

This report examines the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, contrasting their functions within an organization, using Morrisons as a case study. It defines and compares leadership and management, analyzing their application in different situations. The report applies leadership theories like situational, systems, and contingency leadership. It assesses strengths and weaknesses of various approaches within the work environment. Furthermore, the report explains key approaches to operations management, including Just in Time and Total Quality Management, and the role of leaders and managers in improving operational efficiencies to meet business objectives. Finally, it assesses the factors within the business environment that impact operational management and decision-making, analyzing their effects on the business and the wider community.

Management and
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................3
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.........3
M1 Analyse and differentiate between the role of a leader and function of a manager by
effectively applying a range of theories and concepts................................................................4
P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts.......................................................................................................5
P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership, systems
leadership and contingency.........................................................................................................6
M2 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to situations within the work
environment.................................................................................................................................6
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play..............................................................................................................................7
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives.....................................................................................................................................8
M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management
to successfully meet business objectives.....................................................................................9
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by leaders and managers.....................................................9
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider
community.................................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
The term operations management is defined as the administration process with respect to the
business practices in order to produce the high class efficiency possible with in the organisation.
The management of operations is concerned with the issue that are important for the business
that includes the determination of the size of manufacturing plants. Effective management of the
operations is the core to the success of business. The operational managers have realised the need
of it when, there observed a need of business coordination. The report will be covering about the
Morrisons which is the fourth largest supermarket chain in UK. It has around 400 stores each
employing around 300 staff and specialises in the manufacturing and retail of food. Morrisons is
a high volume massive services operations where offerings are made to 20000 to 25000
customers each week(Bagheri, Newman and Eva, 2022). The report will cover the scenario in
which contract between the roles an characteristics of manager will be depicted and the way in
which the leader and manager functions its task. The theories and approaches applicable. The
roles played by operations management in achieving the objectives is also covered and the
factors that impact the business environment and decision making by the leaders and managers.
TASK
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.
Manager- it is professional who is responsible for leading the organisation and also manage the
team of employees. Managers further are responsible for the controlling the particular
department of the company.
Leader- it is associated with the responsibility to check the things that is required to be improved.
Leaders work towards the making of vision a reality while keeping the people of organisation as
the first priority. The leader is the link through which organisations are united internally. The
comparative overview of the roles and characteristics of the manager and leader of Morrisons-
LEADER MANAGER
A leader provides the guidance to the other
people in the organisation. It provides the
proper direction and efforts made are directed
to the shaping and moulding of behaviour in
A manager looks out for the management of
organisation. It looks at day to day activities,
keeps updated with the trend in the market and
employees to work in coordination.

order to achieve the objective.
It defines the direction with the help of
development and communication of the vision
to the workforce and revive them to achieve
the same(Chon and Zoltan, 2019).
It notes the format of organisation and
distributes the authority and responsibilities to
the employees.
It performs the one function of the
management such as providing the direction.
The manager therefore is associated with the
performing of all the functions of the
management like planning, organizing,
staffing, directing and controlling.
In order to take the preventive actions in
advance, a leader uses proactive approach for
forecasting the future events.
It uses the reactive approach to solve the issue
and provide the solution as and when occurred.
M1 Analyse and differentiate between the role of a leader and function of a manager by
effectively applying a range of theories and concepts.
The leader and manager are two different personalities in the organisations associated with
performing different functions and role in the Morrisons. When it is the role of a leader-
 it is in charge of performance of the activities and direct the same to the subordinates
 It provides the people with everything that is necessary to perform certain task
 It act as an representative in the organisation.
The functions that managers of Morrisons are performing for the effective functioning of
organisation-
 the main function of manager is to draft a plan that is required to meet the goals of
company and also the objectives(He and Ortiz, 2021). This implies the allocation of
resources effectively, delegation of the responsibilities and setting up of the timeline to
complete the task on time.
 To establish the internal processes in order to analyse best team for performing the
specific task. To ensure that all functions under his hand is working appropriately.

P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts.
Leaders in the organisation exist with certain skills that helps in guiding the team in a shared
strategy. Furthermore it is vital to maintain and develop the morale of employees and also assist
the employee in reaching their full potential and also inspire the loyalty of employee. There are
various situation in which role of leadership arise-
 In creating the network with the team members- the leader should pursue with the skills
that can aid in connecting with people both outside and inside the organisation. For this
purpose, the leader of Morrisons attend seminars, corporate events and conferences.
 In delegating the responsibility- it is done by taking into account the needs of
organisation as it is helpful in proper assignment of task. It is the duty of the leader of
Morrison to identify the strength of each team member so that responsibilities can be
delegated with respect to improving of productivity.
 In adapting the changes- the leader for this needs to be flexible. In context to this, the
leader at Morrison adapts the changes very quickly through which the company goes.
One recent scenario, that the client has changes the mind that leads the company to
budget cuts, so being flexible company is able to adapts the situation.
Functions of the manager comes with the responsibilities that it need to fulfil to perform the task
well(Kim, 2019). It performs functions which the Morrisons is implementing in running the
operations of business-
 Planning- the manager in this situation figures out a way in which the goal of company
can be achieved. So when there is well formulated plan in the place, the managers follow
it to accomplish the objective.
 Controlling- although organisation is functioning well, at this stager manager is required
to continuously pace with the outcomes of goals and also take corrective actions which is
mandatory to ensure that area in which plan is made remains on track.
 Staffing- this is a situation where it requires more than a planning. The leader in this
scenario select, recruit,train and develop the employees. The manager henceforth works
with the human resource department.

P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership, systems
leadership and contingency.
For an organisation to work, the functions of the manager and role of leaders are priorly
considered. There exist different functions of the management as well as various traits of
leadership that aids in proper functioning of management(Massimino, Gray and Lan, 2018). In
context to Morrisons, it is currently facing the lower price level for its products, material and the
equipment which is constantly increasing and considering this there comes a role of effective
management of functions and skills of leaders in order to plan and implement the required
strategies for handling the cost of manufacturing so that sales can be increased and revenue of
the company can be generated.
There are various approaches of management which implied with the leadership skills that helps
the company to grow its operations. The Morrisons therefore focus on the management theories
to cut down the manufacturing cost. Hence for this several theory comes into play-
 The contemporary theory of management- in order to deal with the present situation of
increased cost of purchase and production, Morrison used this theory. The method that
managers can use is the selection of supplier that can offer the material low cost. Thee
leaders can motivate its employees through the leadership style in order to adopt the
advance technologies for the purpose of lowering the cost of manufacturing and abolish
the resistance to change among the employee by creation of environment of trust, The contingency theory of management- it primarily focus on strategy change as per the
changing situations. The most important role is played by the leaders of Morrison to
impact the employees so that changes can be brought up in order to face the challenges
existing in the market. In order to reduce the impact of high prices of materials and
equipments received from the supplier, Morrisons implement this theory to bring the
change in operational activities.
M2 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to situations within the work
environment.
Through the management operations and style of leadership, better results can be obtained. The
contemporary theory of management in this regard emphasize on the responses on changes
existing in the organisation and the area where leaders can make the effort in eliminating the
situations of resistance to change(Meng and Berger, 2021). Similarly the contingency theory

focuses on the change in the strategies made as per the situations. Each approach discussed
therefore has some strength and weakness.
Contemporary theory-
Strength Weakness
It is an creative approach and so the situations
are analysed effectively
Shortage of funds so lack of evaluation of the
resources in the market
Employees are trained and resources are
allocated properly
Not so qualified staff members, this leads to
switching to more number of employees.
Contingency theory-
Strength Weakness
It is an innovative approach and is considered a
random theory
Reduced financial resources and high cost is
expensed in research
Variety of solutions available and effective
market research
Slow growth of changes and delay in obtaining
the results.
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play.
Operation management is a significant aspect to run all the operations smoothly that leads the
organisation to achieve their task and objectives. There are various approaches that can help an
organisation to analyse its different activities and take adequate actions as per requirement of
market. In context to Morrisons, there are different approaches which leaders and mangers
implement in order to gain competitive advantage which are discussed as follows-
Just in Time: These approach focuses on inventory management in goods are received by
supplier only when it is needed. This approaches focuses on increasing the overall
productivity of operations by optimising the utilisation of resources and directing the efforts
of employees towards achievement of objectives(Sarid, 2021). It also involves taking of
corrective measures if the desired targets are not not achieved within prescribed time period.
In context to Morrisons, the organisation should make an analysis to determine the
requirement of resources to achieve their targets adequately.

Total quality management: It is an operational management strategy that focuses on ensuring
the quality of products and services which can help an organisation from long term
perspective. It provides an quality assurance to its customers, which will help an
organisation to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace. It focuses on improving the
productivity of all the workers ranging from highly skilled to the lower ones which
ultimately improves the overall productivity of an organisation. In context to Morrisons, the
brand manages quality and value in their products and services which help the organisation
to remain competitive in the market.
Lean production: This approach suggest the best and efficient way used by an organisation to
get the desired results and outcomes. The productivity is being affected by various factors.
One of the common approaches used by the leaders is to minimise the wastage of resources
within an organisation by using proper plans and strategies. Leaders and mangers should
provide adequate training to their employees which improves the overall capacity and skills
of the employees and thus contributes in success and growth of organisation(Taylor, 2022).
In context to Morrisons, it is significant to manage operations and different functions
properly, in order to minimise the loss in productivity and profitability.
Role of manager:
 It is the responsibility of manager to recruit, select and trained employees which adds
value in the overall organisation performance.
 To evaluate and make use of resources in an efficient manner that can help an
organisation to achieve their desired results.
Role of leaders:
 To have a motivated workforce and satisfied customer base.
 To increase the overall productivity of workers by providing them adequate knowledge
and skills that will results in achievement of desired outcomes. The leaders have to analyse the activities and performance of its employees and if there
are any deviations in achieving objectives then taking corrective measures for the same
which will help an organisation to achieve their objectives.

P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives.
Operation management is essential for organisation growth and success by increasing their
overall productivity and profitability. Proper functioning of operations and functions helps the
organisation to achieve their goals and objectives. In context to Morrisons, operation
management helps the organisation to achieve their desired outcomes and objectives. The
importance of operation management are discussed as below-
 Increasing revenue: Operation management results in optimised utilisation of resources
and improved performance of employees which results in increasing their overall
profitability, which helps an organisation to expand its operations in different business
market segments and areas by achieving new objectives and goals.
 Trends in the marketplace: It is very important for an organisation to keep up with the
changes that are taking place in the business environment. Business environment is
dynamic in nature and it is of crucial importance to take adequate measures in accordance
with the changes that are taking place in the environment which includes innovation,
planning and more(Untari, 2020). It can lead an organisation to satisfy the needs and
preferences of the customers and results in achievement of organisation goals and
objectives. Increasing sales: Operation management helps an organisation to make plans and
strategies by conducting research and analysis about the demand and expectation of
customers , which will help an organisation to direct the efforts of their employees
towards accomplishments of the targets and meeting demands of the costumers that lead
an organisation to increase its overall sales and retain a large share of satisfied
consumers.
M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management
to successfully meet business objectives.
As discussed above, managers and leaders plays a significant role in Morrisons. The relationship
between leaders and mangers, leads the organisation to meet their targets by utilising the
resources effectively. Decision making requires proper analyses of all the factors that can impact
the organisation operations which includes the needs and expectation of customers(Yadav and

Kumar, 2022). Decision making process help the leaders to make appropriate strategies and
tactics that can lead an organisation to achieve their desirable outcomes.
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by leaders and managers.
There exist various factors that influence the operational management and decision making of
the organisation, Morrisons. In fact these factors impacts the effective achievement of goals and
objectives. As the changes occur, negative and positive decisions are taken by the leaders and
managers. The factors are described below-
 Organisation resources- various resources in the organisation are working together. The
resources that work in Morrisons like human resources and the raw material. It is
required to manage the resources in proper and effective way in order to bring on better
decision. The performance and productivity level of employees in Morrisons affects the
decision making and operational management of the organisation.
 Financial status-these resources assist the leaders in making of proper strategies and
working in a right direction by the leader and manager(Zhou, Pullman and Xu, 2021).
The area that get influenced by the cash flow and profits is the decision related to the cost
of product and services offered to the customers of Morrisons and investments made
there.
 The legal and political change- the change in legal terms affect the decision of
Morrisons. These changes are related to the policies being imposed on the organisation
and affect the planing being done. The role of leader here is the prediction of future
changes and manager here fulfils the roles assigned by arranging and managing the
resources. Technological changes- these changes generally occur in the external environment on
everyday basis. These changes adopted by Morrisons when the managers and leaders
predict the changes and future planning is done.
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider community.
There are various factors of business environment that can impact the organisation performance
and operations. There can be external and internal factors that can have an negative impact on
the overall productivity and profitability. Leaders and mangers have their own roles and
responsibilities which involves evaluation and analysis of business environment. It is essential to

for organisation to allocate all the resources properly in accordance with the requirement of
objectives and tasks(Zhu, Chen and Shen, 2020). Leaders can delegate their authorities which
will help them to achieve their objectives within specified period of time.
CONCLUSION
This is being concluded from the report of the Morrison, that it is using centralised organisation
structure in order to diversify the power among employees. The power is allocated as per the
roles and responsibilities defined. Various theories and models have been used in order to
understand the role of leader. the strength and weakness of theory are identified in the Morrison.
The benefit of operation management is identified in the organisation. With the help of different
theories and model, right decisions are implemented that assist in growth of organisation and
earning the revenue. At last, the interlink of leader and manager impacts the internal environment
of business.

REFERENCES
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