Leadership and Management in Operations: A Case Study of Poundland

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Management and Operations

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
LO1............................................................................................................................................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
LO2............................................................................................................................................6
P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts..................................................................................................6
P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership,
System leadership and contingency.......................................................................................9
M2 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to situations within the
work environment................................................................................................................11
LO3..........................................................................................................................................12
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play with reference to the chosen organisation....................................................12
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives with reference to the chosen organisation...........................................................15
M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational
management to successfully meet business objectives........................................................16
LO4..........................................................................................................................................17
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by Leaders and managers with reference to the chosen
organisation..........................................................................................................................17
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider
community............................................................................................................................19
Conclusion................................................................................................................................20
References................................................................................................................................21

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Poundland...................................................................................................................3
Figure 2: Leaders Vs Managers.................................................................................................4
Figure 3: Henri Fayol’s management function..........................................................................7
Figure 4: Situational leadership.................................................................................................9
Figure 5: Contingency Approach.............................................................................................10
Figure 6: System leadership approach.....................................................................................10
Figure 7: Kaizen model............................................................................................................12
Figure 8: Just- in- time approach.............................................................................................13
Figure 9: Total quality management........................................................................................13
Figure 10: Six –Sigma approach..............................................................................................14
Figure 11: PEST analysis.........................................................................................................18

Introduction
The current report will discuss the manager and leader role by taking Poundland examples in
the United Kingdom. The manager and leader function and role are different in an
organization but their main aim is to achieve the organizational goals and objectives on time.
The organization success is depending on an implementation of the strategies to the operation
management. Also, the report will discuss further top operation management approaches and
storekeeper and manager role will also discuss in the report. Business environment puts a
negative impact on an organization. To achieve the goals, the leader and manager should
have to take the proper decision which leads to organizational productivity and profitability.
2

LO1
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.
Poundland
It is the several varieties of food chain store located in the UK which is selling a huge variety
of products. This was mainly founded in the year 1990 and it is the most renowned stores
based in the UK. Also, there has a lot of expansion in the store in the past few years. This is
the large stores which involve a combined manager and leadership role. The organization
operates mainly with its objectives for achieving more consumer satisfaction as well as also
reduces the organizational, operational cost in terms of earning more profits and revenues.
Figure 1: Poundland
(Source: www.mirror.co.uk, 2019)
The leader is the person which is responsible mainly for influencing the people group towards
gaining the organizational aims and objectives. The organization leader manages the three Ps
of the organization which is the person, people and purpose and properly coordinates the
activities in them. The manager is the person in charge of several operational activities and
administration of the organization during the setting of the coordination among different
functions of the organization. The manager role is to manage the staff members to work
under them.
Comparison between leader and manager
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Power and authority: The leader has the positive power to influence and attract the
employees by giving incentives and rewards of their work. They offer rewards to the right
employees of the Poundland to achieve the goals (Bolman and Deal, 2017). The manager has
a strong power to manage the several operational organizational activities and enhance the
competition level which helps in improving the employee performances. Poundland
organization well being and reputation depends on the manager efficiencies.
Roles and responsibilities: The manager role is to design the strategic plan and objectives to
reach the objectives. Also, they have a duty to monitor the employee’s performances as well
as take all the negative and positive steps for the improvements. The leader is mainly
responsible for guiding and encouraging the employees towards positivity to direct their skills
toward the set vision.
Traits: Manager forwards the set of the vision which has achieved while a leader works for
the same in achieving the vision. The manager follows linear thinking while the leader
follows lateral thinking. Both are different in their personality.
Figure 2: Leaders Vs Managers
(Source: Roxanne Chugg, 2015)
M1 Analyse and differentiate between the role of a leader and function of a manager by
effectively applying a range of theories and concepts.
Difference in the role of leader and manager
The leader paints the picture for what they are seeing to engage and inspire the people for
turning the vision in reality (Bolden, 2016). The manager is focusing mainly to achieve, set
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and measures the goals. They have the power to control the situations to exceed or reach the
objectives. The leader is work actively and self-aware in terms of building the differentiated
and unique personal brand while the manager mimic the behaviours and competencies which
they learn from the others.
The management structure involves each organization functions which is managed and
control by the different manager of the departmental. After this, the responsibilities and roles
are subdivided according to executives, leaders, supervisor etc (Drazba, 2015). Every
employees and manager which is associated with performing the functions helps in achieving
the organization productivities goals. Additionally, to this, the Poundland senior management
is mainly responsible to take all the reports and see all the activities of the different
departments and then take the immediate actions to bring some of the improvements if
needed in this area.
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LO2
P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
different situational contexts.
The manager and leader are impacts directly in achieving the organization productivity and
profitability. An absence of an accurate performance of both manager and leader will lead to
a delay in the work competition on time (Pavlineri et al., 2017). Therefore, the senior
management is needed to have effective monitoring of each departmental as well as also
regular development and training should be provided to employees to enhance their
capabilities and skills in terms of achieving the productive outputs.
Poundlands introduce the new distribution methods which include online sales. Some of the
following management function given by Henri Fayol is adopted by the Poundland manager
and leader in terms of achieving the success are as follows:
Planning: The organization manager need to conduct effective market research to determine
the demand trend and pattern which helps in finding the probable time and cost which
consumers needs for the delivery (Thompson, 2017). Also, the future change and
contingencies in the technological pattern is an important part of determining the online
services future demand of the organizational products and services.
Organizing: The manager has to set the employees roles and responsibilities and also the
coordination by assigning of the several resources based on the department requirements.
Organizing of the technical staff and various resources enhance the organization growth and
profitability.
Commanding: It is a step which involves in supervising the performances of the employees
and effective communication with them helps in guiding them constantly towards
organizational goals as well as supervises their performances based on their needs.
Coordinating: To open the innovative services need proper coordination between the
technical department and sales department to organize the activities well and provide a high
level of customer satisfaction. The staffs are recruiting properly to handle all the customer
queries related to products (Clegg et al., 2015).
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Controlling: It is the last step which involves actual outputs comparisons with the standard
inputs to identify the deviations and then the planning can again enhance with a suitable
budget. It is a method which helps the manager to monitor the activities regularly in terms of
attracting the consumers towards booking of the online products.
Figure 3: Henri Fayol’s management function
(Source: studiousguy.com, 2019)
Role of leaders and managers in Poundland
Situation1: There is the communication form one side in Poundland so for this the
organization has to improve its interaction and communication process.
In the Poundlands, the communication is form one side and this decision is taken from the
organization top management and it is then convey to the low management without involving
them in the process of the decision making. This will results in the lower productivity,
inefficiency, and job dissatisfaction. In such cases, the Poundland uses the different styles of
the leadership in terms of understanding the subordinate’s needs and demand which ensures
satisfaction in them that they are communicates by the top organization management. In such
case, the manager of the organization also plays a vital role because they make the two way
communication which provides the effective opportunities to an employee in terms of sharing
the feedbacks, ideas and opinions to level of the organization management.
Situation 2: Poundland is also planning to implement the advanced technology in its business
to train their employees in systematic manner.
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By introducing the advanced technology in an organization there is the organizational change
by this in an organization, it is necessary to provide the best experiences to a consumers. In
this kind of the situation, the leader of an organization plays a vital role in reducing in the
employee’s turnover as well as this also encourages the employees to understand and also
accept the challenges. The leaders also guide their team members through providing the
analysis in detailed of such technology usage in the organization. Also manager in such
situation play a vital role to understand problems regarding an employee’s restrained towards
the innovative changes and also they need to support and direct the employees through
meeting and conferences.
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P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership, System
leadership and contingency.
Situational leadership: In this style, it suggests the several kinds of approaches towards the
leadership which the leader has to adopt in several situations. Leader changes its behaviour
which depends on organizational situation change. This style is used by Poundland leaders
when the objectives are needed to be gained in a short time.
Figure 4: Situational leadership
(Source: drivenforward.com, 2019)
Contingency leadership: It is an approach to improve organization growth and productivity.
It is an approach which requires the leader to encourage and motivate the employees to work
in a contingent business approach. For example, the Poundland manager needs to enhance the
products number in store to motivate the employees in terms of an increase in the product
number based customer demand.
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Figure 5: Contingency Approach
(Source: semesters.in, 2018)
System leadership: In this, it works on organizational success. Leader main motive is to give
the quality outputs and administration efficiency which is not focusing on wider areas.
Poundland leaders are mainly responsible for bringing the essential changes in procedures
and policies in which the efforts are based strictly on achieving the goals (Storey, 2016).
From the above reviewing of the several leadership styles and options, it is identified that
contingency approach is suited best in an organization for developing the proper motivation
and communication in the employees in terms of achieving the organizational objectives and
goals on time.
Figure 6: System leadership approach
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