Comparing and Contrasting Leader and Manager Roles: Theories

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the roles of leaders and managers within an organizational context, using Tesco plc as a case study. It differentiates between the functions of a leader, who inspires and motivates, and a manager, who plans, organizes, directs, and controls. The report explores various leadership theories such as situational leadership, system leadership, and contingency theory, and management concepts like management by objectives, to highlight how leaders and managers adapt their approaches based on situational demands. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of situational leadership and contrasts the characteristics of leaders and managers in areas like problem-solving, risk-taking, and communication. The analysis includes how these roles interact to achieve organizational goals, particularly in scenarios involving technological changes and employee resistance, emphasizing the importance of effective leadership and management for operational efficiency and organizational success.

MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS
M1. Analyzing and differentiating between the role of a leader and function
of manager with theories and concepts.
The role of a manager in company is to inspire and encourage his
employees planning, organising, directing and controlling different business
activities in the organisation. With the help of theories and concepts like
Situational leadership style and the management by objective, the role and
function of leader and manager can be analysed.
P.1. Defining and compare the role and characteristics of leader and manager.
Effective leadership and efficient management is vital for the successful business operations. A leader
and manager is an essential for a business to run its operations successfully. The leadership is an ability and
the person who possess this ability is known as leader. While on the other hand, manager is responsible for
controlling or administering an organization. The differences between a leader and manager in Tesco plc are:
Points of
difference
Leader Manager
Problem solving Effective problem skills are important part of
every leader. An leader can convert problem into
an opportunity.
Manager makes decision. They possess a skill
of resolving problems in Tesco Plc..
Risks Leader takes risk as more risk leads to more
opportunity.
Manager focuses on minimizing risks in an
organization.
Communication Communication skills are very important as a
leader motivate, encourage and inspire their
employees in organization.
Mangers have to communicate with
subordinates and superiors. A good manager
has both oral and written communication
skills.
Aim Growth and development of an organization is
the main aim of a leader.
Achieving the tasks and goals are the aim of a
manager.
P.2. Different role and function of a manager and leader in different situational
context.
In any organisation, a leader and manager has different roles and
responsibility in order to perform and ensures the smooth operations of the business
organisation. The mangers functions and role of leaders has to be different in
different situation arises in the organisation. In the Context of Tesco plc, when
different situational arises, leader and manager has to handle it in accordance with
their roles and job. In Tesco plc, operational department implementing the new
machinery equipment which will save the time as well as cut the labour cost. On the
other hand it will increase the cost of implementation of machinery and the need to
recruit the new skilled labours. There are various leadership traits and functions of
management will help the leader and manager in making plans and strategies in
order to successfully implement the machinery, manage the cost as well as cope up
with the resistance in employees with the changes. It is essential in order to increase
the operational efficiency that will lead to thee increased in sales and revenue of the
company.
The operational manager of the company will make plans to cut down the
cost of implementing machinery, the leader will focus on providing effective
guidance and motivation to the employees through training and development of the
employees in order to grow their skills and knowledge to run the new machinery.
There are various theories of management as well as of the leadership models which
help in understanding the role and functions of the manager and role of leader in
such changing situation.
The contemporary theory of management will help the manger to make
effective plans and strategies in order to deal with the increased cost of machinery
and new employees recruit cost. It can be done with the effective efforts of the skills
of a leader. the manager will plan to implement the machinery effectively, where,
leader will motivate the employees and provide them training in order to use the new
machinery. That will help in saving the cost of recruiting new employees. New
implementation can create conflicts in employees, this can be resolves by manger to
take their formal meetings, whereas leader will talk to them and collect the facts and
will resolves their conflicts. It will help the Tesco company in managing the cost as
well as help in reducing the resistance of change in employees by creating the
environment of trust and with effective communication skills of a leader.
As per the theory of management by objectives, the combine’s efforts of
manager and employees are necessary in order to attain the organisational goals
(Fox, 2018). The manager can set standard of the performance and leader will,
delegate the duties and responsibilities to the employees and will supervise their
performance to check whether itt is up to the performance standard or not.
P.3. Different theories and models of leadership and
management.
The different theories and models of leadership and
management are:
Situational leadership: This theory states that there is
no particular best style for a leader. A leader has to
adopt different style of leadership in accordance to the
changing situation in an organisation. Effective
leadership style will lead to adapt the leader the style
which will help them to perform in order to influence
their employees (Sosik and Jung, 2018). The leadership
style has to be vary according to changing task, job or
function that needs to be accomplished.
System leadership: this theory enables a leader in
Tesco plc to create a condition in which all the
employees at all levels can work productively and
withier efficiently in accomplishment of the
organisational goals. It helps the sound principle of a
human behaviour in organisation in order to create a
good leadership, organisational theory, system process
and social process.
Contingency theory: this theory states that a leader’s
effectiveness is based on the effectiveness of the group.
This theory is based that management effectiveness is
depended on the interplay between the application of
management behaviour and the specific situation in the
organisation. This theory states that the management
styles should be based on the changing situation of the
organisation. As per this theory the task or relation
motivation are contingent and depends on whether the
manager is able to both control and affect the group
situational favourability the principle of management is
not applicable in all organisation. As there is no best
style of management. Management in an organisation is
situational in nature and manager has to take their
actions which are depend on different situational.
M2. Accessing the Strength and weakness of different approaches to situations.
The Situational leadership approaches advantage and disadvantages:
Advantages Disadvantages
 Situational leadership is simple and easy to
understand.
 It also helps in realising the need for flexibility on
the parts of leader.
 Situational leadership helps in relating the
relationship between manager and employees at the
centre of the management experiences.
 This model does not help in being task
oriented, manager feel difficult to
remain flexible and adapt to various
situation.
 Management has to emphasis on the
immediate change in his traits and
style.
D1. Critically analysis and evaluating different theories and approaches to leadership.
As per different theory the task or relation motivation are contingent and depends on whether the manager is able to both
control and affect the group situational favourability the principle of management is not applicable in all organisation. As there is no
best style of management. Management in an organisation is situational in nature and manager has to take their actions which are
depend on different situational.