An Analysis of Leadership and Operational Management at Unilever

This report provides an in-depth analysis of leadership and management principles within the context of Unilever, a leading consumer goods company. It begins by defining and comparing the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, highlighting their distinct responsibilities and skill sets...Read More

Management and
operation

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................3
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager....3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
P2 Role of a leader and function of manager in different situational contexts......................6
P3 Different models and theories of leadership.....................................................................7
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................9
(Covered in PPT)....................................................................................................................9
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................9
P6 Impact of business environmental factors on operational management and decision making
of leaders and managers.........................................................................................................9
(covered in booklet)................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Management is an obligatory for organised life and needs for all kinds of managing and
coordinating works and activities (Boyd and Dougherty, 2016). operation is related with
transforming raw things into finished goods and services with maximum efficiency and deliver
value to the customers. Hereby, management and operation is an important approach that relate
with production and distribution of products with maximum efficiency and attains the business
objectives. This report has selected Unilever company, which is the market leader in Consumer
products segmented in food. They are mainly focus on beverages, personal care products. It
established in the year of 1933 and headquartered in London,UK. That assignment states
functions and role of leader and manager in perspective of firm. In that kinds of disciplines of
leadership and major approaches of operation management which helps in obtaining firm's
goals . Finally, it highlights connection in leaders and managers and its affect on organisation
decision making process in order to attain the goal effectively and efficiently.
TASK 1
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.
Leader is one who possess superior power to direct, inspire and visualise the tactics as
well as the roles of any other for acquired of objectives. They have the capability of getting the
work done through its followers.
Characteristics of Leader
 Decision making capability- Leader possess ability in implementing decision in
appropriate time frame. Hereby, leader of Unilever have evaluate various circumstances
properly and take appropriate resulting effects within the time period in order to avoid
delay in business operations.
 Communication- Unilever's leader should provide the freedom to employees in sharing
their opinions and views which creates a healthy relationship between superior and
subordinate (Ellitan 2017).
Role of Leader

 Presenter of organisation - Leader of Unilever coordinates their firms in meetings
seminars and general meetings. Its main role is represent the organisation outside for
masses.
 Strategy formulation- They are accountable for the building strategies to acquire
objectives in appropriate time period. Leader of Unilever should formulate strategies in
order that enables to remain always competitive in market.
Manager is someone who guides, control and manage the employees by implementing
favourable decisions in order to achieve organisational goal and maximisation of profit.
Unilever's manager has the responsibility of putting right person in a right place at the right time.
(Eraki, 2015).
Characteristics of managers-
 Confidence- For an effective manager they should be confident and have proper
knowledge in managing organisational performance. In relation to Unilever's manager,
they be self-confident and flexible to adapt the ideas, technology for the achievement of
managerial goal.
 Reducing issues: Manager at Unilever helps in find out major concerns and by
providing the immediate solutions and is responsible for creating a good workplace
environment.
Functions of manager-
For an effective performance, Unilever's manager follows the managerial functions which are
elaborate here
 Planning- Higher authorities and manager prepares framework regarding work in
advance for a smooth functioning and obtaining the desired goal on a given time.
 Organising- Manager defines and assigns the duties and responsibilities to each
employees by providing the required resources for obtaining the company's objective.
 Staffing- Manager hires the right candidates and place them in suitable position by
various recruitment sources. It helps them in achieving goal with higher sales and
profitability.
 Leading- Manager understands and identify the ability of employee which helps them in
providing guidance and enable the employees to be more enthusiastic towards work.

 Controlling- It enable manager to monitor and directs the performance of employees in
order to evaluate whether they are meeting up with company's standard. If not they can
take correction action to achieve goal effectively. (Fan, Liu and Zhang, 2015).
Characteristic in Leader and manager:
Terms of difference Leader Manager
On basis of functions Leaders directs the followers
and monitor them in right path
in order to achieve goal.
They manage the work of an
employee by providing proper
framework of job to attain the
objective.
Team Teams are major part for an
leader by which they attain
their goals.
Employees are major players in
organisation that helps to both
firm and manager to attain
goals.
Work flow Leader directs with encourage
its team members in
organisation (Han and et. al.,
2017).
Manager administrates,
motivates, delegate and
evaluate the employees to
attain managerial goal.
Flexibility Leader actively encourage the
followers to adapt change for
attaining goal.
Manager frames various
policies and strategies in order
to adapt latest technology and
motivates employees to be
more innovative and creative.
Similarities Of leader and manager
 They work commonly achievement of company goals and objectives
 Both leader and manager helps in proper coordinating of work and assist in reducing
issues at the workplace.
Various approaches of leader and manager which specifies the role of both of them such as-
Leadership theory-

Transformational theory of Leadership- This Leadership Theory brings changes in
an individual of the respective organisation and creates a positive attitude towards work for
obtaining the organisational goal. One of the main role of leader is to help followers to manage
and cope up with proper performance of task effectively.
Management Theory-
 Classical management theory- This management theory believe that followers in the
organisation have various types of needs and lays emphasises on maximising the profit
and taking effective decisions. It assist that management is suitable when the main focus
of the organisation is to enhance productivity level an not to the needs of followers.
Manager should analyse the needs of the followers and enhance their skills and
capabilities.
Critically analyse and evaluate different theory of leadership-
Trait theory of leadership- As respective organisation is a consumer goods company , leader
have to handle various complex situations such as when the demand for the products from the
consumer is increasing leader should pose strict action to the employees to make them work
effectively.
Charismatic Theory of Leadership- This theory state that leader should have efficient
personality to motivate guide and inspire team, members to perform the task. When the
individuals in Unilever has followers who are facing problems regarding their performance of
work. Leader with their charismatic skills and qualities motivates the employees to perform
effectively.
TASK 2
P2 Role and Functions of leader and manger in different organisational situations
Leader inspires and guides the followers to perform task for the achievement of goal.
Apart from this managers are accountable to formulate and put the plan and strategies which
enable Unilever to obtain desired goal. To handle the complex situations of a company both
manager and leader should effectively perform their task to achieve desired outcomes.(Idris,
2016).
Resolving and managing Conflicts-Problems or conflicts exist in companies which acts as a
barrier in performing business activities. Identified problem in Unilever is due to the

misconception between the employees and supervisor. Unilever is multinational company where
employees work from different religions and different culture, value, feeling and have different
communication forms which sometimes create problem in operating and controlling work..
Both leaders and managers perform their functions effectively in order to handle this situation.
 Role of leader in conflict management is to properly communicate vision and mission of
the company to its employee's which typically helps them to work accordingly. As well
as leader identifies the root cause of the problem and takes certain actions and provide
proper guidance to the employees which helps in management of conflicts.
 Function of manager in management of conflict is to analyze, listen and inquire questions
to the individuals detailing the actual cause of the conflict. Managers identify the
solutions with the employees to avoid conflict maintain harmony in the respective
organisation. Manager make proper plans and organises resources accordingly which also
helps in conflict management (Ma and Sun, 2012).
Introducing and Developing new product
While introducing product Unilever has to carefully analyse the market conditions as
well as the demands and needs of customer. In such situations leader and manger perform
different functions.
 In such situation manager analyses the demand of the product by the customers and
makes plans, organises resources and communicate to the leader. They also hire suitable
employees which helps in proper execution of plan.
 Leaders performs their role by taking the decision of the product launch by analysing
the market demands and considering various aspects of the organisation such as
availability of finance and resource. It analyses plan made by the manager and
implements strategy for successful executing task which helps in attaining the results.
P3 Different models and theories of leadership
Leaders have the quality to inspire other individuals in the organisation and takes
decision which assist in attaining results of Leadership. Thereby, respective company should
adopt various style and approaches to leadership to attain desired outcomes. These approaches
are discussed below-
Situational Leadership- This is an effective style of leadership where leaders react
towards the situation (Situational Leadership). Leader of Unilever can follow approaches to

leadership as to handle various situations Such as in case of guiding and influencing the
employees it is the role of the leader to provide necessary mentoring to its subordinates but
when subordinates have all such skills but lacks in motivation or sureness, under this situation
responsibility should be shared by the leader to the followers for solving problems and making
decisions (Nayak, 2015). This way leader changes its style in Unilever. Different Leadership
Styles under situational leadership which are discussed below-
 Telling- It is type of directive and influential method which states Leader at Unilever
direct plan effective strategies and implements decision and regarding employee and
delegates job related work in a effective manner.
 Selling- In this style leader at respective organisation takes decision and create roles and
responsibilities for its followers but involves other employees in decision making and
value their ideas and thoughts. (Pakistan, 2012).
 Participating- This style involves subordinates in all decision making activities which
makes them feel valuable as a part of Unilever.
 Delegating- This style of leadership assist the leader to delegate roles and
responsibilities which assist them to manage task. They are asked time to time to
involve in decision making.
Strengths- Environment in the respective organisation remains friendly and comfortable as there
is no effective leadership style , leaders can select top-quality style according to the situation that
benefits to the respective organisation and employees.
Weaknesses- There is a possibility of creating confusion to the leader to choose different style as
the situations are sometimes interconnected.
System leadership- This leadership style assist the leaders of Unilever to develop an
environment for employees to work effectively and efficiently. It allows the Unilever's leader to
determine good organisational strategy , system designs which helps to predict individual
behaviour in the organisation and allow them perform efficiently. Moreover this leadership style
at Unilever to enhance the production process and helps in effective realisation of organisation
goals.
Strengths- This leadership style enable the employees to be more flexible in order to handle
complex situation and overcome the failure areas.

Weakness- Process may not be always practical which leads to delay in decision making. If
interrelation classification is not done properly it result into conflicts of interest.
Contingency leadership- This theory is mainly concerned with the attitude of leader
towards the complex situation. It is concerned with the leadership style and traits in which
leader behaves according to the situation. Leaders at Unilever found this leadership style the
appropriate way in which Leader at Unilever with their different personalities in a effective
manner. Leader have various ability and susceptibility in order to mange the complex situation
in the respective organisation. Contingency theory is characterised by three factors-
 Leader member relations- This factor of contingency helps the leader at Unilever to
maintain good relation with employees at the work place. It allows the employees to
develop trust and confidence for the leader which helps leader to manage situation
properly (Parmar, 2014).
 Task structure- This theory allows leader to assign duties and responsibilities to each
employees potentiality and capability.
 Positional power- It relates to the amount of reward and punishment authority the leader
of Unilever has over the employees in organisation.
Strengths- Leader have various styles and approaches t handle situations effectively and achieve
organisational success.
Weaknesses- Ineffective individual having insufficiency of skills will not be able to handle
complex situations.
TASK 3
(Covered in PPT)
TASK 4
P6 Impact of business environmental factors on operational management and decision making of
leaders and managers.
(covered in booklet)
These are the various business environmental factors which needs to be considered in conducting
business operations successfully.

CSR- Business environment has a great impact by the CSR Policy as contributing the
socio economic benefits to the society will enhance reputation of Unilever and promote brand as
ethical accountable.
Value- Respective company assist in protective different societal values they operate.
This helps the respective company to get better ideas for the value of place and accordingly
promotes their promotes and satisfies potential customers.
Ethics- Company ensures that business ethics followed by them carries the business
ethically and doesn't involve any illegal practice in carrying business as well as should adopt
right procedures of working.
Applications of Operations Management
Process Design- It is concerned with adopting the best style for controlling production
process. It entails the manger to effectively design the process to meet requirement of customers
and attain positive results.
 Positive impact- Choosing the effective mode for distribution of goods and services.
 Negative impact- Improper process deign reduces the manufacturing of products and
services.
Capacity management-It is an effective method it is concerned with maximum
utilisation of the manufacturing work so that no wasteful or extra products are manufactured
and in order to achieve maximum efficiency.
 Positive consequence- Latest use of technology will assist in meeting requirement of
customers.
 Negative consequence- Inefficiency of the skills of the employees reduces the
manufacturing process and result in losses.
Inventory management- Ascertaining the demand of the customers assist the company
to start the manufacturing process according to the demand.
 Positive consequence- It assist in maximising the productivity level within the
company.
 Negative consequence-It has issue regarding the management of logistics which
decreases output of the products.

Enhancing the productivity level- By identifying the errors and defects it removes them during
manufacturing process and enhances the individuals within the organisation to perform task
properly.
 Positive consequence- It assist in better conduct of business operations and helps in
achieving positive results.
 Negative consequence- It is a very and requires long time to implement.
CONCLUSION
It has been analysed from the above project that roles of managers and leaders play a
very crucial role in executing the work as well as managing different situations at company. This
report covers the roles of leader and functions of manager as well as various leadership theories
which determines qualities of leader reported to different situation. Operational management also
assist in attaining goals and objectives of respective company by attaining maximum results by
performing business operations. Their are various methods and tools of operational management
as assist Unilever to criterion their variance in task and avoid defects accordingly. Apart from
this there are various factors of the business environment which have a greater impact on
decision making of company.

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ONLINE
Situational Leadership. 2019. [Online]. Available through: <https://www.situational.com/the-cls-
difference/situational-leadership-what-we-do/>