Marks and Spencer: Leadership and Management in Operations

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership and management principles, focusing on the roles of leaders and managers within an organization, using Marks and Spencer as a case study. It explores the similarities and differences between leaders and managers, highlighting their respective functions and responsibilities. The report delves into various leadership styles, including situational, system, and contingency leadership, explaining their application and impact on organizational performance. Furthermore, it examines different approaches to operation management, such as Six Sigma, Total Quality Management (TQM), and Just-in-Time (JIT), and their significance in optimizing business processes. The report also discusses the role of a store manager, the importance of operation management, and the external factors influencing operational decisions, emphasizing the factors that impact decision-making processes within the company.

Operation
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
a) Difference and similarity in between leader and manager......................................................1
b) Functions of a manager in an organisation............................................................................2
c) Situational leadership, System leadership and contingency leadership in an organisation....4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
a) Explain different approaches to operation management and identification. ..........................6
b) Role of a store manger............................................................................................................7
c) Importance of operation management in store........................................................................9
d) Identify outside factors that effect on operation management................................................9
e)Factors impact came on decision making..............................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Operation management refers to a business practices involved in creating highest level of
production within an organisation. It is concerned with controlling and designing production and
ensuring business operations in effective terms(Abdelhak, Grostick and Hanken, 2014). This
process is concerned with entire production system by managing it with converting inputs. This
report is based on Marks and Spencer a multinational retailing company whose headquarters are
located in Westminster. They are treating with home and food products. The purpose of this
assignment is to examine the roles of leader and manger with their similarities and differences. In
that, they compasses theories and approaches applied in situational contexts. In this, values of
management which are based on achieving business objectives. Functions of a manger
performing in an organisation with a motive of accomplishing goals. The impact on OM by an
environmental conditions came on decisions made by leaders and mangers. The factors which
are affected in environment and wider community. They are dealing with the services by making
decisions of using strategy to form designs, quality, production planning, controlling inventory.
TASK 1
Scenario 1
a) Difference and similarity in between leader and manager.
For a successful business an organisation leads strong leader and manager who can work
towards achievement. The leader is to understand people and believing in their work, they are
administering day to day activities. Manager of Marks and Spencer execute their vision and
mission with an ability to direct anticipated needs along the way(Armstrong, 2014). They focus
on needs and listen to them by involving in providing best service to customers.
Similarities in between manager and leader
In between manager and leader there are few similarities are consider as under.
 Major similarity they both handle either in teams or groups. Leader plays a role in
supervising only in between their team members and managers in their whole
department.
 They both uses similar metrics for measuring performances of their subordinates.
 Both are believing in use of an effective and clear communication between their
managers and subordinates, leaders and team members.
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 Their effects are come out from using accountability. Both are dealing with measuring in
order to calculate final outcome.
 They are typically evaluating performance of employees by motivating and encouraging
them for better results.
Differences in between leader and manager
Manager Leader
 Manager main focus is on things and
dealing with procedure and structure in
completing task.
 They make decisions in direct form
made by a manger individually.
 This approach is handle in short term
tactical form.
 They has formal authority to make
policies.
 The motivation regarding this are
made by monetary rewards and
compensation.
 Leaders are those who are focusing on
people from their values, principles and
culture.
 They make their decisions in
participative form by indulging in their
group.
 This approach is done by vision in long
term strategic form.
 They has power to influence by
persuasion and inspiring to their team
members.
 In this, they are motivated by
achievements from their attainment of
vision and passion towards work.
b) Functions of a manager in an organisation.
Management has made 5 basic functions according to Henry Fayol. The set of functions
are planning, organising, commanding, controlling and coordinating(Azcarate, Mallor and
Mateo, 2017). Their main motive is to make relationship in between personnel and management.
Their point is to determine problems which are solved in creative mode. Marks and Spencer is
based on these function to identify the results by resolving problems. Planning: It is first and foremost step to make plan of action on five functions of
management. This is made on the basis of making coordination in between different
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levels of an organisation. It refers to deal with forecasting situations and helps in
avoiding problems before occur. Marks and Spencer transacting with this function by
considering available resources and maintaining flexibility of its personnel(Bennett and
James, 2017). The motive is to examine the gap in recognising where we are and where
we want to go. It is never ending and intellectual process with a flexible function. Organisation: It is an important function from five functions of management. In this,
they are providing sufficient capital, staff, raw material so that company can build strong
working structure. Their importance is to make good involvement of functions and tasks.
Managers of Marks and Spencer is creating activity by which an organisation may
expand horizontally and vertically. This is a part in which it comprises physical and
human resource in a well organised manner. Commanding: According to the functions of Henry Fayol, mangers command to their
employees by giving order and instruction of work. Managers of Marks and Spencer
communicate clearly with their employees by providing them concrete instructions.
Prosperous managers have integrity to make their decisions on regular audits. They has
an ability to encourage team employees to take initiative. It deals smartly with
incompetencies among their team members. Managers are working together for a
common objective with a corporate goal. It encompasses in instructing team to complete
their task in full efficiency. They are completely aware of agreements in between
organisation and employees. Coordinating: This function stimulates mechanism of processes and peoples in order to
to motivate within group dynamics. Marks and Spencer employees behaviour are dealing
with influencing positively. It requires positive and clear communication. An
organisation is intended to achieve objectives by leading positive behaviour of good
leaders(Carballa, Regueiro and Lema, 2015). Managers are dealing in both form
internally and externally with all the managerial functions. Large number of working
peoples are performing various activities by synchronizing at each level of organisation.
 Controlling: this function vary good plan with conformity in an organisation. In this,
they know exactly from where the activities are carried out. Marks and Spencer dealing
with their employees on controlling basis by establishing standards, measuring actual
performances, comparing results and preventive measures of their work. It refers to a
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feedback of a manager in order to setting up of rules in abidance. They are amending
plans for implementing when crises occur. It is a management last function with having
forward looking in continuous and dynamic activity. Control enables organization to
make out with an uncertainty.
c) Situational leadership, System leadership and contingency leadership in an organisation.
In this, leadership are consider in 3 styles situational, system and contigency are
explained as under.
Situational leadership
Situational leadership describes leader or manger in an organisation adjusting their styles
by influencing followers in developing levels. In this, the styles may change continuously based
on leaders situation. Leaders of Marks and Spencer has an ability to identify need of team
members. The styles of leadership is based on maturity level of followers. This leadership are
defined 4 approaches are stated below. Telling and Directing: In this, leader role is to deal with an unmotivated employees. This
styles are referred to as micro management involves in supervising people(Davis, 2016).
They are dealing with high directive and low supportive behaviour in an organisation.
The main purpose is to make decision and informing others. Marks and Spencer uses this
approach. Selling and Coaching: leadership style is involved in day to day activities. Coaching is a
way to involve with employees by providing knowledge and learning ability. This style
typically works with those who are inexperienced and still in learning process. Marks and
Spencer leaders have direct phrase with employees in increasing their confidence level
and self esteem. This approach is there to help individual and team by influencing and
developing performance. The style of this leadership is slenderly less autocratic and
require good stage of position. Participating and supporting: this is a developing level style which focuses on
relationship and less on task direction. They allows team to enhance goal for leadership.
Their aim is to develop autonomously by releasing greater scope in leading. It is a style in
which it passes with responsibility to employers. Marks and Spencer leader is there in
providing feedback when the task is completed. They have necessary skills with lack of
confidence level to achieve objectives.
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 Delegating to Employees: In this, leader is involved with least amount of employees. In
which leader is responsible for task with an involvement in feedback purpose. The role
and performance required little supervising in activity. Leader demonstrate with lower
level of directing and lower level of supporting employees.
System Leadership:
It enables a leader to create level of productivity according to their potential. Leader
provide tools which helps in predicting individual behaviour. This leadership helps in building
effective systems in production and realising organisation purpose. Marks and Spencer involves
principles in defining good leadership quality(Griffith, Stephenson and Watson, 2014). An
individual provides tools for predicting behaviour of subordinates and frame work of realities of
their presentations and interpretation. This leadership theory is developed by Dr. Ian MacDonald.
Human behaviour is creating models to define strategy, system design and social process.
Contingency Leadership:
It is a best way to lead with the organisation. This theory focuses on relationship in
between an independent and dependent variables. Independent variables includes motivation and
leadership. Marks and Spencer dependent on variables includes productive turnover and
absenteeism. It embraces behaviour by understanding employees in working environment. This
theory is developed by Fielder. There are many constraints which lead best in a given situation. It
is way to operate in making decisions and leading with company to a right situation. Leader- Member relation: in this, it defines relation in between leader and employees
interaction. It is their to determine relation are negative or positive. Task Structure: It refers to a situation in measuring high and low structure in relation.
Marks and Spencer define how a leader is setting up of tasks in an organisation.
 Positional Power: Leadership theory third step is to identify strong and weak power of
structure in good and bad relation. Marks and Spencer company measuring amount of
productivity by influencing their followers.
TASK 2
Scenario 2
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a) Explain different approaches to operation management and identification.
The approaches are of three types which defines operation management are six sigma,
total quality management and just in time.
 Six Sigma: it is disciplined and statistical based approach deals with continuous
improvement by eliminating defects in a product. Their are many organisation means by
measuring quality for perfection. Company Marks and Spencer aim is to analyse issues
and problems in manufacturing goods and services(Grimsrud, 2016). The method which
exists in specification and looking for implementing. Marks and Spencer improving their
quality of products and facilities. It is defined by undertake limits by abstracting good
from bad outcomes. Role of manager is their in enhancing customer requirements,
developing trade goods.
Managers play key role in structuring six sigma organisation.
1. Their aim is to select right projects and people for success.
2. Clearly mention employees about their roles and responsibilities.
3. Clear and effective communication in between employees and mangers.
4. Inexperienced persons provided training and education in order to perform their task.
Role of leader in six sigma
1. Their aim is to discuss about increasing benefits of projects with team members.
2. Driving sigma projects and their costs in saving with management goals.
3. They are reviewing data and supporting for implementing those projects.
 Total quality management: it describes an approach for long term success by customer
satisfaction. They makes an effort for improving processes by participating within an
organisation. The strategies uses to integrate the discipline quality in culture and
activities of an organisation(Hitt and Duane Ireland, 2017). Marks and Spencer
summarising system by managing customer focus for constant improvement. Their plays
managers and leader a vital role.
Role of leader in total quality management are stated as under.
1. Their motive is to create proper environment for developing plan of action. The
employees of marks and Spencer in an organisation is likely to meet their output goals.
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2. Leader unify their employees in to use skills and talent in unified manner. This process
will ensure higher quality of output.
Role of a manager
1. It is a person in instigating program with its associated costs and cultural changes require
committing with their senior.
2. Facilitating team of knowledgable managers which support and communicate with
principles. They are acquiring resources, assist time for training, quality efforts and
continuous betterment ideas.
 Just in time: Just in time manufacturing model in which items are based on demand .
The purpose of this production is avoiding wastage and using excess inventory. It is
primarily reducing time from suppliers and customers. Toyota production system is
aimed primarily by reducing times. Marks and Spencer reduces wastage and excess
inventory. Roles and responsibilities by a manager and leader is make to hold the
inventory by ensuring operations to hold but not impacted on transferring to customers.
They insure highest flexibility in their production process. The second basic role of
manager and leader is to hold costs associated with an inventory. It may include
insurance, warehousing, extra head-count etc.
b) Role of a store manger
A store manager is responsible for day to day supervision of retail outlets. Their aim is to
store successfully in including sales, staff, resources etc. manager is in a constant contact with
customers and staff. The duty of manager of Marks and Spencer is to ensure that staff in
providing services to customer for monitoring performance of store(Kull, 2014). In gender
preferences female store manager is comfortable with female buyers and easily can build focus
on product. An organisation used to maintain data in statistically and by financially. It displays
merchandise which immediately catches attention of customers towards a product. He is a person
who has to link with their customers and staff. Major responsibilities are stated below. Management of employees: This is a major duty or responsibility of a retail or store
manager. Their are different level to work in cleaning staff, sales staff and clerical staff.
Marks and Spencer manage has to perform same duties in order to their applied
responsibility.
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 Maintaining sales environment: Marks and Spencer company layout plans, refilling
stock, displaying commodity and has to maintain records of an accomplished tasks.
Manager has to implement those plans in order to maintain sales environment. Cost minimisation: the manger used to reduce expenses which are essential to run store.
For minimising it is a best way to enhance policies which helps in increasing
profitability. Company marks and Spencer eliminates wastage, errors and accidents.
When there is low price policy, minimising cost plays vital role. Recruitment, training and development: retail store manager has a power to recruit right
person for the right job. In this, persons are trained and adjust in order to store policies
and environment. New entries in Marks and Spencer provides training in order to make
achievement the whole business(Lam, 2014). Manager ensure that it may be a cashier,
sales executive or store keeper who may consider by having minimum qualification but
experienced in its concerned field. Companies store manager is working at different
levels performing their duties and may not create problems for store or for any other
employee. Budgeting and Forecasting: in this, manager is predicting for generating future
performances by calculating expenses according with setting of budgets. Marks and
Spencer company set targets and funds are available for collecting performance of their
regular intervals for implementing retail strategy. Implementing Marketing plans: it involves different policies and strategies of marketing
objectives. Marks and Spencer company allocates sales promotion activities in order to
inspect effective sales and distribution programmes. Team Leadership: store manager has responsibility to motivate employees and reducing
resistance in new strategic direction. Marks and Spencer employees work for a unit,
leaving any personal grievance.
 Maintaining leave and salary record: Manager has to maintain proper records of money
by way of selling goods. Marks and Spencer employees records are prepare according to
their working hours mentioned with no. of days they work. With this record they provide
salary of no. of hours and days served for them. They may oversees the casual leave
provisions applicable to employees. It is necessary to update all the records by estimating
selling goods and provided services to customers.
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c) Importance of operation management in store
Operation management involves with the major aim of planning, organising, supervising,
controlling process. They ensure timely delivery of products turn from raw material to finished
products. It plays a vital role in running successful project. The store is direct for day to day
activities in user departments. Their purpose is to provide services for manufacturing divisions.
Improving Productivity: Operation management is their in enhancing inputs and outputs through
productivity(Oakland, 2014). It deals with the manager in measuring efficiency of manger.
Marks and Spencer uses best possible way to achieve goals by focusing on resources.
Utilization of resources: In this management leads with reducing resources in order to gain
enormous profits. It is a way of making efforts by reducing wastage of material which are
converted from goods and services of an organisation. They handle system of production in order
to make by designs, operations, maintenance of goods.
Goods and service differentiation: Business are their to make similar products from goods and
services. Marks and Spencer are using differentiation by making higher prices which enhance
sales. In this it is differentia in order to innovate changes in technology by speeding up of time of
delivery and building alliances. This strategy focuses by store in design, marketing and
technology which serves by adding values of activity and increases reputation of product as well
as company.
Prevention failure: The failure can be occur by detection and analysis. Prevention is their in
recovering errors and failures. Critical incidents may held by customers, injuries,l high repairing
costs etc. Marks and Spencer discriminates priority of failures with an impact to measure by
different approaches by store manager.
d) Identify outside factors that effect on operation management.
In operation management there are different factors which involve in making outside
decision by using transforming process, social factors and technological factors. It is their to
define Marks and Spencer all the factors by analysing outside operations in retail market(Purce,
2014). The factors are made in business to know the effects of occur on business. They are
explained as under.
Transformational process: In this process, it defines group of activities of one or more inputs
transforms in order to add some value and provides outputs to customers and clients. Marks and
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Spencer inputs pertain raw material which are involved in transformed manner. Their processes
include .
 Changes occur in materials, customers.
 The transformational changes in location of information, customers.
 Transforming storage of materials.
 Changes in either psychological state of customers.
 Storing or accommodated material, information or customers.
 Changes occur on increasing rate of product at market place.
 Changes in geographic lines at societal level.
Social Factors: They are the factors made by business in social basis which includes belief
system, practices, traditions and behaviours of customers. Marks and Spencer is a company who
influences action and decisions in order to make decisions and strategic goals(Rushton,
Croucher and Baker, 2014). The impact of social factors lie on strategic analysis which lead
better alignment to society those are classified as under.
 Wealth of people and their level of education is impacted on Mark and Spencer company.
 Average disposable is classified with economic inequalities make negative impact on
income levels.
 Their is an access of education and health care which lay impact. In social their has retirement age of men and women.
Technological Factors: These are the factors in which marks and Spencer is facing availability
and development of technology with a computational power in increasing efficiency. As per a
manager of retail store there are many of the uses made of technology which impact came on
operating activities. The affecting factors which are incurring in business operations are
classified as under.
 Calculating speed and power in computer by employees of Marks and Spencer.
 The efficiency of engine working power is leading vital role.
 The connecting activity of internet in various department of an organisation.
 Technology like wireless charging and automation is impacted on business operation.
e)Factors impact came on decision making
The external factors are like political, economical, social, technological, environmental
and legal whose impact came on making decisions in regarding with making strategic plans for
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future events. The company Marks and Spencer is looking after influencing directly in making
profits and understanding by maximising opportunities where minimising threats(Wang, 2015).
As per store manager, their laid down many of the happenings in regarding with inside an
organisation. The factors which are involved in making decisions are impacted in two forms
negative and positive.
In politically the impact came on operations like tax policy, employment laws,
environmental regulations, restrictions, reforms and tariffs etc. Marks and Spencer is working
with employees to make effective decisions which are implied by political factors.
In economic factors there are many of the operations which are making impact in
regarding with interest rates, inflation rate, minimum wage and working hours(Turner, 2014).
Marks and Spencer is facing problems in making decisions by employees due to inflation occurs.
The impact came while making decisions on sociological basis like health consciousness,
growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes and global warning etc. As per manager, Marks and
Spencer is working with making decisions on regular basis.
Technological factors impact is leaping swiftly with impact came on products and
services in increasing change itself. The operations is relating with financial decisions in
outsourcing and in sourcing by entering of barriers in market.
CONCLUSION
From the above mention report, it is concluded that by considering roles and
characteristics of manager and leader is configure by individual behaviour towards company
Marks and Spencer. Their examine functions of manager in according to the performing
functions. Here report is concluded leadership qualities which are to be opt by leader in an
organisation. The approaches used by operation management by identifying by manager in order
to accept in recognising positively. By knowing many of the importance of operation
management which is their in support to lead store by competing on daily basis. Their
positiveness is useful by adopting make by an organisation for improvement. Here identification
is made by Marks and Spencer by dealing with external factors which make an impact on
company while making effective decisions.
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Online
Operation management. 2018. [Online]. Available Through: <https://www.topmba.com/mba-
programs/what-operations-management>
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