Individual Report: Leadership, Strategy, and M&S Management

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Marks & Spencer (M&S), a major British multinational retailer, focusing on its leadership styles, management practices, and strategic implementations. The introduction highlights the importance of leadership and management in business success, setting the stage for an examination of M&S's history, vision, and core values. The main body delves into M&S's vision for sustainability, consultative leadership style, and various management practices, including their approach to employee empowerment and cultural inclusivity. The report further explores how M&S implements its vision, leadership style, and strategies, providing examples of decision-making processes and human resource management. Finally, the report offers suggestions to improve policies, particularly regarding decision-making and conflict resolution, concluding that effective leadership and management are crucial for achieving organizational objectives and gaining a competitive advantage. The report also emphasizes the importance of adapting to market changes and external factors.

INDIVIDUAL
REPORT
COB

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
1. History and summary of chosen organisation.........................................................................1
2. Vision, leadership style, various strategies and management practice...................................2
3. Implementation of vision, leadership style, various strategies and management practice with
example.......................................................................................................................................3
4. Suggestions to improve the use of policies.............................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Management and leadership both are essential part of any business that evaluate the
success and failure of any business (Chang, Yeh and Liu, 2015). In the subject of business,
management is the continue process that can manage all business activities such as planning,
directing, organising and controlling. It can help to continue business process in systematic
manner and help to control over come risk. On the other hand leadership, an individual people
ability that can lead to a group regarding to task and motivate them for achieve organisational
objective. Leadership can drive direction for a company. To understand the report selected retail
organisation Marks & Spencer, which is a major British multinational retailer. In the report
focused on particular topic and provide a conceptual as well as practical understanding of
leadership style, management practices and strategy adopted by Marks & Spencer. There are
providing suitable recommendations in terms of the considered variables to the management of
Marks & Spencer.
MAIN BODY
1. History and summary of chosen organisation
Marks & Spencer is one of the most famous retail industry in UK that can specialise in
clothing, home products and luxury food products. The company has been listed in London stock
exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Marks & Spencer was founded in 1884 by
Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer in Leeds. As history in 1998, it became the first British
retailer to make a pre tax profit over 1 billion. In recent years, the sales of clothing has been
fallen on the other side sales of food has been increased after axing the st. Michael brand name
for their own brand. As a result, On 22nd May 2018, it was confirmed that over 100 stores will
have closed by 2022 in a radical plan. The aim of the company to accomplish their vision and
mission with the help of effectuating organisational core values in the reference of innovation,
integrity, inspiration and in touch.
The company Marks & Spencer can have different work culture, outstanding ethical
formulation and behaviours as well as focused on leadership as its heart of operations are some
of the main reasons contributing to the rationale behind choosing the particular organisation
(Wongsansukcharoen, Trimetsoontorn and Fongsuwan, 2015) . It is a public limited company
that are establish 135 year ago. The headquarter of the company establish in London, United
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kingdom. There are employees in the company approx 80787 and net income of a business £29.1
million.
2. Vision, leadership style, various strategies and management practice
Vision – The vision of the company to set sustainable vision and the aim to assure about
company that they wants to use 100% wood and paper regarding to M&S sustainable. They can
recycled, FSC® certified of from sources that other wise protect predict and communities. The
vision can help to work in end congruity and it is related to bit good as exterior. The main points
consider by company they are -
 Provide a Sense
 Guides to evaluate production and scheme
 Develop a platform with same intent
 Lay down behaviour guidelines
 Encourage emotion
 Deflects the values
 The main vision of the company to be the criterion against which others are measured
with the help of benchmarking.
Leadership Styles – Leadership can be defined as the process to direct people regarding
to task and it will show impact on business activities. A leader is important part of an
organisation that can motivate and encourage to employees to fulfil the requirement of the
company and help in achieve desirable goals and objectives. In present time, leadership has
become more of a distributive one that allows creation of vision based on personal capabilities
and strengths. Leadership early years was very much in the hands of the family ans it can be
based on traditional family values (Veit and et.al, 2014) . Under Vandevelde's leadership a back
up plan that can place on the basis of getting the company closer to their customers and returning
their core strength.
The most common leadership style follow by the company that is – Consultative
leadership style. In consultative style a leader can take reviews from employees as well as
include them in decision making process. Before implement any plan they are consulting after
than draw on more sources of opinion. The leader will have listen every thing and test ability of
their employees regarding to particular task. It can help to develop the right sorts of channels to
consult other people. On the basis of organisation culture of consultation, there will be a series of
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mechanism that can provide to make it possible and feel the concerns of other particular people
who can involve in decision making process as well as to draw on their expertise. Many times
the company has been select mixture leadership style that can be based on their situation.
Management Practices – It states to the various techniques which can adopted by
company to improve management process and reduce gap through improve inconsistencies. In
management practice that can include different work culture of an organisation as well as its
perception for their stakeholders which include internal and external. With the help of these
techniques tackle future risks, uncertainties and increasing the productivity of company. In the
context includes empowering of staff as well as creating innovative ways to hold their interest in
the company and it will help to improve quality (Fielt, 2014) . Marks & Spencer is famous retail
industry which can trading in clothes, food and home products. They are applying effective
management practices so as a result get success. The management can target to each member
who can working in organisation and try to coordinate with them.
Management strategies regarding they can focus on the culture cohesiveness that can
attract to people for visit in organisation. In the UK live different types of people who belongs
from different race, religion and ethnicity. The company has applied different policy and they are
also include hijab in their garments category. As media view the company has face many
criticism so people can attract to go their super market. This was included as regressive move,
but this initiatives has proved one thing that company is open to accept various cultures and
shows the management is welcoming towards several communities.
3. Implementation of vision, leadership style, various strategies and management practice with
example
Every company wants to a clear vision for the future that was focused by leader. Lead to
succeed is involved a flagship programme by m&s and a key component in its people strategy.
The determination can show about leader embody the m&s leadership brand values and act as
role models. Vision of the marks & Spencer work according to long time growth and get success
easily. They are focusing on customer desire and according to that keep every type product in
their super market. The leaders can follow the direction of vision and according to that motivate
to other employees for achieve appropriate goals. They can focus on customer taste because
market trends change any time and according to that people wants to that time those things so it
will change to vision of a company.
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Implementation of leadership style in marks & Spencer
 Decision making process – On the basis of particular process decision taking after take
feedback from all employees and it can take much more time and delay in decision
process. There is need to take suggestion of expertise and it is crucial stage therefore
managers has be extra careful regarding to other employees (Bardauskaite, 2014) .
 Involve the right people – it is very important to do not take feedback from wrong people
and who have not experience regarding to any case. There is need to take feedback from
right people and gave unbiased opinion and it is one of the aspect of particular stage.
 Top management approval – There is required to when implement new strategy that time
necessary to take approval from to management. They are main head who provide
approval in critical situation cases.
Implementation of management practices & strategies
Marks & Spencer is known as highly dynamic approaches which is related to manage
their operations and development of strategies. The business environment of the company based
on the competitive market and it can help to follow new changes, when they actually occur. As
well as the human resource management practice are related to the company has followed hard
and soft approach in order to get success in business. The decision has to follow when line
manager can allow for particular approach. In soft approach, manager can assure about the
employees that are always motivated, committed and producing new skills to provide a positive
environment at work place to their employees. For the particular purpose they are also providing
proper training and flexibility regarding to new changes.
On the other side, the line manager apply hard approach when face hard situation and
management of company can assure about the capital of human resource. It is closely link with
business strategies of marks & Spencer. This type mainly followed by the company in order to
minimise the cost that was incurred and deriving human resource (Kalafatis, Riley and Singh,
2014) .
4. Suggestions to improve the use of policies
There are provided recommendations to selected company for improve performance
regarding to leadership style, management practices and that various strategies they are -
 Consultative style is good for the company and it can provide help to an organisation but
some time it is not good because it takes much more time. As a result delay in take
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decision and company can face many problems. So there is need to company can follow
different types leadership style which can depend on the situation. It is recommended that
for improve decision making process take meetings regarding to particular tasks and take
decision on the behalf of company (Achtenhagen, Melin and Naldi, 2013) .
 For apply work culture there has been face many types of problem which can influence of
reputation of the company because many time controversy is not good for a company. It
is recommended that enhance the policies and prepare effective strategies to reduce
conflicts and give answer to people.
 To reduce uncertainties and risk there is required to different strategies which can help to
handle different situation. But many times company have not any strategies and they can
not face that particular problem. There is need to prepare different strategies and situation
strategies to handle situation. This work given to expertise who have experience to tackle
different situation.
 A company should make appropriate improvements which can help to extend to business
in other sectors and support in every situation. Firstly there is required to improve finance
and marketing department which is important part and help to improve in the quality of
goods and services. As business can influence by different factors which is related to
external activities like social, political and technological (Holliman and Rowley, 2014).
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion it has been concised that leadership and management are
important part of any organisation. Both are playing important role and play their roles to
achieve desirable goals and objectives. Every company has their own vision and mission that are
based of work in the future. It can encourage to people to achieve their objectives an motivate to
work for organisation. They are prepare effective management strategies and gain competitive
advantages. There has been analysing the leadership style and different strategies that are
adopted by company to continue there work.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chang, D. S., Yeh, L. T. and Liu, W., 2015. Incorporating the carbon footprint to measure
industry context and energy consumption effect on environmental performance of
business operations. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy. 17(2). pp.359-371.
Wongsansukcharoen, J., Trimetsoontorn, J. and Fongsuwan, W., 2015. Social CRM, RMO and
business strategies affecting banking performance effectiveness in B2B
context. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing. 30(6). pp.742-760.
Veit, D. and et.al, 2014. Business models. Business & Information Systems Engineering. 6(1).
pp.45-53.
Fielt, E., 2014. Conceptualising business models: Definitions, frameworks and
classifications. Journal of Business Models. 1(1). pp.85-105.
Bardauskaite, I., 2014. Loyalty in the business-to-business service context: A literature review
and proposed framework. Journal of Relationship Marketing. 13(1). pp.28-69.
Kalafatis, S. P., Riley, D. and Singh, J., 2014. Context effects in the evaluation of business-to-
business brand alliances. Industrial Marketing Management. 43(2). pp.322-334.
Achtenhagen, L., Melin, L. and Naldi, L., 2013. Dynamics of business models–strategizing,
critical capabilities and activities for sustained value creation. Long range planning.
46(6). pp.427-442.
Holliman, G. and Rowley, J., 2014. Business to business digital content marketing: marketers’
perceptions of best practice. Journal of research in interactive marketing. 8(4). pp.269-
293.
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