Leadership and Management Roles at Amazon: Contextual Analysis Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of leadership and management roles at Amazon, a leading e-commerce company. It begins by comparing the roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers, highlighting the key differences in their approaches and focuses. The report then explores the application of these roles in various situational contexts, emphasizing the importance of hard and soft skills management. It delves into different leadership theories and models, including contingency theory, situational leadership, and system leadership, explaining how they influence organizational objectives. Furthermore, the report examines key approaches to operations management, the value of operations management in achieving business objectives, and the impact of the business environment on operational decisions made by leaders and managers, considering micro and macro factors. The report concludes by summarizing the interconnectedness of operations and management and the equal importance of leaders and managers within the organization.

Management and
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Activity ...........................................................................................................................................3
P1 Compare roles and responsibilities of leader and manager...............................................3
P2 The role of a leader and function of a manager applied in different situational contexts. 4
P3 Different theories and models of approach.......................................................................5
Activity 2.........................................................................................................................................5
P4 Key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and managers play5
P5 Importance and value of operations management in achieving business objectives........2
P6 Factors of business environment impact upon operational management and decision
making by leaders and managers............................................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Management of operations are concerned with creating highest level of efficiency by
maximising profits. They are leading with best practices which ensure maximum efficiency in
business. Operations are managed by balancing costs for generating higher revenues. This report
is based on Amazon, a multinational technology company who are focusing on e-commerce and
situated in Washington. The main purpose of this report is to look on certain roles and
responsibilities of leader and manager in situational context. Their examined theories and key
approaches of role that are played by leaders and managers. Lastly their define impact which
came on decisions made by leaders and managers.
Activity
P1 Compare roles and responsibilities of leader and manager.
In an organisation, leaders and managers are playing vital role in all levels of
management.
Leader:
Leader is a person who is leading towards goals. It sets clear vision among its team
members by motivating, encouraging and guiding them towards achievement. Amazon leader is
having various roles and characteristics in an organisation.
Their roles are considered below:
Setting clear vision: Leaders helps in setting clear vision among its employees by
influencing them towards goals. Amazon leaders are performing their duties by explaining their
vision in order to make positive outcome.
Motivating employees: Leaders are motivating their employees in order to appraise them
for doing well in job. They are treating their members by putting their efforts in tasks.
Characteristics of a leader are:
Honesty and Integrity: Leader is required to be honest with their team members by
leading with core benefits in an organisation. Amazon leader is leading by maintaining integrity
among its members.
Confidence: Amazon leader is confident about commands, decision and qualities. That is
reflected in their work.
Manager:
Managers is an individual who are responsible for certain group of tasks with subset of
company. Amazon manager is leading with functions related to sales, customer support, quality
and other groups.
Roles of manager are defined below:
Spokesperson: Managers acts as a spokesperson which is transmitting information to top-
level managers by enabling better in activities.

Positive attitude: It is an asset for a manager which is define by dealing with people in
inside and outside organisation. This attitude of manager tries to build good relations with
various persons.
Characteristics of Manager:
Experienced: Manager of Amazon is experienced in working within its own field. It is
helpful for an organisation in managing and producing events for raising money.
Communication: Manager is having quality to communicate with their team by
performing job responsibility. Amazon manager is producing results within its position by
listening to their members.
Comparison in between leader and manager
Basis Leader Manager
Meaning Leader is a person who encourages
its members towards achieving
target.
Manger is a person who is
managing its organisation by
planning, directing, controlling and
coordinating. Manager of amazon is
participating in certain terms which
are based on quality improvement.
Approach They are setting its targetted goal
which is to achieve.
They are preparing plans for leading
success in an organisation.
Aim Amazon leaders aim is to make
improvement in organisational
structure by sharing responsibility.
Manager aim is to make attainment
in its required outcome.
Focus Amazon leaders are focusing on
people.
Manager of Amazon is focusing on
process and procedure.
P2 The role of a leader and function of a manager applied in different situational contexts
Role of leader and manager is based on various situation came in an organisation.
Amazon leader and manager both are leading with situations as per setting standards and
performance. They are performing their duties with delegation in performance. Leaders are
playing its role in according to situation are defined below.
Hard skills management: Leaders are having professional skills and knowledge about
their work. They are having qualified leaders who are providing services to Amazon customers.
Soft skills management: Leaders are making desirable soft skills which is nearly
communicated professionally with senior management. Their skills are measured by solving
problems and ensuring with making effective decisions.
Manager functions in situational context
Amazon managers are leading with effective approach in preparing resources. They are
having certain principles which are related with planning, organising, directing and controlling
overall objectives with personal efficiency. Individuals are in concerned by sharing its decisions
with others. Amazon is supporting by adopting organisational culture in form of participative
environment and customer attracts more towards product.
Managerial functions are defined below:
 Planning: An organisation is involved in making plans which are refer in making
optimum utilisation of resources. It is helpful in improving sales in a particular period of

time. Amazon managers is based on customer attraction where plans are made in
according to situation, where problems are resolved by attractive advertisements.
 Organising: It is a well organised function which is based on sufficient capital, raw
material which is running for building good working structure. Here managers are facing
different situation in maintaining organisational structure.
 Leading: Amazon manager is making plans for individual functions which are related
with organising and staffing. Here activity is performed in order to tasks which is
consistently completed by communicating and encouraging other peoples. Their having
different situation where manager is involved for resolving them.
Example: Inventory management: Amazon company is leading with e-commerce
transactions which includes clothes, accessories, electronic products etc. Leader and manager is
organising and planning in order to stock and resources which is ensure by role. Leader and
manager is involved in particular role by encouraging their team members and subordinates to
work properly with effective managing operations.
P3 Different theories and models of approach
Leadership quality is defined in various theories and model which influence objectives
towards attainment of goals. Leader behaviour is influenced by sorting organisational setting.
Theories on leadership is define below.
Contingency theory: This leadership theory is based on certain situations which is
signified by certain peoples and places. It is a best way to organize corporation for leading in
company and making best decisions. This is effectively applied by leaders at right situation.
Amazon leaders are using this theory in a manner to present strength and weaknesses which is
cause in different sectors. This model purpose is to make effectiveness.
Situational leadership: This leadership style is developed by Kenneth Blanchard who
define this theory which is easy to understand and helps in managing diagnosis. Leaders of
Amazon is providing appropriate style which meets needs of people. This model influence
thoughts and actions of leader that support them in achieving goals and objectives. It is rarely
personal and serve larger good. This is an interesting theory which is making current discussion
by closer look in all situations.
 It is useful for an organisation that develops people and work groups.
 They are establishing rapport which bring best out in peoples.
 It is commonly used by organisation in locally, nationally or internationally.
System Leadership: Amazon leaders are leading with sound principles which create
model of good communication by predicting behaviour with relevant tools.. It is developed by Dr
Ian MacDonald who is managing organisational behaviour by expert knowledge. This theory
build professional learning which is based on standard through skills of leadership. It
establishing strong community with long term efforts that lead benefits.
Activity 2
P4 Key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and managers play
Covered in PPT
P5 Importance and value of operations management in achieving business objectivesCovered in
PPT

P6 Factors of business environment impact upon operational management and decision making
by leaders and managers
In present era, there are different environmental factors that help in smooth functioning of
different business activities. There are external and internal environment elements that may
impact the business of company is short and long run. These external and internal factors are
basically categorise in micro and macro factors that may influence the business operation of
Amazon. So manager of company have to analyse these factors in order to attain the
organisation goals and achieve the profitability. These micro and macro factors are discussed
below:
Micro factors: These kind of factors have direct impact on the business operation of
company and may influence the profitability at a particular time frame. Some of these are
discussed below:
Customer: In respect to Amazon, their manager wants to perform well in market and
generate more profit so they tries to increase their customer base by providing valuable services
such as fast delivery, cash on delivery option and return back policies etc. In case, if customer
are not satisfied then it might effect the market position and also reduce profit for particular
time. Thus manager always tries to make their customer happy and feel them special.
Supplier: The external parties that provide valuable raw material to companies to
perform their business operation are known as supplier. In case if they are not satisfied with the
payment policies or delay in payment they may stop supplying goods to particular company.
Therefore manager of Amazon always build a effective relation with their supplier in order to
fulfil customer demand and requirements. They should tie up with different supplier so that
goods move at right time enabling companies to reduce their storage cost.
Macro factors: These are different types of external factors also influence the business
of companies. Some are mentioned below:
Political factors: It includes different trade policies, government rules and regulation
and tax rate that have to be implemented on companies operating in region. So sudden changes
in these policies may influence the business of company. And it might also effect the decision
of leader and manager of Amazon. For example recently government put force on Amazon to
change wage rates of labour that influence the decision of manager of company.
Economic factors: It includes rate of inflation, deflation and economic condition of
nation that may also impact the customer purchasing power. As a result manager of companies
have to make valuable decision. Such as manager of Amazon analyse the market conditions of
different region and determine the countries that will give best result.
Social Factors: This factors is related to customer preferences, taste, trends etc. so
manager of company focus and take decision to develop services and product according to the
taste and demands of customer. In case if customer are not provide with the best quality of good
it may reduce the profitability.
Technological factors: This factors includes advanced technology and improved
techniques. In case if manager of Amazon are not implementing best and effective technology
in their business operation they are not able to make sufficient sales. So leader and manager
must take valuable decision to implement advanced technologies in their sales process to
increase sales and reach large number of people.

CONCLUSION
From the above mention report, it is concluded that operations and management is
making link with other in form of roles and responsibilities. Leaders and managers of amazon is
leading equally by attaining goals and objectives for an organisation. Contingency theory is
concluded by examining growth for sustaining better performance in period of time. Apart from
that conclusion is made on factors with is positively impact on leaders and managers.

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<https://www.cleverism.com/operations-management-definition-principles-activities-trends/>