Leadership and Operational Strategies for M&S: A Detailed Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership and operational management within Mark & Spencer (M&S), a leading British retailer. The report begins by defining the roles of leaders and managers, highlighting their responsibilities in areas such as hiring, performance management, team development, and strategic direction. It compares and contrasts these roles, emphasizing the importance of both leadership and management in achieving organizational goals. The report then explores how these roles are applied in various situations within M&S, including decision-making, problem-solving, dispute resolution, and employee motivation. Furthermore, it delves into different leadership approaches, such as situational, system, and contingency theories, and their relevance to the retail environment. The report also discusses key approaches to operational management, including Six Sigma, lean production, dynamic approaches, and total quality management, and examines the manager's role in resource management within operational contexts. The report concludes by considering the factors in the business environment that influence operational management. Overall, the report offers a valuable overview of the crucial aspects of leadership and operational management in the context of a major retail company.

Management and Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Discuss and compare various roles of leaders and managers................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
P2 Explain how roles and functions of leaders and managers are applied on various situations
.....................................................................................................................................................3
P3 Apply various approaches of leadership................................................................................4
TASK 3 ...........................................................................................................................................5
P4 Discuss important approaches for operational management.................................................5
P5 Significance of operational management in attaining objectives of business........................7
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
P6 Discuss several factors in business environment that affects operational management........8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Management and operations is a concept of designing and managing the process of
production in effective manner in order to fulfil demand of consumers. It is very helpful for
organisation to become more productive and gain high level of satisfaction from buyers. This
includes evaluating all activities of production and planning for providing good quality products
and services to customers. It is an essential tool for improving quality of goods. This report is
about management and operations in Mark and Spencer which is an leading retailer company in
Britain. They are focussed towards maintaining quality standards in their clothing, food and
household products. Managers and leaders are important player in this context as they are the one
who influences others to attain collective goals. There are various approaches, theories and
models of leadership that are useful in this scenario. Several approaches for operational
management will be discussed in this report.
TASK 1
P1 Discuss and compare various roles of leaders and managers
Leaders and managers plays very critical role in development of every organisation. They
are the persons responsible for leading and managing different tasks in M&S in order to achieve
organisational goals effectively. Improving performance of employees and enhance their
productivity is another important function of these personnels.
Managers- They are responsible for management in overall company. There work is to
organize several activities related with day to day activities of business. Mangers also ensures
effective and proper utilization of resources in order to increase profitability and productivity.
Some of main roles of these persons are as follows-
Hire capable workforce- This is major role a manager plays in organisation as it is
concerned with recruiting skilled and qualified employees in firm. It is required to hire great
people so that efficiency of this company could be increased (White, 2016).
Performance management- It is very important to manage the performance of
employees. This role consists clarifying roles and responsibilities that are to be performed by
workforce and setting standards for their performance in order to measure their working and
improve it as and when required.

Team development- Manager also plays important role in developing and managing
teams in company to generate higher results from their operations. It helps in raising productivity
of overall organisation.
Setting directions- Another major role played by them is related with setting directions
for teams and organisation in long and short term. They forms strategies and objectives that are
concerned with development of business (Handschin, and Petroianu, 2012). It includes decisions
regarding various tasks and assignment of work amongst individuals and groups.
Leaders- They are responsible for leading teams that are formed for various purpose of
organisation in order to motivate them to enhance their productivity to attain targets in effective
manner. Their role are as follows-
 They plays an important role by managing and controlling the groups of company.
 Leaders works towards development of skills and knowledge of team members.
 Another important role of these person is to ensure appropriate interaction and
coordination amongst members. They evaluates performance of every individual in group to ensure effectiveness in
outcomes.
Characteristics of leaders and managers-To perform every role in effective manner it is
important that both these persons should have following features-
Motivator- Managers and leaders should be focussed towards encouraging employees to
perform better to achieve collective goals. They are involved in various activities to motivate the
workforce.
Innovation- Both these persons are required to be innovative and creative which is
essential for forming new ideas and strategies for growth of business.
Problem solver- Managers and leaders should have ability to solve challenging
problems that are creating barriers in successful completion of task.
Communication- They should have effective interactive skills that includes clarity in
speech and politeness. This is very essential to maintain healthy relationship with employees.

TASK 2
P2 Explain how roles and functions of leaders and managers are applied on various situations
Managers and leaders are vital part in an organisation. They plays important in various
situations by applying their knowledge and skills. Mark and Spencer is an large company so
there are various situations occurring on daily basis in all its functional units. Roles and functions
of manager are very useful in dealing with certain issues. It can be applied in following manner-
Decision making- Manager deals with overall organisation and leader deals with teams
of company. Taking decisions in complex situations is one of the main role of these persons.
They applies their knowledge and skills to take better decisions in various issues in order to
maintain smooth operations in business.
Problem solving- There are various problem that creates barriers at workplace. Managers
and leaders plays an eminent role in solving these issues and providing best solution for the same
(Nakayama, and Bucks, eds., 2012).
Dispute resolution- Many of the times conflicts arises amongst employees and team
members that affects productivity of their performance. Managers and leaders plays very
important role in resolving such disputes and ensure integrity in organisation.
Motivation- In various situations, need for motivation arises. It is required to encourage
employees to perform better and give best possible outcomes as result. Manager and leader
applies their skills to encourage the staff members by using different techniques of motivation.
This results in improved performance of overall enterprise and creates positive workplace.
Providing directions- There are various situations in which employees are not clear
about their roles and duties which results in confusions and misconducts in company. These key
personnels are very important in providing proper guidelines and directions to which gives them
clarification regarding their job roles (Neck, and Manz, 2010).
Controlling- They also ensures adequate coordination in working of employees so that
there will be synergy in tasks. Managers and leaders also controls several activities to maintain
high standards in performance and increase productivity. They identifies the obstacles affecting
in smooth operations and tries to eliminate these barriers.
Risk analysis- Both these personnels are having ability to deal effectively with risks that
are common in operations of business. Therefore, whenever any challenging situation occurs that

could be dangerous for organisation, managers and leaders deals effectively to overcome these
risks for smooth running of M&S business.
Training and development- They are also responsible for conducting training and
development sessions as and when required. Firstly, they identifies training needs and on the
basis of intensity of need mangers and leaders designs overall program with appropriate
techniques.
Organizing activities- There are various situations in which proper organisation of tasks
is required. These issues are concerned with overlapping activities and huge workload on any
employee. Both these authorities manages these activities in effective way by dividing the task
in appropriate manner in order to reduce the workload.
P3 Apply various approaches of leadership
Leadership is very important term in order to attain success in business. It is the ability to
motivate others to achieve collaborative goals and objectives in effective manner. Leaders are
entitled to maintain productivity of team members and influence them to generate best possible
outcomes. There are several styles of leadership that could be adopted by leaders of Mark and
Spencer to increase efficiency of various groups. These theories are as follows-
Situational theory- This style is found by Ken Blanchard and Paul Heresy. Previously it
was known as life cycle theory but later they renamed it as situational theory. As per this model,
there are certain skills and knowledge that are required for dealing with different situations at
same time. It is concerned with leaders who performs different leadership styles according to
nature of issues. Managerial behaviour and supportive behaviour are two major components of
this model. In managerial behaviour, leader focusses on activities and adopts leadership styles as
per the need whereas in supportive behaviour they emphasises on members to develop and
motivate them. Therefore, this concept depends on particular situation, job roles and functions.
System theory- This model is focussed towards systems and policies in an company that
are formed to deal with different situations. It consists disciplines of management and principles
and ensures correct understanding of systems that are essential to maintain synergy and
communication amongst team members. This theory is used to resolve conflicts that are affecting
productivity of overall group. It is also focussed on solving different situations with effective
solutions (Baboli, and et. al., 2014). This leadership style is based on rules, norms and
regulations of organisation in order to maintain ethical work environment.

Contingency theory- This model consists situational approach because it emphasises on
leader's personality and nature of issue they are dealing with. It consists several methods of
applying leadership style in different situations. There are three factors in this model that are as
follows-
 First element is relation of leader and member. In this, leader maintains proper
relationship with team members in order to maintain positivity and high level of
efficiency.
 Another attribute is structure of task. In this scenario, leader gives clear guidelines to
members to ensure clarity in job roles and tasks to be performed by members.
 Positional power is an important factor that focusses on measuring level of power to
maintain productivity in tasks (Lindström, and et. al., 2012). It includes proper use of
authority and provide options of reward and punishment to members so as to improve
their performance.
Hence, these are some models and theories that will be useful for leaders of M&S to
generate better results from performance of groups. It will help in enhanced efficiency in
operations of this organisation.
TASK 3
P4 Discuss important approaches for operational management
Management of operations is very essential in every business as it consists activities to
maintain and design manufacturing process in effective manner. This is focussed towards
generating more results from given resources. There are various methods in which
manufacturing process could be improved and made more effective. This process begins with
first stage of production and continuous till last phase. Approaches of operational management
are as follows-
Six sigma- This approach includes activities to reduce the barriers, errors and defects
from production process in order to manage quality of products and services. It is focussed
towards reduction of cost and time required to manufacture the products (Chen, and et. al.,
2010). This is an important approach in managing operational activities and it assists in attaining
economy of scalable.

Lean production-It is very important approach in this scenario that includes decreasing
wasteful factors from manufacturing process. This concept emphasises on proper utilisation of
raw material and time given for particular production. It also helps in raising quality standards of
goods in order to satisfy consumers. This method is very significant in getting loyalty and trust
of buyers that assists in competition.
Dynamic approach- As per this method of operational management various techniques
are used to solve multiple issues. It is helpful in finishing activities in given time with minimum
resources.
Total quality management- This approach aims at maintaining quality of products and
services. It includes generating new and innovative ideas to improve quality and helps in
increasing efficiency (Casolino, and et. al., 2012).
Therefore, these are important approaches that could be used by management of M&S to
mange its operations in effective manner and maintain quality of its products.
Roles of manager
There are various roles played by manager in operational management-
 They performs activities related with management of resources that are required in
production process. In this role, they ensures proper utilization of manpower, raw
material and machinery.
 Manager are entitled to manage the funds required in manufacturing. They adopts several
methods to reduce the cost and use finance in proper manner by making appropriate
strategies and policies.
 Another important role played by them is setting goals and objectives that are required to
be attained from operational unit (Winget, and Thomson, Cisco Technology 2010). They
ensures that these targets must be achieved in time and in effective way.
Role of leader
 Leaders are responsible for influencing teams in order to achieve common objectives. For
this purpose they provides clarification in visions and missions related with team
building.
 They encourages members to enhance their productivity by applying various
motivational theories on them.

 Leaders also deals with conflicts and issues that are restricting operational unit to achieve
targets effectively.
P5 Significance of operational management in attaining objectives of business
Operational management plays an critical role in achieving goals and objectives of
business. It is important role of management of Mark and Spencer which includes maintaining
production function in effective manner. This is focussed towards raising quality standards of
products and services. There are various significant role of managing operations. Its importance
in attaining business objectives effectively are as follows-
Satisfaction in customers- One of the important objectives of every business is to gain
higher level of satisfaction from consumers. It is required to retain consumers for long time by
building sense of loyalty and trust amongst them (Ale, and et.al.,2010). Operational management
includes various approaches that plays significant role in designing the products as per need and
demands of consumers. It also ensures that good quality products will be delivered to buyers. So,
it is very helpful in satisfying consumers and maximizing sales volume of this company.
Builds reputation- It is also helps in building effective image and reputation in market by
providing high quality products and services to buyers. Strong brand image plays significant role
in attaining objectives of business.
Increased profits- One of the most important objective of every organisation is to gain
more financial gains. Operational management help in reducing the cost of production activities
by implementing various techniques of cost reduction. It also includes designing manufacturing
process in effective manner.
Attracts new audience- Since, firm is producing good quality products and services so it
will create effective image of company in retail sector. This will help in attracting more attention
from people and various new consumers will start purchasing products of this firm. This will
increase profits from sales activities.
Proper use of resources- Operations management plays an indispensable role in utilizing
all the resources in appropriate manner. Manager tries hard to to allocate resources as per needs
and maintain fuller utilisation of same.
Reducing wastage- This includes various techniques in order to minimize wastage and
unnecessary activities during production process (Burke, 2013). Since, wastage is in control so it
results in less time and cost consumption. This leads to more profitability from operational unit.

Motivated workforce- In process of operational management leaders and managers are
focussed towards encouraging employees for their personal and professional development. They
applies several theories of motivation according to needs of staff members. This help in
satisfying employees and they puts more efforts in bringing efficiency in their task. It also helps
in making them stable in organisation which reduces employee turnover (Chen and et. al., 2011).
Effective strategies- Operational management is also important in forming effective
strategies for growth and development of business in long run.
Therefore, these are various benefits M&S will receive from operational management.
All these attributes plays an crucial role in achieving objectives and goals of this company.
TASK 4
P6 Discuss several factors in business environment that affects operational management
In case of Mark and Spencer there are various components that affects decision making in
operational management. These factors may affect the organisation in positive or negative
manner. Such elements should be considered while forming strategies and policies so that
objectives and goals could be achieved in efficient way. Some of these factors are as follows-
Employees- They are key component within business environment because they are the
people responsible for implementing strategies and plans related with operations. If workforce
will be motivated then they will give best possible outcomes from their workings. It also raises
quality standards of workforce. But, if they are not motivated then it could affect quality of
products. So, it is essential that decision-making under operational management should include
employees benefit in order to encourage them.
Suppliers- Another important component are suppliers. They are the parties who delivers
resources for the purpose of manufacturing. Operation manager should deal with best supplier
who will provide material on adequate time so that, there will be no delay in production of
goods. It is also important to maintain effective relations with these parties in order to have
healthy environment.
Consumers- Organisations should consider this important component while decision
making in operational management. Tastes and preferences of consumers are required to be
considered in production decisions (Pinkerton, ed., 2011). There preferences and priorities are
very dynamic in nature. It is essential to conduct market survey on timely basis to meet changing

needs of buyers. Design and features of goods should be as per taste of buyers then only they
will be satisfied after consuming that product.
Organisational structure and culture- These are set of values, beliefs, disciplines and
code of conduct in which an organisation works. Structure includes various divisions in which
functions are divided amongst several sections (Lisi, 2010). Culture refers to policies and
regulations that are necessary ton be followed by members of company. So, it is important that
these factors will be considered while decision-making in operational management. It will help
in conducting operations in ethical way without breach of rules and regulations of organisation.
Technology- It is most important factor that could affect process of decision-making in
operational management. Technology is very eminent in generating best possible outcomes from
manufacturing. If company is dependent on old technologies then cost will be high and there are
huge chances of wastage. So, decision-making should include adoption of advanced techniques
which are cost effective and able to generate more outputs in less time and limited resources.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that Management and Operations plays an
critical role in development and growth of an organisation. It facilitates in attaining competitive
advantages in current market conditions. It consists designing and managing overall operations
in order to maintain efficiency. In scenario of Mark and Spencer, it ensures fuller utilisation of
resources and producing quality products. Managers and leaders are key personnels in
organisation as they maintains efficiency at workplace. There are different leadership theories
that are useful for leaders of this company to lead the team and its members in appropriate
manner. Various approaches of operational management are required to minimize costs and
reducing time consuming activities. These techniques are helpful in producing good quality
goods in limited resources and eliminating wasteful activities. To achieve business objectives
more effectively it is required to apply concept of operational management in proper way. There
are several components if business environment that could influence process of decision-making.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ale, S., and et. al., 2010. Climate variability and drain spacing influence on drainage water
management system operation. Vadose Zone Journal. 9(1). pp.43-52.
Baboli, P.T., and et. al., 2014. Energy management and operation modelling of hybrid AC–DC
microgrid. IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution. 8(10). pp.1700-1711.
Burke, R., 2013. Project management: planning and control techniques. New Jersey, USA.
Casolino, G.M., and et. al., 2012, September. Smart modeling and tools for distribution system
management and operation. In Energy Conference and Exhibition (ENERGYCON),
2012 IEEE International (pp. 635-640). IEEE.
Chen, C., and et. al., 2011. Smart energy management system for optimal microgrid economic
operation. IET renewable power generation. 5(3). pp.258-267.
Chen, X. and et. al., 2010. DECOR: DEClarative network management and OpeRation. ACM
SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review. 40(1). pp.61-66.
Handschin, E. and Petroianu, A., 2012. Energy management systems: operation and control of
electric energy transmission systems. Springer Science & Business Media.
Lindström, J. and et. al., 2012. A development process for Functional Products: hardware,
software, service support system and management of operation. International Journal of
Product Development. 16(3-4). pp.284-303.
Lisi, A.J., 2010. Management of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom
veterans in a Veterans Health Administration chiropractic clinic: a case series. Journal
of Rehabilitation Research & Development. 47(1). pp.1-7.
Nakayama, F.S. and Bucks, D.A. eds., 2012. Trickle irrigation for crop production: design,
operation and management (Vol. 9). Elsevier.
Neck, C.P. and Manz, C.C., 2010. Mastering self-leadership: Empowering yourself for personal
excellence. Pearson.
Pinkerton, E. ed., 2011. Co-operative management of local fisheries: new directions for
improved management and community development. UBC Press.
White, P., 2016. Public transport: its planning, management and operation. Taylor & Francis.
Winget, N.C. and Thomson, A., Cisco Technology, Inc., 2010. RFID tag management and
operation. U.S. Patent 7,817,042.
Online
The Approaches To Operations Management.2015. [Online]. Available through
:<https://www.ukessays.com/essays/business/analysing-the-approaches-to-operations-
management-business-essay.php>.