Leadership and Management: Roles, Theories, Operations, and Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership and management, focusing on the differences between the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers. It explores the application of these roles in various organizational situations, such as launching new products, employee engagement, and change management. The report delves into different leadership theories and models, including situational, system, and contingency approaches, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses. It also examines key approaches to operations management, highlighting the roles of managers and leaders in improving operational efficiency and the value and importance of operations management. Furthermore, the report includes a PESTLE analysis of Uber, examining how political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors impact the business environment and the wider community.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
P1 Difference between roles and characteristics of leader and manager.....................................1
M1 Differentiation between roles of leaders and functions of manager.....................................2
P2 Application of roles of leader and function of manager in different situational context.......3
P3 Different theories and models of leadership...........................................................................4
M2 Strengths and weaknesses to appraise different approaches to situations.............................5
P4 Describe the key approaches to operations management as well as roles that managers and
leaders play..................................................................................................................................6
P5 Value and importance of operation management...................................................................8
M3 How leaders and manager can improve efficiency of operational management...................9
P6 Pestle Analysis of Uber..........................................................................................................9
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider
community.................................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Present Report focuses on Operational management and lay emphasis on Uber
Technologies ,also known as Uber that is known as American firm offers vehicles for hire food
delivery ,couriers, delivery packages and many more. Its Headquarters is in California United
States. Reports also focuses on roles and characteristics of leader and manager, Application in
different situational context, key approaches to operations management, Pestle Analysis, Value
and importance of operation management.
P1 Difference between roles and characteristics of leader and manager
Leadership: It refers ways and actions by which leaders guide and lead to their followers within
organization (Daniëls, Hondeghem and Dochy, 2019). All functions of leading and guiding of
group of people that are being played is known as leader.
Management: It refers a process of managing, controlling and planning of people and resources
of organization is known as management. A person that performs all these functions is known as
manager that is one of the main pillars of success of organization.
Roles of leaders Roles of managers
 Leaders believe in taking risks and they
take risks as an opportunity and dealing
with them rather minimizing and
ignoring them.
 Leaders of Uber company motivate and
lead them in order to help them out
increasing performance and reducing
errors (Brutus and Vanhove, 2017).
 Other main important role of leaders is
improving relation with employees and
retains them within organization. They
focus on role culture rather than task.
Managers do not take risks as like leaders and
they try to control risks by which they can
make themselves successful.
Rather motivating employees, managers
control people of their company and also
ensures that they are on the right track and can
improve performance.
As compared to leaders, manager focuses on
task culture rather than relations. They
motivate employees and get work done from
them (Tucker, 2017).
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Characteristics of leaders Characteristics of managers
 Leaders have self awareness skills that
makes them in knowing what is going
on in organization and employees are
performing functions in right manner or
not.
 They do right things.
 One of the other main characteristic of
leader is they help company in taking
competitive advantages by bringing
innovation within business (Yashkova
and et.al., 2016).
 Leaders are proactive in nature.
 Leaders have an ability of learning new
things from past experience and all
current situations.
 Managers, as compared to leaders do
not have this skill and they are being
made aware by leaders and other people
about all situations of organization.
 Managers have skills of doing things in
right manner.
 Manager of Uber has skills of having
all information in detail about their
people.
 Managers are reactive than proactive in
nature as compared to leaders.
 Rather learning they focus on
controlling and managing things and
resources and directing their people
(Fransen and et.al., 2020).
There are several functions that are being played by both leaders and managers. All these
functions can also make able in understanding their roles and characteristics. Managers play
planning, organizing, leading and controlling functions.
M1 Differentiation between roles of leaders and functions of manager
Leaders and managers play several roles but they vary. For example: leaders become
more relationship oriented, and they follow this styles of leading. As per this role and style of
leading, leaders focus on improving relation with employees rather than focusing on getting task
done. On the other hand, manager focuses on completing or getting tasks done. Their main
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priority is completion of task in successful manner. For that, manager perform on controlling and
monitoring function.
P2 Application of roles of leader and function of manager in different situational context
Leaders and managers are main 2 pillars of company because they perform several roles and
functions that make their company able in taking competitive advantages and becoming
successful. Some roles and functions played by leaders and managers in different organizational
situations include:
Launching a new product: It is one of the main organizational situations and in regards
to Uber it is found that there are around 110 million active users. It offers vehicle for hire, food
delivery and other purposes. So, for adding some another feature it requires having new ideas.
So, in this organizational situation, leaders motivate employees for bringing innovation within
organization. This role of making employees able and motivate for bringing creative innovative
and new ideas can help company in accomplishing goals (Sainati and et.al., 2020). Whereas,
manager in this situation, makes an effective planning and think about required human and
others resources, identifying skills of employees as per their qualifications and experience and all
other elements that can help them out in successful launching a new product and adding some
unique features in products and services.
Employees’ engagement: Nowadays, engaging employees is one of the main key and
task. There are several organizations in market that can attract skilled workforces by providing
those perks and benefits and it increases competition and put pressure on some companies to
attract as well as retain employees with the company. In this situation, leader makes use of better
models and strategies of leading employees among contingency, system and others. Leaders
focus on improving relation with them by helping out them in their tasks and reduce errors.
When employees get help and when leaders motivate them then it makes them feel valued and
increases loyalty. On the other hand, manager provides financial and non financial rewards to
them. It is believed by managers that employees can work in better way when they are being
given extra benefits and rewards. It motivates them towards accomplishing goals. By satisfying
all needs of employees by identifying their types of needs, manager increases employees
experience and satisfaction that engage them with the company.
Change management: Business environment is made up of internal and external
environmental factors. Changes happen in these factors that may affect performance of company.
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Some examples of changes that is affecting performance of companies such as: climate change
or covid-19. This change affected performance of Uber performance. It has reduced sales of this
company. Employees in this situation resist changes as companies have to make changes in their
strategies as per changes happen in these factors. But employees resist changes. So for making
employees able and aware about importance of accepting changes, leaders inspire them and
make use of communication. This communication and ability of interacting wit people allows
leaders in influencing employees. On the other hand, managers also play a vital role in making
employees aware and making them able to adapt changes. For this purpose, they provide training
to them. It increases knowledge of employees and make them aware about reasons as well as
effectiveness of adapting changes and changing ways of performance (Bassett, 2016).
Some main functions of manager include:
Planning: Manager makes an effective plan which consists of information about required
resources and activities need to be done by employees.
Organizing: After making a detailed and effective plan, manager requires organizing all
functions and resources by assigning tasks among employees as per their skills.
Coordinating: After assigning tasks among employees, manager needs to coordinate and
support employees in completing their tasks and improving performance.
Controlling: It is other important function in which manager controls and monitors
people and resources and makes sure that things are going on the right track.
P3 Different theories and models of leadership
Styles of leader plays a vital role as it makes able to leaders in solving current problems, taking
decisions and accomplishing goals. There are several models and theories of leadership that can
be used as per the current situation and organizational problems.
Situational: It is one of the effective ways of leading employees in which leaders make
use of different styles of leading as per the situation. As per the situation 1, leaders focus on
directive style or behaviour in which leaders tell their followers that what to do, how to do,
where it needs to be done along with completion time. It reduces errors in tasks of employees
and it is being used when employees are not trained and are new at workplace Main focus of
leaders in this style is on completion of task (Thompson and Glasø, 2018).
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Supportive behaviour: It is other ways of leading employees in which leader tries to
engage employees, focus on their active listening skills for knowing needs of employees. As per
their needs, they support and for motivating they provide rewards and recognition to them. It is
being used by leader when there is lack of motivation among employees and employees become
stressed due to work load. Leaders focus on improving relation by using this style.
Participating: According to this leaders collaborate employees and help them out in
completing tasks in an effective manner.
Delegating and monitoring: As per this style, leaders enhance task master and
autonomy. Leaders make use of intrinsic motivation and align with followers that have
significant experience performing the task. As per the experience and skills, leaders only assign
and monitor them rather supporting. Main advantage of this style is in this leaders focus on
immediate and long term needs.
System: It is a set of skills that are being used by leaders for enabling and supporting
system of company. As per this style of leadership, leaders make a system where all level of
employees can work altogether in an effective manner. Leaders make use of their learning and
teaching characteristics and make employees aware about reasons and effectiveness of working
as per the system and working effectively in a team in an effective manner (Boylan, 2018). It
improves relation of all employees and makes an effective working environment.
Contingency: It is believed that there is no specific style that can be suitable in all
situations. It can also be said that no leader can make use of only 1 style in all situations and
leaders should be contingent. As per this style of leading, leaders require making use of
appropriate style of leading as per the current situation of organization. Success depends upon
number of variables including leadership style qualities of followers and aspects of situations
(Vidal and et.al., 2017). It is also stated that leader can be successful and effective when he
makes use of best style of leader by analysing current situation of organization. It helps in taking
better decision and solving problems in an effective manner.
M2 Strengths and weaknesses to appraise different approaches to situations
There are different ways of leading and for different situations, leaders adopt different styles
such as: situational, contingency and system. It has some strengths and limitations such as:
Strengths and weaknesses of situational style
 Increases organizational adaptability.
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 Helps in accomplishing organizational and individual goals.
 Lack of decision-making process.
Strengths and weaknesses of contingency style
 Focuses on immediate needs of employees.
 Becomes sometimes challenging in defining maturity.
Strengths and weaknesses of system style
 It improves relation of employees.
 It becomes difficult in controlling all members.
P4 Describe the key approaches to operations management as well as roles that managers and
leaders play
In order to improves their process as well as enhance operational efficiency operational
management can be used in an entity. Such as
Total quality management- Within this approach firm can be included within the process that
can be carried out more effectively by using total quality management. Here role of the managers
as well as leaders is to check the quality of service. They also gives training to the workers so
that they get the high quality and better services and also provided to the workers. Managers of
Uber must also makes sure that resource effectively utilised and also there is no wastage of it. So
that it will aids Uber to enhances the operational efficiency. Firm will also able to grow when
they are engage within making the use of the total quality management approach. With such
things leaders are also engaged within the enhancing process as well as services and also aids the
culture where they can work. It will also helps them in creating loyalty of the workers and Uber
will capable to retain more number of workers. It is called as the regular improvement approach
where leaders are the one who makes sure that individuals are fully involved within the firm so
that targets and goals are accomplished. Managers of Uber also requires to be engaged within
knowing regarding the preference as well as taste of the consumers. It will aids Uber in bringing
up the types of services which are as per the needs of the people. Furthermore, making the use
of the total quality management will also aids them in increasing the consumer relationship as
well as also able to grow and attracts the large number of the people towards them that can be
advantageous for Uber.
Six Sigma- This tool can be utilised by Uber so that the operational process can be enhanced. It
will also aids the firm in improving quality of services that can be given through them. Within
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this tool the role of the managers as well leaders can be analysed. In addition to this technique
where they will be involved in recognised the errors and eliminates it so that the business process
can be increased( Boylan,2018). It will also helps them in decreasing the wastage so that
resources can be used more effectively through Uber. Here by the use of such approach there is
less wastage of resources in Firm. Within this the role of mangers as well as leaders are to
provides them appropriate training to the staff members that are associated to the statistics and
this can be done so that variations can be reduced in process. Uber requires to make sure that by
using such approach better leadership is adopted. Six sigma approaches is known as quality
improvement approach that can be widely utilised through various firm so that their operational
process can be improved. Within the staff members requires to be learn about statistics tool so
that within the process that there has been implemented. It will aids Uber within growing as well
as aids them with increasing their productivity and operational efficiency. It has also been
evaluated that six sigma will be engaged within engaging workers as well as attracting workers.
It will also aids in improvement process. It is really vital for the firm’s growth.
Lean manufacturing- It is consider as another tool that can be adopted through Uber. It is
consider as one of the best method through which quality can be increased as well as waste can
be decreased. This is considered as an continuous improvement tool as within this waste can be
reduces as well as process will also aids can be enhanced. Within the roles as well as
responsibilities of managers and leaders of Uber is that they requires to build a culture where
staff members are involved within pursuing opportunities so that their work can be improved or
increased day by day. It will also aids Uber within growing as due to this will capable to set
target vision and mission. It has also evaluated that this approach utilised through firm can also
simply the complex process. It can also aids within continuous improvement as well as aids
growing
It will also enhance productivity. Thus such approach enhances morale of the employee as well
as also enhances the morale of the employee. The work culture can be enhanced when managers
and leaders of Uber. It has also been analysis that such approach can aids within growing and
also firm will be capable to perform better return or profit on investment. Such approach can also
aids firm within reduces the cost associated to the transactions.
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P5 Value and importance of operation management
With the help of management of operations the company is able to increase their
performance and make certain aspects of changes in their structure. If they form the aspects of
structure correctly then they will be able to serve the customer in a better way. There are various
approaches which is used by the management of the company so that they can meet their
objectives (Ravinder and Kollikkathara, 2017).
Total quality management-
With the help of this approach the main area of focus for Uber becomes to improve the
quality of service they offer to their customers and make it classier so that the next time customer
thinks of booking a cab they will automatically select Uber. They believe that with the help of
this approach they will be able to serve as per the beliefs of the customers. Company expects this
from their employees that they work up to their potential and deliver the best of them because
more they contribute for the company more they will be able to serve their customers better in
every way. In order to work with this approach it is important that employees of the company
are guided that no one must look their designation when it comes to the growth of the company.
Just in Time-
This approach helps Uber to look after the wastage of their resources so that it can be
utilized in some better project. Apart from this with the help of this approach they can assess the
time utilized in the completion of service and in which area it is getting wasted so that they can
improve that and make their services more faster for the customer. This will help them to earn a
better reputation and customer will never think twice on going with them. In order to take the use
of this approach effectively it is necessary that management of the company anticipate the
demand of their services and as per that they enrol the drivers so that they are able to provide
services for everyone in need. Although in the line of Taxi services demand cannot be
anticipated accurately but as per the past records, insights and analysis of the market company
can maintain a stock of drivers ready for their services. It is necessary that drivers that are chosen
by the company after the assessment of their record of driving and past incidents so that their
skills can be assessed. This is because this will help them to make sure they can meet the demand
and achieve their target of set revenue (Roda and Macchi, 2016).
Kaizen-
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In order to work as per the guidelines of this approach it is necessary that management of
the company makes sure it is necessary to cope up with the changes that are demanded by time.
This needs to be done by the top level of management as this method is used by many retail
organizations and those companies who have to deal with customers on a daily basis such as
medical, banking etc. this is done to reduce the complexity for customers.
M3 How leaders and manager can improve efficiency of operational management
Through implementing modern management techniques that can be improves time
management , decrease employee stress as well as increase the quality of meeting. Team leaders
of Uber can boost the higher levels of productivity from each team member. In addition to that
By the help of Total quality management focus to improve the quality of service they offer to
their customer with the help of approach they able to serve as per the beliefs of the customers.
Also, By Just in Time they can assess the time utilized in the completion of service and in which
area it is getting wasted so that improve that and make their services faster
P6 Pestle Analysis of Uber
Political Factors-
In order to work as per the needs of this factor they have to cope up with the level of
interference made by the government. In the stage of commencement there were many issues
that were faced by the company such as the case of insurance as who would bear the cost at the
time of accident the company or the driver. Other than this they have faced many cases in
different countries for their drivers not having the license. Also the company was not able to
provide the minimum wage rate to drivers (Gillen, Jacquillat and Odoni, 2016).
Economic Factors-
These factors are concerned with the economic development of the country and that relies
on their economic more powerful the economy is more chances are that the company will be able
to succeed in the market. But many of the countries are not in their support because they are
stealing the business of local taxi servers which is unfair for them.
Social Factors-
One of the main reasons of success of the company is because it works as per the beliefs
and mindset of the customer. This is because they can get a cab as per the convenience and even
the cost of cab is cheap which is why the company was successful in able to get the benefit of
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word of mouth through which they attained success at a very rapid rate. Many of the people are
shifting from public transport to Uber.
Technological Factors-
These factors are concerned with the advancements in the field of technology. The
company claimed full benefit of this aspect as when the riders got satisfied of their experiences
they used to share it on all online platforms which helped the company to increase their revenue.
Other than this they made their own app to function their services without it consumer cannot get
access to their services and this is all because of technological advancement.
Legal Factors-
It is necessary that in order to maintain the flow of their services company never goes
against the law set by the government. It is also necessary because company has many cases and
bans filed against them. In order to get them loose it is necessary to comply with labour laws,
safety laws, copyright laws etc. so that they are allowed to serve freely in the market.
Environmental Factors-
These factors are concerned with the preserving of environment and the business that
company offers to the market goes against this aspect because of the fuel and its usage and
increase in level of traffic. There is a lot of debate going on because after Uber people have
started using car pool which is saving pool and decreasing traffic. Other than this for the level of
consumption of fuel many people has switched from using public transport to Uber and after an
analysis is done on thorough basis they will be able to assess that if or not Uber meets with the
sustaining needs of the environment (Leiras and et.al., 2019).
CSR of Uber-
Uber operates on a huge scale and that is why people demands that other than providing
better services they contribute in areas which helps people without earning profit from it. This is
why company has initiated two activities.
Uber HUE-
This way they promote diversity among black, culture for all the employees and members
who are part of Uber.
Women of Uber-
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They have promoted the level of employment for women by giving them the autonomy
which has helped them to grow in their respective fields. They have announced that they will
continue to work with these approaches.
Culture of Uber-
 Build globally and live locally
 Customer Obsesed
 Celebrate and respect differences
 Act like owners
 Believe in ideas over the aspect of hierarchy
Sustainability-
In order to pertain with this aspect company was the first to start the feature and offer car
pooling which benefits customers as well as the environment. This states that instead of getting
full cab customers can share it in between their routes which will save the fuel as well as thei
money. Apart from that company is working on bringing electric cabs so that they can go green.
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider community.
If Uber does not cope up with these factors then they will lose the belief and trust of
people as without any ethics they will continue to face more lawsuits which will make it difficult
for them to survive in the environment. Also if they do not come up with sustainable factors or
contribute in the activities of CSR they will lose the support of people which will limit their
growth and give their competitors a chance to grow over them
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been summarized that it is necessary that management of Uber
finds a way to remove the bans imposed on them in different countries and settle the cases
against them as this will allow them to expand their business and capture more share in the
market. Other than that it is necessary that if they comply with all the laws and legislations then
they won’t under with more cases to settle and improve their image in the eyes of public. It is
important that management of the company offers their drivers minimum wage rate not less than
that so that they are satisfied. Management of the company use different approaches such as
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TQM, Just in time and kaizen and they need to focus on that and improve with time. With that it
is necessary that they keep evaluating their styles of leadership so that it does not get rigid as per
the needs of the market. It is necessary that roles and duties of managers must be made clear to
them because sometimes when company gives them more autonomy they tend to feel that they
have the same authority as them.
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