Comprehensive Report: Management and Operations at Waitrose Ltd.

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of management and operations within Waitrose Ltd., a British supermarket chain. The report examines the roles of leaders and managers in various situational contexts, such as implementing new technology and arranging staff training, highlighting their responsibilities in strategy formulation, motivation, and policy design. It delves into the application of leadership theories like situational, systems, and contingency leadership, along with the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The report further explores different approaches to operations management, including Six Sigma, Lean Production, and Total Quality Management, detailing the roles of leaders and managers in implementing these strategies. The report also discusses the significance of operations management in achieving business goals and objectives, as well as the impact of various business environment factors on the decision-making processes of leaders and managers. Overall, the report offers valuable insights into effective management practices and their application within the context of a large retail organization.

Management & Operations
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Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
P2 Examination of different examples of how role of a leader and function of a manager
applies in different situational contexts.......................................................................................3
P3 Application of different theory and model of approach which includes situational
leadership, systems leadership and contingency.........................................................................3
P4 Different approaches to operations management and the role of leaders and managers........5
P5 Importance of operations management in achieving business goals and objectives..............6
P6 Factors of business environment impacting the operations management and decision-
making process by leaders and managers....................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
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INTRODUCTION
Management and operations is simply related with several business practices that manage as
well as control production and other operational activities. In addition to this, an organisation
offer several products and services to their customers with the help of proper management and
operations that result in enhancing effectiveness as well as profit maximisation (Gibson and
Parkman, 2018). This report is based on Waitrose ltd. Which is British supermarket selling
groceries as part of Britain’s largest employee-owned retailer.
This report will going to discuss different role as well as characteristics of leader and
manager with their role through using illustrations. In addition to this, project will involve
several theories and models that result in explaining different role of management and
leadership. Along with this, report will further include distinct key approaches in relation of
operation management, leaders and managers. Moreover, project will focus on several factors
related to business environment and their impact on decision making of leaders and managers.
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TASK 2
P2 Examination of different examples of how role of leader and function of a manager applies in
different situational contexts.
In an organisation various situation may rise in that management and leadership play
different role. Thus, it is responsibility of both because they are important part of company to
manage each and every activity within effective manner. Explanation of these are as follows :-
Situation 1: Implementation of new technology within operations of Waitrose ltd.
Role of leaders – In situation of implementing new technology within operation of Waitrose ltd.
there are several roles of leader’s explanation are as follows:
 In this situation of implementing new technology role of leader is to form proper or
suitable strategy for implementation of latest or innovative technology (Shevchenko and
et. al., 2018). In addition to this, they see its future impact and take major steps for it
through taking suggestion from others people working in company.
 In addition to this, leaders motivate or encourage personnel of Waitrose ltd. to work on
new or innovative technology as well as after that leaders take feedback from staff
member which is beneficial or not.
Function of manager - In situation of implementing new technology within operation of
Waitrose ltd. there are several roles of leader’s explanation are as follows:
 Manager design policies as well as procedure of implementing technology within
effective and efficient way.
 In addition to this, manager provide training to their staff members so they can work on
latest or innovative technology in proper and appropriate manner.
Situation 2: Arranging training and development session for staff
It is important for Waitrose ltd. to arrange training and development sessions for their
staff members so that they will be able to motivate their employees and will able to sever their
customers in effective manner. Within this situation of arranging training and developing session
for staff role of leaders and manager are as follows :-
Role of leaders – In situation of arranging training and development session for staff role of
leaders mention below:
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 Leaders of Waitrose ltd. Spend more than $700 million for arranging training as well as
development session for their staff members in that they will provide guidance and
motivate personnel for doing work in effective manner.
Function of manager - In situation of arranging training and development session for staff role
of manager mention below:
 Manager of Waitrose ltd. provide training to their staff member for completing allotted
task or project within required time in effective manner. They don't provide training for
staff development but with the motive of achieving task or project within needed time
period.
P3 Application of different theory and model of approach which includes situational leadership,
systems leadership and contingency.
Management by objectives:
Management by objectives is a management approach which aims to improve and
enhance the operational productivity, effectiveness and efficiency by establishment of clear and
definite goals and objectives for organisation and each department and sub-department within the
organisation. Management of the company arrives at the goals and objectives after a deliberate
discussion with the employees of the organisation and it is essential that goals have been agreed
to by both the parties to assume responsibility (Islami, Mulolli and Mustafa, 2018). The primary
motive of this management approach is to increase employee engagement and encourage them to
participate in the process of decision-making and since the targets have been set by employee for
themselves, a sense of responsibility is assumed which influences the workforce to perform
willingly and passionately for accomplishment of the objectives. In the context of Waitrose ltd.,
the management of the company can follow this approach to increase employee motivation and
match authority with responsibility. Major strengths and weakness of applying management by
objectives approach are being discussed below:
Strengths: Applying this approach will help the management of Waitrose ltd. to improve
the management by changing the objectives as per the need and this approach increases the
communication between employees and the management which improves employee satisfaction
and fosters better relations (Carmen, 2014). One of the most important strength of following this
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managerial approach for Waitrose ltd. is increased employee participation and maximisation of
organisation-wide efforts for accomplishment of goals and targets.
Weakness: Management by objectives is a time-consuming process which involves
inviting suggestions from employees of the company and extensive usage of this approach in key
managerial decisions might result into the delayed process of decision-making in the company.
The management of Waitrose ltd. may also face challenges in making necessary changes in the
goals and objectives as per the situation with mutual consent of the workforce.
Systems leadership:
Systems leadership is a style of leadership where the management of the company makes
changes in the atmosphere and work environment of the company which includes organisational
structure, systems, policies and procedures to improve and maximise the employee productivity
by predicting and analysing employee behaviour in different organisational systems (Siraj-
Blatchford and Sum, 2013). The application of systems style of leadership has the following
strengths and weakness for the management of Waitrose ltd:
Strength: Application of systems leadership style will help the management of Waitrose
ltd. to clarify the complex organisational and business environment and provide a platform for
development of new business concepts and ideas (Goss, 2015).
Weakness: Systems leadership is a time-consuming and a complicated process since
engagement with different organisational parameters is imperative for building a system which
fosters the productivity and the efficiency of the employees of Waitrose ltd.
Situational leadership:
Considering the dynamic nature of business environment, it is imperative for managers
and leaders of an organisation to change and adapt their style of leadership as per the business
situation or context. For example, motivating the employees requires a democratic leadership
approach while in situations where the nature of decision is critical to the operations of
organisation, an autocratic approach might be followed (Thompson and Glasø, 2015). Hence, in
order to maximise the productivity of the operations and employees, the management of
Waitrose ltd. needs to adapt a flexible and contingent approach of leadership as one style can’t
be affectively applied in every business context. Here are the strengths and weakness of applying
this approach for Waitrose ltd:
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Strength: It is a more creative and innovative approach of leadership and management
which is primarily based on the environmental analysis to make changes within the organisation.
It ensures optimum utilisation of resources by employee motivation in the context of Waitrose
Ltd. Application of this approach will help the managers of Waitrose ltd. to improve
communication and train the employees effectively.
Weakness: Limitation of financial resources and resources essential for conducting
effective market research and internal analysis is one of the biggest weakness of situational
leadership and its application in context of Waitrose ltd. Another important weakness which
needs to be a considered is that one person might not be able to effectively change his leadership
style as per situation so this approach also requires significant changes in management structure
of the company (Sethuraman and Suresh, 2014).
P4 Different approaches to operations management and the role of leaders and managers.
Operations management is a process which involves supervising and monitoring the
operational activities of a business organisation such as manufacturing of goods, inventory
storage etcetera with the primary motive of achieving maximum level of operational efficiency.
The leaders and managers of Waitrose ltd. have a key role to play in managing the operations of
the company. Various approaches of operations management are being discussed as follows:
Six Sigma:
Six Sigma is a tool of operations management which aims at mitigation of any chances or
likelihood of potential defect in the manufacturing and other operational process of the company.
It creates an infrastructure within the organisation which identifies and determines the areas
causing defects in the quality of outputs and has the objective of establishing and implementing a
six sigma process in which 99.99966% of opportunities of production and manufacturing a part
or a service in the organisation are free from any defects or errors (Truscott, 2012). It can be
implemented by the management of Waitrose ltd. to significantly improve the quality of products
by improving the quality of operations and minimising the defects.
Lean Production:
Under the lean production theory of operations management, every operation or function
in the organisation is evaluated from the perspective of value which it generates for the customer
and every stage of operations which doesn’t generate any value is considered as wastage of
resources and should be replaced with a better innovative and creative alternative. This approach
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aims at optimum utilisation of resources by mitigating the waste generation in the company’s
operations (Jasti, and Kodali, 2015). This approach can be effectively applied by the
management of Waitrose ltd. to improve the resource utlisation and foster innovation and
creativity in the company’s operations to derive competitive advantage.
Total Quality Management:
It is an approach of operations management to improve the quality of product and service
being rendered to the customers and achieving long-term success by high level of customer
satisfaction (Lees, 2013). Under this approach, every employee or member of the organisation
makes an effort to improve the quality of work which is being done by him and hence, an
organisation-wide support and encouragement is essential for the managers of Waitrose ltd. to
apply the total quality management approach (Oakland, 2014). The principle of Kaizen or
continuous improvement is followed under the total quality management approach of operations
management.
Role of Leaders:
The leaders of Waitrose ltd. have a very crucial role to play in different approaches of
operations management by motivating the employees and encouraging them to participate
willingly in the organisation-wide efforts to improve the quality of products and services by
improving quality of operations. It is the primary role of the leader to communicate the benefits
of applying tools and approaches of operations management to the workforce and aligning their
individual interests with the organisational interests (Blass and Hayward, 2015). Implementation
of these approaches in Waitrose ltd. can only be ensured by active employee engagement and
participation sought by the leaders of the company.
Role of Managers:
Hiring the right people with the desired skills and competencies is the responsibility of
managers for effective operations management. Mapping out the timelines and defining clear
objectives of operations management in Waitrose ltd. is the duty of company’s managers.
Managers of the company also play a very important role in operations management of the
company by arranging every resource and tool which is required for implementation of these
approaches (Hitt, Xu and Carnes, 2016). Tracking and monitoring the success to make changes is
also the role which is played by the managers of the company in operations management.
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P5 Importance of operations management in achieving business goals and objectives.
Primary and key objectives of any business organisation includes maximisation of revenue
and sales. Every business organisation aims to improve its profitability and profit margins by
ensuring optimum utlisation of resources and reducing the cost. Improvement of business
productivity and long-term customer satisfaction is another primary business objective.
Operations management involves improving the efficiency and effectiveness of various
operational functions of an organisation which subsequently helps in achieving the busines
objectives of Waitrose ltd. in the following manner:
Control and Distribution Systems: Effective monitoring and control of supply chains and
distribution networks is a key operational function which will help the management of Waitrose
ltd. to offer their products and services in a wider area as per the scattering of company’s
potential customers in a very effective manner which will result into increasing sales and
profitability of the company and accomplishment of business objectives.
Transformation of raw material into finished goods/services: Manufacturing and
production process of Waitrose ltd. is the most important operational function and operations
management involves supervising the complete production process from scratch to improve the
quality of output and meet the customer expectations (Bonacelli, Colladon and Schiraldi, 2013).
Delivering high quality of goods and service will help the company to improve customer
satisfaction which will help in deriving long-term success for the business organisation.
Process Design: Increasing competition and dynamic nature of business environment has
made it essential for improving the operational process of the company and adding the element
of innovation and creativity in the process designing of the company. The management of
Waitrose ltd. can foster creativity and seek for better alternatives to the company’s processes
which allows optimum resource utilisation and helps in achievement of business objectives of
improved profitability and reduction in operational costs. For example, increasing automation in
the manufacturing process of Waitrose ltd. can help in reduction of manpower cost and
mitigating the chances of resource wastage.
Capacity Management: Capacity management for Waitrose ltd. has many benefits and
helps significantly in achieving business objectives of the company. Management of the
company desires to maximise the production of goods and services to an extent where the quality
of output is not being compromised and meets the expectation of customers (Olhager and
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Johansson, 2012). With limited resources of the company and motive of maximising revenue,
capacity management becomes an important operational function to derive competitive
advantage and foster the increasing sales of the company at the maximum level of productivity.
Logistics and Inventory Management: Logistic management is of utmost importance for
Waitrose ltd. to ensure that goods and services are reaching to the widely and diversely spread
customers of the company in time and in an effective manner. Inventory management at
Waitrose ltd. helps in reduction of the many costs associated with inventory such as ordering
costs, carrying costs, storage costs etcetera by determination of an economic order quanity which
allows smooth production process and minimum cost of inventory (Muller, 2019). It will help the
company to reduce cost and improve profit margins.
P6 Factors of business environment impacting the operations management and decision-making
process by leaders and managers.
There exists many factors which impact the managerial decision-making of Waitrose ltd.
and also influence the goals and objectives of the company. Some of the factors in the business
environment and their impact on the decision-making by leaders and managers of Waitrose ltd. is
being discussed as follows:
Political Factors: Changes in the political environment and government policy such as free
trade policy influences the decision of the managers and leaders of Waitrose ltd. to expand their
operations in international markets and developing countries for earning more revenue.
Government guidelines related to health and safety also affect the operations to provide best
quality goods as per the legal rquirements and guidelines.
Economic Factors: Rise in level of income has influenced the demand of customers of high
quality goods which influences the decision of managers and leaders of Waitrose ltd. to increase
the quality of products being offered since the customers are also willing to pay increased prices.
Social Factors: Changes and trends in consumption behaviour have also influenced the
decision-making process of Waitrose ltd. For example, increasing demand for healthy and
nutrition-rich food products has influenced managers of Waitrose ltd. to manufacture and offer a
wide range of food products which promote healthy eating habits among the customers.
Technological Factors: Drastic technological changes have influenced the operations and the
decision of management of Waitrose ltd. to a great extent where many operations of the company
are replaced with latest technology to increase automation and optimum resource utlisation
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(Baden-Fuller and Haefliger, 2013). For example, the managers of the company might take a
decision to replace an old machinery with latest technology which increases the production
capacity and also improves the quality of the product.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Corporate Social Responsibility which alludes to the duty
of a business organisation to have a positive impact on the elements in its business environment
and the society largely influences the decision-making process of managers and leaders and the
operations management of the company (Tai and Chuang, 2014). CSR impacts the wider
community and the decision-making of Waitrose in the following manner:
Culture: Preserving the culture of the community in which a business operates is its duty
which influences the decision-making process of leaders and managers. For example,
manageemnt of Waitrose ltd. might take a decision against production of a product which
conflicts with the culture and the belief of its community.
Values: It implies that organisation also creates a positive value for the community and the
society. For example, instead of using machinery for production process, the management of
Waitrose ltd. decides to employ more manpower to generate employment opportuntiy and
positive value for the society.
Ethics: As per the business ethics, it is the duty of managers and leaders of Waitrose ltd. to
conduct their operations in an ethical manner and don’t indulge in unethical practices such as
misguiding the customers or offering products at cheap prices which are of very low quality to
increase sales (Grayson and Hodges, 2017).
Sustainability: Process of production and manufacturing should exhibit sustainability and
the managers and leaders of Waitrose ltd. are expected to reduce the amount of carbon footprints
and emission of greenhouse gases to improve sustainability standing of the company’s
operations. Using renewable source of energy in the manufacturing process is an example of
management decision of Waitrose ltd. for improving sustainability as a part of company’s social
responsibility.
Stakeholders: Maximisation of the interest of various stakeholders of the company is the
primary objective of managers and leaders of Waitrose ltd. Leaders and managers of the
company have a relationship with stakeholders such as customers, employees, sharholders,
suppliers or government which forces them to safeguard their interests (Harrison and Wicks
2013). For example, offering the best quality of goods with innovation at the best prices to
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customers is protection of their interest which influenced the decision-making and operations
management to improve the quality of products. Similarly, for maximisation of shareholder’s
wealth, the company’s operations should be profitable and cost should be declines which
influences the management of Waitrose ltd. to improve operational efficiency.
CONCLUSION
From above discussion it has been summarised that, in an organisation management and
operation play essential role because it assist in controlling several business activities. For
management of product quality and operational activities there are various tools that can be use
by corporation such as Just in time, total quality management as well as six sigma. For managing
business activities in better manner, leader and manager will provide assistance in managing
business activities and accomplishing business goals as well as objectives in better manner.
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REFERENCES
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