LSME601 - Leadership Theory & Practice: M&S Post-Pandemic Analysis

This case study explores the application of leadership theories and practices within Marks and Spencer (M&S) in the post-pandemic business environment. It identifies the changing perspectives and challenges faced by leaders, including keeping staff engaged, maintaining demanded skills, adopting new technologies, and motivating employees. The report emphasizes the importance of demonstrating responsible leadership during this period to navigate economic, social, and ethical issues. Effective leadership is highlighted as crucial for communicating strategies, reducing misunderstandings, and improving overall organizational performance. The analysis concludes that responsible and ethical leadership positively impacts business practices and helps organizations achieve their desired objectives in the face of post-pandemic challenges.

Leadership Theory and Practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Leadership is one of the essential part of business that is significant for enhancing and improving
business practices in effective and efficient manner. It is important for business to consider
leadership practices and theories in order to deal with the problems of business and increasing
business practices (Smeby, 2021). Chosen company for this report is Marks and Spencer. This is
well established and knows company that is providing high quality products and services in order
to meet with the demand of customers. Marks and Spencer company is performing its practices
in retail market area and it head office is located in London, England, UK. This company was
developed in year 1884 and founder of this organisation is Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer.
This company is providing its products and services to worldwide market area. This report
includes changing perspectives and challenges faced by leadership for the post-pandemic period.
Apart from this importance of demonstrating responsible leadership during the post pandemic
period has been analysed.
MAIN BODY
There are various and problems occurs with in business due to COVID 19 pandemic and this
will lead to have impact over performance and productivity of business. Due to this, leadership
practices has been affected and it will influence the performance and functioning of organisation.
Coronavirus is a first of its sort disturbance, one that leaves no local area, government or
business immaculate and may on a very basic level change the way we live and work. No
business leader can get away from its effect yet every business leader should adapt to the
situation, relieving the prompt damage while likewise creating the strategies that will lead their
organizations back to flourishing when the crisis dies down. It has been determined that due to
the impact of covid 19 leaders perspectives towards the functioning of business has been
changes. These changes will lead to directly affect Marks and Spencer company and its
functioning (Yulianti and et.al., 2021). This is the ideal opportunity to contemplate how the
pandemic will change respective business and the retail industry, to consider how it may adjust
1

investors' needs and assumptions, to look to the chances and exchanges that might lie ahead.
There is major changes in the performance and functioning of the business so leaders have to
change the way they are conducting business practices. Post Covid scenario there are numbers of
changes which occurs and it will lead to have significant affect over the performance and
functioning of business. Regardless of whether it be pandemics or different disaster now is the
ideal opportunity to begin setting up each business for a world wherein these disturbances are the
new standard. It has been determined that business leaders who do will set their enterprises in a
place not exclusively to persevere through the following crisis however to take advantage of
lucky breaks for development, assumption and long term accomplishment in the recuperations
that follow (Scallon, Bristol and Esboldt, 2021). There are several challenges and issues occurs
which lead to have affect over leadership practices. Post covid 19 scenario has been influence the
functioning of performance and it is essential for Marks and Spencer company to change its way
of conducting its business practices with the motive of successfully and correctly performing
organisational task. This is consider as challenging for the leaders as due to this their strategies
and way of performing task has been highly affected. The major challenges that is faced by
leaders are mention below –
 Keeping staff engaged – This is one of the crucial challenges faced by the leaders of
respective company and this will lead to have impact over performance and functioning
of business. It is important for leaders to keep employee engaged with the business as this
will lead to influence over the way of performing business activities. It is very
challenging for the leaders of Marks and Spencer company to keep staff engaged with the
business. it has been analysed that if leaders is not able to engage its employees in
appropriate manner then they will not be able to carry out business practices in successful
manner. Coronavirus has sped up the need to change and optimized this should dos
currently on the plan for the decade ahead and then some. There were leaders who were
down to earth and unassuming and viewed the seriousness of the sickness in a sober and
effective way. It is challenging for leaders to identify and determine the most accurate
and correct way of employee engagement so that they are able to perform organisational
practices in correct and appropriate manner (Vikaraman and et.al., 2021). Post Covid 19
scenario employees will not be able to engage themselves with the different business
activities and this will directly lead to decrease in their performance and productivity.
2

 Maintaining demanded skills within organisation – It is essential that respective company
have accurate and appropriate skill set of employees as this will lead to have major
impact on overall performance and productivity of business. It is important for company
to maintain the employees who have required skills to conduct business practices. This
will lead to have significant influence over functioning and performance of business. This
is consider as very challenging for leaders of Marks and Spencer to find and attract right
skills set of employees who is able to perform organisational practices and task in
significant manner. They acted rapidly and discussed sufficiently with the general
population. Subsequently, they prevailed somewhat in controlling the spread of the
infection, accomplishing an uncommon cooperative energy with specialists and
supporters (Bäcklander, Rosengren and Kaulio, 2021). In an organisation
communication and relationship building skills are very important and this will lead to
have influence over enhancing business practices. it is crucial that leaders are finding
right and accurate skills of employees in order to correctly performing organisational
activities.
 Adopting new and advance technology – There are different and new technology with in
business that is affecting Marks and Spencer business practices. It is essential for the
leaders of respective company to correctly and accurate adopt new and advance
technology in market area with the motive of enhancing business practices. It has been
determined that it is very challenging for marks and Spencer leaders to adopting new and
advance technology in correct and accurate manner. Due to ineffective and accurate
technology employees will not be able to perform organisational practices and task in
accurate manner. it has been determined that employees are not ready to change the way
of their functioning and this will lead to have significant influence over performance of
organisation. it is crucial challenge for the leaders of Marks and Spencer company to
consider right and accurate technology with in the organisation as this will lead to
influence they way of functioning (Alqahtani, Noman and Kaur, 2021). It is challenging
for leaders to determine right technology for the business as well as engage its employees
to correctly adopt new and advance technology in order to correctly perform
organisational task and activities.
3

 Motivating employees – This is one of the crucial role of leaders to motive employees. it
has been determined that post COVID 19 pandemic it is very challenging for leader to
motive employees for performing organisational practices in effective and efficient
manner. This challenges of leaders will lead to affect the way of functioning and their
performance level. Due the covid 19 pandemic the way of functioning and conducting
business practices as been influence and due to this they will be able to affect performing
practices in correct manner. Due to lack of motivation employees performance and
capabilities to attain desired goals will be directly influenced. It has been determined that
there are different employees with different needs. So identification of employees needs
is the crucial issues for leaders. The working pattern for performing organisation
practices has been affected during the work from home practices.
Thus, it has been analysed that it is very important of demonstrating responsible leadership
during the post pandemic. Leadership is essential for organisation as it will lead to have major
impact on overall functioning and performance of business. This can be describe as the potential
of an individual to influence performance and capabilities of other to carry out business practices
in required manner (Wylie and Johnston, 2021). Authoritative emergencies present complex
financial, social, and ethical issues and difficulties as any sincerely charged circumstance that
once brought to public notification, welcomes negative partner response and accordingly can
possibly compromise the financial prosperity, notoriety, or endurance of the firm or some piece
thereof. It has been analysed that leadership practices will lead to positive influence over
business during the post pandemic practices. This will lead to affect the way employees are
performing business practices and attain desired goals. In a unique circumstance, excessively
concentrating dynamic stumbles the association's capacity to react rapidly and adequately.
Compelling leaders enable supervisors to settle on the best choices they can, remembering an
unmistakable arrangement of big business needs, like keeping representatives safe and acting
ethically toward clients. Leadership is very important to significantly deal with the several issues
and problems and due to this respective organisation that is Marks and Spencer company will be
able to perform organisational practices in correct and accurate manner. It has been analysed that
in the pandemic situation effective leadership has played significant role in performing
organisational practices and it will lead to affect improving in overall performance and
4

capabilities of business (Raagas, 2021). A reasonable, legit, compassionate and straightforward
way to deal with correspondence as the COVID-19 circumstance develops. it is so significant
and furthermore on the grounds that we live in a period of fast spread of data that is of sketchy
veracity, from different sources. So through the support of appropriate and accurate leadership
practices they way of functioning business activities has been directly influence. It has been
determined that through the support of effective and accurate leadership practices employees will
be more motivated to conduct required set of activities in better and accurate manner (Demma,
2021). This will lead to have direct impact over functioning of business and employees will able
to carry out activities in correct and accurate manner. Leadership practices are consider to be
important in order to provide right and clear direction to employees for performing business
practices significantly. Due to this, employees of Marks and Spencer company have right and
accurate path according to which business practices needs to be performed. Leadership is helpful
for communicating strategies and ideas to employees in successful and right manner. This will
assist in reducing misunderstanding and conflicts form organisation. It is essential for increasing
performance and productivity of employees and they will be able on attaining desired goals of
business (Heli, 2021). Through this it has been analysed that demonstrating responsible and
ethical leadership during the post pandemic will lead to have positive impact over business as
well as assist in increasing business practices.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it has been determined that leadership is crucial and essential part of
business that will lead to increasing and improve performance level of employees. It is essential
that company is considering correct and accurate practices of leadership in order to motive them
and attain desired objective of business. leadership practices has been affected and it will
influence the performance and functioning of organisation. Covid 19 scenario has majorly affect
the way of functioning of business and leadership activities. Post covid 19 pandemic the way of
leadership practices has been influenced. It is important for leaders to keep employee engaged
with the business as this will lead to influence over the way of performing business activities.
There are various importance of leadership that will help in increasing business practices.
5

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Smeby, L.C., 2021. Fire and Emergency Services Administration: Management and Leadership
Practices Includes Navigate Advantage Access: Management and Leadership Practices. Jones &
Bartlett Learning.
Yulianti, K. and et.al., 2021. Transformational leadership for parental involvement: How
teachers perceive the school leadership practices to promote parental involvement in children’s
education. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 20(2), pp.277-292.
Scallon, A.M., Bristol, T.J. and Esboldt, J., 2021. Teachers’ Perceptions of Principal Leadership
Practices That Influence Teacher Turnover. Journal of Research on Leadership Education,
p.19427751211034214.
Vikaraman, S.S., and et.al., 2021. Ethical Leadership Practices and Trust Among Public School
Leaders in Malaysia. Asian Journal of University Education, 17(3), pp.174-191.
Bäcklander, G., Rosengren, C. and Kaulio, M., 2021. Managing intensity in knowledge work:
Self-leadership practices among Danish management consultants. Journal of Management &
Organization, 27(2), pp.342-360.
Alqahtani, A.S., Noman, M. and Kaur, A., 2021. Core leadership practices of school principals in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(2),
pp.321-335.
Wylie, C. and Johnston, C., 2021. Principals' Use of the Teaching, School, and Principal
Leadership Practices Survey Tool. New Zealand Council for Educational Research.
Raagas, M.J.R., 2021. Alignment of School and Leadership Practices in Basic Education with
Response-to-Intervention Model. European Journal of Education and Pedagogy, 2(3), pp.207-
211.
Demma, R., 2021. How Parent Choice and Leadership Practices Shape Socioeconomic Diversity
within Early Childhood Programs in Baltimore City. Penn GSE Perspectives on Urban
Education, 18(2), p.n2.
Heli, H., 2021. Elements Of Experience In The Leadership Construct Of Special Education Head
Teachers In Malaysia. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education
(TURCOMAT), 12(11), pp.5279-5283.
6