Management and Operations Report: Roles, Theories, and Factors

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of management and operations, focusing on the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers within an organization, specifically using Amazon as a case study. It explores the differences between leadership and management, and how they function in various conditions. The report delves into key leadership theories and models, including situational, contingency, and system leadership, and their practical applications. It also examines key approaches to operational management, emphasizing the importance of leaders and managers in achieving business objectives. Furthermore, the report investigates the value and significance of operational management in relation to business goals, and identifies the various external factors that impact decision-making processes in operational management. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and their implications for effective management and organizational success.

MANAGEMENT
AND
OPERATIONS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager...............................................1
P2 The role of a leader and the function of a manager in different conditions...........................4
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
P3 Various theories and models of leadership ...........................................................................6
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................7
P4 Key Approaches to operational management and role of leaders and managers in it. .........7
P5 Value and importance of operational management in achieving business objectives...........9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
P6 Different factors that impacts on decision making and operational management...............10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Management and operations for an organization forms the basic aspects enabling it attain
highest growth and production level in its business activities with its maximum capacity
(Alderton and Saieva, 2013). Management is that inevitable function that is concerned with
combining and coordinating efforts of all employees in one direction towards achieving the aims
and objectives of a company with maximum output and higher profit generation. On the other
hand operations is that part of business where production of products and services takes place. It
is basically concerned with handling and controlling whole operation system i.e. from conversion
of raw material to producing output, redressing issues related to designing a product, its
manufacturing, maintenance and improvement so as to ensure smooth running and successfully
completion day to day functions and activities of an enterprise.
Amazon is one of the renowned tech giant retail company across world. It was
establishes in 1996 with its headquarters in in Seattle, US. It is the third largest internet company
in terms of revenue and second largest employer in US.
This assignment will discuss about the roles and responsibility of manager and leaders
towards success of a firm. It will also brief about key theories and approaches of operational
management with their significance in leading and managing people (Barratt, Choi and Li,
2011). Apart from that it will also analysis various external business factors that impact decision
making process of managers and leaders.
TASK 1
P1 Different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager
Definition of Leader
“A thing that holds a superior position within a company as well as able to exercise high
level of control over others.”
Leadership is a great women and men with some preferred traits impact on followers to
work as per leader’s guidelines for meeting a firms targets and group goals which will reflect on
higher level of effectiveness.
Definition of Managers
“A particular person who is in charge of a specific group of work, A manager is having a
staff of employees who report to him.”
“A people are responsible for administrating a company or group of staff members.”

It is a basic work of leaders and managers of Amazon to keep observing on all functions of
company for achieving all objectives effectively and efficiently. Management and leadership are
two main pillars of an organisation excellence and growth. Without them the firm cannot able to
achieve their targets.
Process of leadership where everything is accomplished intentionally fo facilitate and fulfil
functions as well as relationship within a company or groups (Brandon and Mullan, 2013). They
have to provide direction to workers so that everyone works with a same way or vision. Proper
leadership should have visionaries as well as motivate them. Management included organizing a
employees as well as resources for meeting the needed objectives. They have to control workers
along with that they have to ensure that organisation gets needed task from workers. They have
to trust their workers for involving them in making decisions. As per Morgan, today’s manager
should have five necessary qualities which are as follows:
 Follow from the front: Guide the workers from the front for ensure the
workers success.
 Understand technology: Be much technologically aware so that no
issues come while interacting with employees.
 Lead by example: Being much honest, transparent, courageous, open so
that workers can feel comfortable (Chevalier and et. al., 2015).
 Embrace vulnerability: Even if managers is vulnerable, they should
not show to other persons, they should always have this "shield".
 Belief in sharing: Should believe in collective intelligence and sharing
information.

Figure 1 the interrelation between Managerial role and traits
(Source: The interrelation between Managerial role and traits, 2018)
As per above figure shows the interlinked within the factors and managerial roles which
affect decisions. As they can observe their experience and personality of particular person
directly affect managerial capabilities and roles. For making it more efficient one should
know several factors and global complexity linked with it.
Responsibilities which are performed by management to meet goals are given below: Organising: Managers should treat all employees equal as well as should distribute work
irrespective of their religion and colour (Chiarini and Vagnoni, 2015). Staffing: Human resource recruits persons as well as assign the duties and responsibilities
as per present knowledge and skills. Coordinating: Proper information should be given to each person so that work can be
completed effectively and efficiently. It will aid in making proper coordination within
workers effectively which will help in making a better environment of working within
company for employees.
 Controlling: Managers should analyse the workers so they can understand whether
workers will accomplish the given task so a provided deadlines. It will aid in taking a
actions if any deviation came from standards (Dekker, Bloemhof and Mallidis,
2012).
Leaders and managers are not there is having several differences which are discussed below:

Manager Leader
Making of plans and techniques are
accomplished by managers.
Leaders direct the lower level workers.
Managers should know the needs of workers
so that effective sessions can be organised for
improving their capabilities.
Leaders should analysed effective channels by
which they can make their sub workers more
effective and efficient.
Managers should be aware of knowledge and
skills of their workers so that the work
provided to them is as per their capabilities.
They are illustrative of the company as well as
they should take the decision very fast.
P2 The role of a leader and the function of a manager in different conditions
Managing is all about establishing control, predictability and complexity whereas
Leadership is all about adaptability as well as promoting a change. They perform their
directing roles to their managers along with that taking care of company’s targets and
objectives effectively. Respect, dependability, commitment and consistency are obligations
of strong leaders. Amazon managers are help in meeting targets due to they care about
their employees. Amazon has implemented various techniques to bring modifications
within company policies (Galindo and Batta, 2013). Department of operations has
reported a subsequent drop within cost as well as enhancing unit of production.
Making of techniques for leaders begins with a vision as well as they think and
brainstorming along with that finally they establish a culture where every employees know
each other’s. Employees should must understand change and requirements as well as
techniques motto along with that try to reflect behaviour flexibility for effective techniques
planning. It is necessary for leaders to handle it effectively due to there is having a
tendency within persons as they do not accept the changes and convincing leaders along
with effective planning for formulating employees to follow them. They should mainly
adopt a realistic method than a literal method to find out techniques gaps. For properly
applying, leaders have to make a person’s understand why they require to take a change. It

mainly impact on three areas of company values, strategies and vision. It knows returm of
specific modifications and what are risks.
There are some of conditions in which both leaders and managers are needed to perform
roles which are discussed below: Delegation of Authority: Managers should equally divide responsibilities as well as roles
within employees so that they can always feel that they are also important role for
organisation (Gunasekaran and Ngai, 2012). Effectively making of techniques can
be accomplished so they can easily understandable. They should provide duties to
employees as per their skills so that it will able to accomplish on time properly. Firm is
using a theory of autocratic leadership instant of demoralises for managing all activities
of enterprise in an proper way. Decision making process: it is important for mangers of firms to take judgement in an
effective way. It will aid in development as well as success. Both leaders and mangers
play a very main role while making a decision of the organisation activities. They also
include employees in the process of making a decision instead of excluding. Workers
have to voice while making decisions for encouraging changes in their workplace. While
making decisions situational management by the theory of objective aid in developing
proper decisions which give power. Employee engagement: Employees are undertaken as a main part of every kind of
companies which will help in achieving goals and vision within a particular span of time.
Managers are responsible for completing work by workers who are reporting to them. For
increasing workers engagement towards task, management require to use style of
autocratic leadership hence aid to managing all workers within company in an proper
manner (Heizer, 2011) Training and development: It is necessary for mangers to identify the needs of training
sessions within a working environment. Hence, managers still require proper practice and
training in providing constructive feedback. In this conditions, transformational styles are
utilized by Human resource managers are modifying a program of training as per workers
wants and needs. Hence, increasing productivity of every employee properly.
 Proper use of resources: It is a responsibility of managers to proper use of company’s
resources. This include giving roles to several particular persons as well as manipulating

HR along with proper allocating of financial, natural and technological. In this
conditions, participative theory can use due to effective use of resources as possible as it
can when workers take part in completing and planning of their own task properly for
saving resources.
Hence, it has been seen that leaders and mangers are more necessary part of company as well
as aid in meeting objectives and goals properly. This will help company to take advantage
from their rivals and become a leader within some years.
TASK 2
P3 Various theories and models of leadership
Leaders are which enable and facilitate working association to manage their operations in
better and signified manner. Leaders play an important role where they facilitate to manage
diversified operations and guide whole team properly so that association could accomplish their
goals and targets properly (O'Fallon and Rutherford, 2011). Such individuals always enable
in managing operations properly and made firm individuals more productive in nature. This
result in enhancing profitability and productivity so that define situations get manage properly.
Although, leaders have to apply appropriate and relevant theories in working consideration so
that each and every aspect get fulfil in determined and supportive manner of frame. This project
is based on differ kind of theories and concept which could be easily applied on situational
leadership, contingency leadership and system leadership as well.
This project is based on Amazon which is one of a largest retail section business which
deals in online aspect. This is one of a largest online shopping business whom has potential to
attract huge number of clients through which expansion could become possible in nature. There
are various kinds of situation and aspect included in the project so that better and signified
project gets done in determined and beneficial manner of frame. Thus, mainly there are three
kind of consideration and aspect gets included in the project which have to define each and every
consideration properly (Subramanian and Ramanathan, 2012). Situational leadership: In this aspect of frame leaders of a company choose such
consideration which arises on the basis of various situational variables. Such leaders
provide appropriate and better decision making in consideration which are reflected upon
in differ number of situations and conditions of a business. These leaders have good
knowledge of the variables and aspects which facilitate and enable in managing diverse

aspect and facts properly. These leaders certain time take decision on the basis of
employees view points on the other hand some time they utilise autocratic decision
making frame in nature. Thus, Amazon leaders could utilise this decision making process
in business which enable and facilitate them to deal with any kind of situation properly
and in determined manner of frame as well. System Leadership: The main purpose of this theory is to see that the organisation is
following policies as well as systems are not dealing with various conditions (Yang,
Hong and Modi, 2011). It is based on discipline of management by involving
important figures and facts. Hence it is a systematic process of leadership.
 Contingency leadership: As per this theory of frame, there would be no leadership theory
is best suited for any kind of situation. It is really essential to define and describe that for
each and every consideration appropriate style requires utilising which facilitate and
enable in managing differ and variable kind of situations properly. Thus, such leaders
always try to do something new and determine that they have to identify appropriate style
of leadership for various contingencies. This enable and support in managing operations
properly where whenever contingency arise in an association then appropriate and
suitable judgement and style of leadership get opted. This enable in managing operations
properly so that inappropriate situation or suddenly arise aspects get controlled properly.
This theory could be applied on unplanned changes of management like change in taste
and preferences, fashion etc. All these consideration are essential to determine so that
beneficial and effective working get done in better manner.
Leaders and administrator of Amazon could utilise such theories while determining any kind
of modification while working (Yang, Hong and Modi, 2011). Hence, they could easily deal
out change arise in change and preference better from the side of customer by applying
contingency theory most. This enables them in utilising various style of leadership properly. Like
when frequent decision is required they could go with democratic leadership style which enables
them in taking aspects of each and every individual whereas at the time of long period decisions
they prefer autocratic leadership style in frame.

TASK 3
P4 Key Approaches to operational management and role of leaders and managers in it.
Amazon undertakes various approaches to improve and enhance efficiency of its
operations by introducing relevant modification in its strategies, policies and process in
accordance with make use of following approaches to improve the efficiency of its business
operation by making relevant changes in company's strategies and procedures in accordance with
the changing business environment The concept of Management and Operation revolve around
four main theories which are discussed below: Total Quality Management: TQM is a management approach which aims at enhancing
quality of products and services offered by a firm by focusing on reducing defects by
continuously monitoring work process at each and evert stage of product development
(Dekker, Bloemhof and Mallidis, 2012). Amazon being one of top leading brands strives
towards providing high quality of goods to and services its consumers by increasing
efficiency of its its employees by providing them with appropriate training and guidance
to interact and handle queries of its consumers , besides improving its process system
according to latest market trends so that there are minimum errors in manufacturing as
well as in deliverance of products & services. Just In Time: approach It is the-reducing handling time strategy adopted by Amazon in
firm focal point is on decreasing flow timing in production as well as response time
from supplier to end customer. Amazon for its JIT approach rather than piling up advance
stock in its warehouse strives to reduce wastage by stocking goods only as and when
they are demanded during manufacturing process which significantly reduces its handling
charges thereby reducing its inventory cost. Here the role of Amazon's managers is to
accurately forecast future demand so that company can keep that much stock in
warehouse. . Lean production – It is a systematic method of production with prime aim of reducing
and eliminating waste starting from designing process to the production, dissemination
and other associated process beyond that phase. In lean production anything that does not
add on value to ultimate output is considered as waste , that could be anything from
material to worker and from time to process.

 Six Sigma: Six sigma is a data driven management approach whose objective is to
intensify quality of business products and operations by identifying overall defects or
errors occurring at each level of manufacturing process and tries to obviate it in a
systematic manner so as to reduce it close to zero defect. With the help of this method,
managers of Amazon are able to refine their “Voice of Customer” which assist
management to put more focus on customer perceptions and their dynamic needs.
Role of managers
 One of the most prominent role of manager is to allocate limitedly available resources to
each department by analysing requirements of each departments (Chevalier and et. al.,
2015). Also he is the one responsible for establishing deadlines for each activity or
operation, to sanction budget for a particular project and to see that it is completed with
best of quality generating higher returns. Manager acts a company's figurehead in performing duties like duties like welcoming
official visitors, attending ceremony etc. on behalf of its whole team
Role of leader
 Leader through his leadership quality and interpersonal skills helps in identifying and
integrating personal goals of an employee in alignment with company's objectives so that
he is motivated to give his best efforts for completed giving task with best of his abilities
resulting in successful and on time achievement of firm's goals .
 It is the responsibility of a leader to monitor performance of each of his employee, find
out their key areas of lacking and then providing them with most appropriate training to
enhance their proficiency to perform their current and future tasks.
P5 Value and importance of operational management in achieving business objectives
With frequently changing technology and drastic changes in environment dynamics
customers needs, wants and preferences too keeps on shifting from one to another aspect making
it difficult for a company to cope up with these frequent changes and being proactive in fulfilling
their demands and aspirations as and when they want. Operational management of a business is
that process which is associate with converting raw material into consumer's desired quality and
quantity. Hence, it works towards adding on value to its products and services.

Amazon being a leading competitive firm has to be very specific about quality of its
products and services and by applying various approaches like TQM and Six sigma ensures it
match to the pre determined standards set by firm to provide best of everything to its consumers.
Operational management of Amazon
Amazon undertakes, handles and coordinate various functions of planning, organizing,
directing and controlling activities of its various department which enables a firm to
accomplish its pre set goals and targets (Chiarini and Vagnoni, 2015). Amazon deals in varied
products ranging from groceries,food and vegetables other daily necessary commodities like
sanitary articles, kitchen appliances, beauty products and other inexpensive household items.
Thus to provide better services it becomes critically important for Amazon to formate and apply
policies, strategies and procedures that provides better customer satisfaction. The key factor
contributing in thus aspect is the Logistics of Amazon along with its supply chain management
that assists firm in this by providing right product at right time at right place as and when
demanded by consumer.
IMPORTANCE OF OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT
 Optimum utilisation of resources- The One of most significant function of manager of
Amazon is ensure that sparse resources of a firm should be transformed to maximum
output with minimum wastage without compromising on quality aspect (Chevalier and et.
al., 2015). Thus operations and management work together to encourage its employees to
perform their assigned jobs with best of their abilities with minimum wastage and errors.
 Cooperation among departments- Operational management by coordinating efforts and
activities of every department ensures proper co-operation and mutual trust among all
departments and in their associated employees. It motivates its people to work as a team
overlooking each others flaws so that no conflicts and arguments arises between them
which further results in hampering quality of their performance.
 Good employer employee relationship- To have efficiency in their operations it is of
utmost importance for an organization that there must be cordial relation among
employer and employee. It is because it enhances proper flow of instructions and
communication among departments with little scope of work related confusions .