Analysis of Management and Leadership in Business Operations at M&S

This report examines the crucial roles of managers and leaders in business operations, using Marks and Spencer as a case study. It delves into the distinctions between leadership and management, highlighting the importance of both in achieving business objectives. The report explores various leadership theories, such as path-goal and transformational leadership, along with models like the democratic model, and their practical applications within the retail environment. It analyzes the traits and behaviors essential for effective managers and leaders, emphasizing the significance of planning, decision-making, and communication. Furthermore, the report addresses environmental factors influencing operational management and decision-making, covering theories like situational, system, and contingency leadership. The analysis underscores how these elements contribute to organizational performance, capacity management, and overall business success.

Management and Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
Essay............................................................................................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
1) Explain the role of managers and leaders in achieving each of the following business
objectives for the firm..................................................................................................................5
2) Identify and access factors of business environment impacting operational management and
decision making by leaders and managers...................................................................................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................10
Kalpana. R, 2019. Business Environment: The Elements of Business Environment
<http://www.businessmanagementideas.com/business-environment/business-environment-the-
elements-of-business-environment-1968-words/507>..................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Management of the business operations is very vital for an organization. It helps the firm
to improve the quality of services and business activities that are been undertaken by a firm. The
suitable management of business operations will help in good execution of enterprise operations
and will guide the organizational functions to a greater level. The leaders and managers at firm
gives out a very vital role in the execution of operations and management of business operations
of the firm. For the current report, Marks and Spencer is selected which is a UK based retail
enterprise.
The report will cover the roles and responsibilities or functions of leaders and managers
with their implication in given context. Various theories and models of leadership are been taken
in context with the details of their traits and behaviors. Besides this, different managerial; roles
and responsibilities and activities performed by them to achieve business objectives. Besides
this, environmental factors impacting operational management and decision making by leaders
and managers for organizational performance is presented.
MAIN BODY
TASK 1
Essay
The leaders and managers plays a very deep role in managing the needs and demands of
an organisation and thus will lead the firm to undertake suitable measures within the organisation
that will improve the quality of services and thus, guides an organisation to lead a good growth
of the selected retail enterprise. This will lead the firm to carry out their operations in much
suitable manner. Both leaders and managers perform, their operations or functions art M&S in
much effective way (White, 2016). For a retail enterprise like M&S, management of its
operations plays a very deep and significant role in maintaining the operations of the
organisation. However, on the individual level, there is a difference between the roles of a leader
and functions of a manager which are required to be effectively managed at M&S in order to
improve the performance of selected retail enterprise. M&S will see through the proper
management of business operations which will guide the firm to have a good functionality.
The leadership and management goes hand in hand to maintain the overall functionality
within an organisation which will improve the quality of services of a firm. Management can be
termed as the framework or structure that is followed within the firm to carry out the different
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operations and functions within an enterprise in much suitable way. It is the overall practice to
get the job done at a work place. On the hand, leadership is the skill or quality to influence
people or workers to perform their operations and motivate them to meet their operations and
targets with great efficiency.
The major aim or role of different leaders and managers working at the selected
enterprise will help the firm to have a significant growth and handling the business operations for
a firm. The difference between roles of managers and functions of leaders is on the basis of
degree of authority or power allocated to them by company's management (Caniani and et.al.,
2015). Some major difference between the roles of manager and functions of leaders are as
follows:
While the role of a manager is to analyse conditions within a firm to develop suitable
policies and decide appropriate work measures that can enhance the overall performance of firm,
leader's function is to apply or implement these changes or policies within the organisation or at
work place. The decision making and providing is the core job of a manager to manage
operations within a business enterprise while the leaders see through the proper implementation
and following of these rules and regulations. Other that this, the manager is operational on
management level and requires communicating with leaders at the work space to find out the
current situations prevailing at the floor (Zhang and et.al., 2015). On the other hand, leaders will
provide suitable direction, guidance and instruct the fellow employees to handle their strength,
weaknesses and motivate them to work more effectively.
The leaders and mangers are required to possess certain traits and behavioural qualities
which will improve their quality and thus will improve the suitable management of the business
activities and thus, will lead the organisation to enhance the quality of services. The manager
must have the traits like ability to direct people, execute the operations, must be able to manage
business processes and operations, should be focused towards the aims or goals. Besides this,
they must be calculative, motivating and disciplined in order to perform their roles at an
organisation like M&S with much efficiency. On the other hand, leaders too, must have certain
traits or qualities that will facilitate them to perform their functions at the work place. A leader at
M&S is required to motivating, disciplined, well managed, honest and should possess good
communication skills which will help them to encourage their work force or followers to execute
operations and improve the functionality of the firm.
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Various theories and models are been taken in consideration which will improve their
motivation level and productivity. Theories like path goal theories and transformational
leadership theories are been taken in consideration that will help the firm to improve the quality
of services and will guise leaders and managers to enhance functionality of organisation in much
suitable and effective way. Other than this, the models of leadership and management within the
firm like democratic model will improve employees involvement and guide the leaders and
managers within the firm to improve the quality of services and business operations within the
organisation like M&S.
These roles and functions of managers and leaders respectively are effectively applicable
within M&S to a greater extent. This will help the firm to carry out their retail business
operations and activities in much suitable way and thus, improves the overall performance of the
workforce, leading the development and rise in productivity of selected retail enterprise. M&S
will look after the proper implementation of the traits, qualities and different theories or models
of leadership and management which will improve the quality of services in much suitable way.
The traits and qualities that are been owned by managers and leaders will help the firm to meet
their operational requirements in much suitable way. An effective and suitable planning of
business operations will help the firm to enhance their performance which will improve the
quality of operations that are been taken within the firm. It will improve the quality of services
and thus will lead the organisation fulfil their customer's needs and demands (Mijumbi and et.al.,
2016).
The application of traits and qualities of a manager will help in suitable handling of the
operations and will manage any sort of issue that is been taken within the firm. This will help in
suitable placing of strategies and have a good decision making to meet customers needs and
demands. It also improves the quality of products and services that will be manufactured within
the firm. This will help in the suitable placing of business operations and thus, increase
profitability of the firm. As per the various situations that prevails within M&S, leaders and
managers will look after the proper management and operations of the business activities which
will enhance overall performance of organisation. According to the situational or environmental
conditions, different leadership approaches are required to be taken within the firm that will help
to tackle various situation in much effective way. For example, for improving the production
capacity of firm, Managers will perform an analysis and will improve the quality of services by
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developing a proper policies and thus, increase a good assessment of activities in much suitable
way. The leaders will transmit these policies or operations to the fellow employees and thus will
improve the quality of services that will improve the overall performance of the organisation that
will improve the quality of services and will lead the firm to improve the quality of services.
Similarly, to reinstate or re engineer the work environment of the organisation, managers will use
their effective skill set and operations within the firm to enhance the quality of services. While
on the other hand, the leaders working within the firm will opt for developing proper strategies
and action plans that will help the firm to meet their customers needs and demands. Both
managers and leaders will work together within a firm that will help M&S to manage their retail
operations.
Different theories and models can be applied within the selected business enterprise that
will guide the organisation to enhance the overall performance of the firm (Karangelos and
Wehenkel, 2016). The leadership theories like situational leadership, system leadership and
contingency theory is been selected within the firm that will help the organisation to improve the
quality of services within M&S. Some positive impacts of this theory are as follows:
Situational theory of leadership: As per this theory, there is as such no particular
leadership measures that can be opted by leaders or managers of M&S. They management of the
firm will opt for the best suited measures within the firm and the leaders or managers will plan
their tasks accordingly. The major significance of this theory of leadership is that it supports the
organisation to work as per the situation and encourage the work force to get the work done.
Such leadership becomes more productive and efficient when the democratic leadership model is
been applied that will help the firm to improve the core competency and effectiveness of the
retail operations performed. This theory is not feasible in complex situation.
Situational theory of leadership: According to this leadership theory, the managers and
leaders at M&S will look after the proper assessment of the business activities and develop a
proper work environment for all the workers to work with their full potential. It is an effective
tool to predict the potential behaviour of an employee within the firm (Schulze and et.al., 2016).
It assists the managers to draft out proper strategies and plans which are further implemented by
leaders at M&S in order to have a good stability and thus will increase the performance level and
operational capacity of the firm. Besides this, it also supports proper development of high quality
products and services by selected retail enterprise and thus will guide the organisation to enhance
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the overall performance of the retail enterprise, M&S. It requires detailed planing and is very
time consuming.
Contingency theory: This theory states that the effectiveness and efficiency of a
business enterprise is deeply based on the situational theories and this will help in assessment of
the proper situation that pertains within the firm and undertake suitable measures that will
improve the quality of services and thus will guide the management to have a good assessment of
operations and thus will help in suitable planning and implementation of activities within an
organisation. It suggests the suitable utilization of the attributes and skill sets by leaders and
managers which will improve the quality of services within the firm. It also helps in proper
assessment of behaviour and understanding of organisation within the firm. There is a lack of
sureties and effectiveness within this leadership approach (Shabanpour-Haghighi and Seifi,
2015).
Proper utilization of all this approaches will lead the selected retail firm to carry out
proper business operations and thus, it will improve the effectiveness of business operations.
TASK 2
1) Explain the role of managers and leaders in achieving each of the following business
objectives for the firm
 Managing capacity: Both leaders and managers will look after the proper assessment of
these measures which will contribute in proper growth of the organisation. The managers
will derive various strategies and policies that will improve the quality of services that are
been taken within the organisation. On the other hand, leaders at M&S look after proper
implementation of these strategies to improve the quality of services and goods that are
produced by the firm. Both leaders and managers will look after the proper assessment of
the business activities and thus will lead the firm to have a good productivity.
Maintaining the capacity is very important as it will enhance the organisation to keep a
balance between its supply and demand in market (Alcantara and Alves, NXGN Data,
Inc., 2016). Besides this, it will be very effective to carry out business operations and
activities as it will guide the firm to enhance the knowledge and skill set of their
employees by providing them with suitable training. The managers will evaluate needs of
training and will arrange various workshops with collaboration of other managers and
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leaders to deliver this training measures to employees effectively. For this purpose, Six
Sigma measure can be undertaken to manage this operation.
 Scheduling and executing operations : The scheduling and execution of different
organisational operations like manufacturing, delivering of goods, recruiting employees
or advertising by M&S will be under a plan, developed by managers and implemented
with the help of leaders (Webb, 2017). This is important for a firm as its will improve the
overall performance of business operations and activities. The project managers will
develop proper plans and strategies to handle different operations related to retailing or
merchandising. They will evaluate the requirements, time and resources required and
feasibility of the organisational action for deriving the plan. Followed by this, they will
communicate with different leaders operating at the work place and will interact the
measures that can be undertaken for the proper assessment of activity planning. The
project manager can also develop a time line or milestone which will be followed within
the organisation (Pinto and et.al., 2016). Leaders at M&S will encourage and look after
the allocation of roles and responsibilities among their workers, in order to ensure the
proper functionality of the organisation. This will help selected retail enterprise to
achieve their business objectives. Besides this, Just In Time (JIT) approach is been
carried out to manage this scheduling and operations executing process.
 Managing inventory: the proper management of raw materials and other resources
utilized by the firm in form of inventory will improve their quality and feasibility of
carrying out the functions. Also, known as the stock management, managers and leaders
will be in regular interaction for suitable management of various inventories within the
retail firm (Grote, 2018). The managers will look after the sales and purchase department
with effective communication to production or manufacturing section of the firm. This
will help the managers to identify the extent of inventory or shares that are been used to
produce goods and services and amount of raw material available in hand with firm.
Leaders will provide regular reports regarding the availability of inventory and any
requirements that will help M&S to maintain this operation effectively (DiFazio and
Chitrapu, InterDigital Patent Holdings Inc, 2016). Furthermore, Lean management
approach of operational management can be adopted by M&S to reduce the wastage and
ensuring proper utilization of raw material or resources available.
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 Managing quality: In order to maintain the proper customer satisfaction level and
sustain suitable sales of services and goods manufactured by the firm within the market,
Total quality management or Six Sigma approach can be utilized. These measures will
help both managers and leaders at M&S to analyse and evaluate their growth and
development measures which will improve their product or service quality and enhance
their growth measures (Abapour and et.al., 2015). M&S will see through proper
allocation of resources, their processing or implementation of manufacturing activities to
produce high quality products and services for their customers and achieve their
organisational objectives effectively. This will help the firm to place itself as a market
leader by offering high quality products and services to their clients. Other than this, it
will also guide their work force including managers and leaders to work efficiently, in
order to improve the overall quality of services by the firm and increase customer's
satisfaction level. The leaders, on the other hand, will see through the effective
communicating about their operations. This will guide the managers and leaders of
M&S to improve their performance and thus, will lead the services and hence, guide the
management to provide high quality services of organisation for their customers (Wang
and Singh, 2018).
Following of all these measures will help the organisation to meet their customers needs
and demands that will support a suitable and proper growth of organisation. This will support the
organisation to improve service and product quality, that are been delivered on time with
minimal wastage and optimal usage of available resources. It will help the firm to improve their
efficiency to meet organisational operational measures. The operational management can be
termed as important for an organisation as it plays a very crucial role in meeting the needs and
demands of customers and improves performance level of the organisation.
2) Identify and access factors of business environment impacting operational management and
decision making by leaders and managers
Various business environmental factors are been processed by the organisation which
will help a firm like M&S to improve their operations and thus will guide the firm to improve
their performance by managing operational management and decision making of leaders and
managers (Manzini and et.al., 2018). There are different factors which are been significantly
undertaken within the organisation that will improve the effective performance of organisation in
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much suitable way. Some major environmental factors that impacts the overall operational
management and decision making by managers and leaders are:
There are two type of environmental factors which impacts the operation's management
and decision making: Internal and External. The internal factors involve the plans, policies,
human resource, corporate image, machinery and employee relationship (Johnstone, 2016). The
managers and leaders will look after these factors in order to maintain operational functionality
and decision making of organisation. The plans and policies will help the firm to identify the
extent of measures that are required top be taken within M&S which will improve quality of
services and thus, involves skills and knowledge of managers and leaders at firm to maintain the
quality of services and operations which will increase quality of services offered to their
customers. Human resource or work force within the firm will impact the decision making as
managers and leaders will have to decide suitable policies and action plans to meet needs and
demands of their customer and have a suitable management of retail operations. Corporate image
or brand equity is also a driving factor for decision making and thus, drives managers and leaders
to handle the management operations that will improve the quality of services and supports
sustaining the brand image of M&S. Machinery or infrastructure will decide the production
capabilities of an organisation and lead managers or leaders to draft out proper decision making
regarding operational management of selected retail enterprise (Caniani and et.al., 2015).
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Illustration 1: Factors affecting operations management
(Source: Kalpana, R, 2019)

On the other hand, the external factors will improve the overall operations and planning
of operations which will lead the firm to plan its business operations and derive proper outputs
from the operations which are been carried out within a firm. The micro and macro
environmental factors will help the firm to improve the quality of services offered to customers
within the market. It supports the planning of action plans and activities and thus, will lead the
firm to meet needs and demands of their customers to a greater level. The customers,
competitors, suppliers and society is required to be taken place in order to improve the quality of
services and thus, improves the quality of services and improve the quality of services which
increased the productivity and profitability of the firm (White, 2016).
Other than this, the macro external factors like the demographics, economical,
technologies and political factors also plays a very significant role in placing of the organisation
within the market and manage the operations of selected organisation in much suitable way. The
proper planning of these external environmental factors will lead the firm to meet the needs and
demands of their clients and customers. Besides this, it will make managers and leaders of the
firm to develop suitable strategies and action plan that will assist in gaining organisational
standards of the firm.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of the action plan that is been carried out within the selected retail firm, this
can be said that the proper management of organisational operations is very important for the
performance of an organisation. The roles and functionalities of managers and leaders with the
reference to management and leadership within a firm is been presented. Besides this, the
significance and effectiveness of these roles and functionality in the organisational context,
helping in improving the quality of services and operations that are been taken within the firm
are been placed within the organisation that will improve the effectiveness of services that are
undertaken by the firm. Other than this, different organisational activities and its categories,
achieving business objectives and various approaches of organisation's operational management
including lean production, Six Sigma, Total quality management and Just in time approach is
been undertaken by the firm. Also, suitable assessment of various environmental factors
affecting performance nad decision making of organisation are evaluated.
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