Management and Leadership Report: A Unilever Perspective

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of leadership and management practices within Unilever, a major consumer goods company. It begins by differentiating between the roles of managers and leaders, highlighting their distinct characteristics and responsibilities. The report then evaluates these roles in various situational contexts, examining how managers and leaders adapt to different challenges and opportunities. It further explores different leadership approaches, including situational, systems, and contingency leadership, and how these are applied within Unilever. The report also delves into the core approaches of operations management, emphasizing its value and importance in achieving organizational goals. Finally, it examines factors that impact operational management and decision-making within the company, providing a holistic view of leadership and management in a real-world business setting.

MANAGEMENT
AND OPERATIONS
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TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Differentiate between the role of manager and leader on basis of characteristics and roles
played in firm...............................................................................................................................3
LO2..................................................................................................................................................5
P2 Evaluation of roles of manager and leader in case of numerous situational content.............5
P3 Different or several leaderships approached used by both leader and manager.....................6
LO3..................................................................................................................................................8
P4 Prime approaches within operations management.................................................................8
P5 Operations management’s value & importance...................................................................10
LO4................................................................................................................................................11
P6 Factors that impact operational management and decision-making.....................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCE................................................................................................................................13
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INTRODUCTION
Operational Management is one of the important process that is undertaken by manager
of company to effective arrange various resources and deliver qualitative services to maximum
number of customers so that organisation can earn sufficient amount of profitability. Manager
and leaders both play differentiate roles and function in firm so that it can attain its desired goals
and objectives. This report is about Unilever that is huge Unorganisation dealing in consumer
goods such as food, energy and personal care products for better health and well being of people.
It has also covered various points such as differentiation between roles and function of leader
and manager within firm. It has also describes about importance of operational management in
growth and achievement of company objectives. The report also discussed about various internal
and external factors of environment that adversely influenced overall performance of
organisation.
LO1
P1 Differentiate between the role of manager and leader on basis of characteristics and roles
played in firm
Leaders are responsible for leading employees within organisation on other hand
manager are responsible for managing people so that best outcome can be gained. Therefore,
various difference between leader and manager of Unilever are as follows:
Leaders create a vision, manager create goals: Leaders visualize the images which are need to
be achieved in the process. These visualization images can be achieved by inspiration which is
also given by the leader in Unilever. Company’s leaders make individual think beyond of what
they perform in the process in order to achieve the vision (Modgil and Sharma, 2016). Manager
of Unilever sets the goals and targets for the worker prevailing in the process. Manager helps in
achieving of individual goal which automatically leads towards the achievement of group goal.
Leaders are unique, manager copy: Leaders of Unilever have different plans which are need to
be achieve by the people prevailing in the company. Leaders always build the activities which
results in becoming unique brand in the market. Manager of the company duplicates the
activities as being followed by the head in the work process to achieve the goal.
Leaders take risks, managers control risk: Unilever leaders involve the risk by trying new
things in the process in order to obtain positive results in the market. As leaders know that failure
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is the part of the process which will lead to success (Al-Nabhan, Yusuf and Al-Hennawi, 2018).
Manager of the company always work on minimizing the risk in the process. Manager avoids or
controls the problems which are involved in the process of Unilever.
Leader coach, manager direct: Leaders of Unilever inspire the employees to increase the
morale or confidence in order to have more contribution in achieving the goal. Leader’s works
on the strength and weakness of the employees so that their performance and productivity can be
improved and goals of organisation can be fulfilled. Manager assigns the work to the employee
according to the post. Manager of Unilever directs the workers in order to gain the success in the
process.
Leaders create fans, mangers have employees: Unilever leaders always motivate the
employees in the process which creates the fans. These fans are the follower of the leader leading
them to achieve the vision which was involved in the process. Managers of Unilever have the
staff of people who are doing work according to the work assign in the process in order to
achieve the goal.
Leaders build relationships, managers build systems and processes: Unilever stakeholders
are being motive by the leaders in order to build the trust over the company activities which
results in increase of investment. This process of motivation also builds the relationships
between the leader and stakeholder of the company (Saxena, 2017). Manager always works
according to the system which is already created in the process to achieve the goal. System needs
to be followed by the employees with strict rules and regulation in the market.
Difference between characteristics of leader and manager
Conceptions of work: Managers of Unilever have a view over the process that it is completing
according to the plan or not. This viewing leads to control over the work process in order to
achieve the goals through planning. Manager of the company establish strategies for getting
things done. Important decisions is also be taken by the manager in order to complete the task
effectively and efficiently (Scott, 2017). Leaders of Unilever develop new approaches in the
work process in order to complete the task without problem or fewer problems. Leaders
implement their ideas on the employees in order to get more contribution in the process.
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Personality: Managers performs all the activities to have better control over the work in order to
achieve the goal. Unilever managers have control and coordination in the system for completing
the work. Managers design the goals of the individual which is directly related to the group goal
of the company. Work structures are being formed on the daily basis so as to achieve the
individual goal in the company. Leaders of the Unilever give importance on getting things done
according to the abilities and skills of various individual. Leaders of Unilever believe in
providing right duty to right person.
Attitudes towards goals: Manager of Unilever have to achieve the goal necessarily without
involving the personal desires in the process. Manager attitude towards the goals depends upon
the employee involving in the process (Chou, Fannin and Barron, 2018). Leaders of the company
keeps positive attitude in every situation so as to create positive environment in the work process
to achieve the task.
LO2
P2 Evaluation of roles of manager and leader in case of numerous situational content
Different roles and responsibilities are played by manager and leader of Unilever so that
organisation can gain maximum market share and profitability. Such as:
Brining new change within firm: Due to various changes and development in technology
marketing manager of company has decided to promote products through social media or official
websites so that number of customers can be attracted within limited time period and cost.
Therefore as per changes in technology operational manager has to plan various strategies,
resources and capital that will be need to expand business online so that company can grow and
sustain its business in competitive market (Rana and Vohra, 2016). Manager of Unilever has
planned to enhance knowledge and skills of employees through organising development and
training program so that they can easily perform their task and company can gain competitive
advantages. Clearly assigned responsibilities or duties which need to perform by particular
individual so that best outcome can be gained. Whereas Unilever leaders is responsible for
guiding and providing proper direction to employees that way task can be performed within
minimum amount of cost and efforts so that needs of customers can be satisfied (Mumford and
et.al., 2017). Leaders have also decided various techniques or method to be used to motivated
and influence individual for gaining maximum result for better achievements of goals. Therefore,
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both leader and manager of Unilever working together have helped company to effectively
utilise available opportunities and earn maximum profit margin.
Conflict between employees: Manager of Unilever is responsible for reducing conflict and
confusion among individual regarding task and activities that need to be performed so that
company can effective achieve its goals. Managers of company through defining definite
organisational structure and interrelationship between employees have reduced chance of
confusion and conflict among employees. Continuous supervision and monitoring by Unilever
manager has helped in bring new solution to various problems so that employees work can be
coordinated for overall success and growth of enterprise (Schaubroeck and et.al., 2016). At the
same time leaders perform different function to build strong relationship so that they can easily
work in a team for common objectives and goals. Leaders of Unilever through understand
various problem that are faced by different individual within organisation is able to communicate
effective solution so employees can be motivated to concentrate more on work rather than
fighting with each others.
Therefore it can be illustrated that leaders and manager both play active roles in facing
different challenges of firm and make effective utilisation of opportunities that are present in
market so that enterprise can earn sufficient amount of profitability.
P3 Different or several leaderships approached used by both leader and manager
Leaders in order to influence employees have used different approaches of leadership
styles so that better result can be gathered with less amount of input. Such as:
Situation leadership: It can be defined as the leader or manger changes his style or activities
according to the situation prevailing in the market. Unilever managers adjust their work style to
get fit in the development of the followers which are helping in achieving the goal of the
organization (Casanova-Charles, 2019 ). Company makes continuous changes to meets the needs
of the customers prevailing in the situation.
Advantage of situational leadership
Unilever have a great men power involved in the work process to achieve the task. As
every individual has different perspectives and experiences that creates diversity in the work
place. Manager of the company encourages the workers to follow their own style of work in
order to achieve the goal. Instead of treating employees of the company equally from a singular
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prospective, the situation manger or leader recognizes the need to be flexible in order to have
more contribution by the workers in the work process.
Disadvantage of situational leadership
Maturity of the employees can be defined in two ways, emotional maturity and job
maturity in Unilever. Company uses situational leadership to combine both this maturity to
obtain positive results in the process. Employees in Unilever who aren’t emotionally matured
aren’t capable of job responsibilities in the work process.
Systems leadership: It defines as to exercising of the leadership activities through formal and
informal organizational structure, policies and procedures to achieve the goal. Unilever framed
the policies, procedures, rules and regulation which are being followed by the leader in order to
achieve the task (Gjerde and Ladegård, 2019). Company achieve this all by having proper
polishing the skills of the employees in the process.
Advantage of system leadership
Unilever involves the leadership which develops the structured and organized path way to
make decision in the work process. This decision helps in clarity of targets and goal which are
already decided in the process to achieve the goals of the company.
Disadvantage of system leadership
This involves the future forecasting policies which are framed by the experts or top level
of Unilever. Framing of forecasting policies may prove to be have inaccurate results in the
market. As this forecasting is based on the knowledge and experiences which are previously
done in the work process of the organization (Rana and Vohra, 2016). Flexibility in the work
process is difficult due to development of the structured plans and strategies by the top level
management of Unilever to achieve the objective.
Contingency leadership: It refers to activities in the organization which is effective to get match
leadership style with situations prevailing in Unilever. Company finds out that what type of
leadership style and situation needed to have growth in the environment.
Advantage of contingency leadership
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This leadership is dynamic in nature as its can be change according to the situations
prevailing in the process. Unilever manager make changes in the policies according to the
situation prevailing in the work process to achieve the group goal.
Growth and development: This leadership helps in having growth of the employees in the work
process. Company provides many options to the people in the work process which make changes
according to the situation in the work process.
Disadvantage of contingency leadership
Complicated process: Contingency leadership seems to be easy in the process to achieve the
goal. But when it comes to practical application of things it becomes more complex. Unilever
have this challenge to apply the things practically in the process according to the situation.
Reactive in nature: As leadership style is made according the situation prevailing the process.
This may results in becoming the situation which is also gets out of control of the manager in the
process.
LO3
P4 Prime approaches within operations management
Unilever has mostly need provide the best quality products in the market. There are different
innovative techniques of effective operations management has been mentioned below which
company should adopt and implement in its production department, so company will be able to
produce the best quality products (Haksever and Render, 2017). The all approaches have been
discussed below;
 Kaizen: Kaizen is a popular Japanese word under the theory of continuous enhancement
where processes and practices which has considered in the companies are regularly
improved and evaluated. The production department of the Unilever has used the modern
and existing technological advancements and developments, so the whole production
operations will be improved within the venture. In Unilever, managers of the venture need
to be fully sure about all the factors which are relating with to advancements, upgrading is
fully carried out, and leaders at Unilever has focused on existence of productive direction
towards the hi-fi or very latest technology, also its elytra-ordinary usage.
 Lean Production: Lean production is also a very productive approach in the terms of
maintaining an effectiveness in the production process. Currently this approach of
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operations management has used by different companies or businesses for gaining very
appropriate results within their production or manufacturing processes. By adopting and
implementing this approach of operations management, Unilever’s upper management will
be able to reduce its production cost by avoiding lots of wastage in the process of
production. This approach enables to company for increasing its levels of product quality
as well, and this is the main reason that, this approach of operations management is very
favourable o Unilever.
 Total Quality Management: TQM approach of operations management also is another very
useful approach that can enable to company for gaining very appropriate outcomes in the
procedure of production or manufacturing. Generally, this is the approach provides a
specific framework to different companies or venture to maintain an effective quality of
their products and services. Many times, companies face various challenges and issues
within their production processes, in which this is the most excellent approach to everyone
for companies to systematically deal with the impact of various issues and challenges of
production processes. Operation management’s this is the only approach that has used by
different businesses or enterprise in across the world. That’s why upper management at
Unilever also able to take lots of advantages through this approach.
 Queuing Theory: This theory has attached the existence of various sources with proper
utilisation in a appropriate way where the upper management at Unilever should be used
this approach in its workplace for gaining the best results from its production function (Van
Wassenhove, 2019). According to this approach of operations management, most
customers in the market always like to buy such products and services in the place of
market which can provide them he fully satisfaction and experience, so that Unilever must
try to maintain some effectiveness within its products by using this approach. Top-level
management of Unilever need for ensuring abouts its various employee who mainly works
within its production department are working properly or not, because if employees of
production department not plays their job role in effective manner, then this company will
not make some uniqueness within its products and services. That’s why this approach of
operations management contributes in the development of employees’ efficiency in the
production process.
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P5 Operations management’s value & importance
Operation management is too critical term under the full production activities that has
been implemented under ventures in which the huge production has been encouraged through the
utilisation of various resources within the very productive manner. In this situation, operation
management is too important for the Unilever. Some major value and importance of the
operations management has been discussed below;
 Process design: Here is design of process is another very essential term where stages
of redundant has been removed through the full procedure or operation, in this
situation productive resource utilization will be minimized, on the other side,
production quantity will be also can be increased in Unilever ’s production department.
 Transformation in the final products: There are operations management plays very
effective role in terms of transformation various raw-materials into the final output or
final produced product. Without using operations management, Unilever’s upper
management can’t image its production procedures, and this is the main factor that,
operations management is too essential for this consumer goods company.
 Cost Reduction: The cost reduction is the next main aspect within generation of value.
In Unilever company, the adoption of the concept of operations management helps to the
productive excellent utilisation of different resources which has been used within a very
appropriate way. Basically, when operation management helps in proper utilisation of
resources, then Unilever automatically will be able to reduce its production cost.
 Improving Quality: The quality improvement is a major contribution which the
operation management. The top-level management of Unilever is highly required to
consider operation management term within its business environment (Spring and et.al.,
2017). Operations management will definitely enable to this consumer goods company
for developing or improving quality of its different products and services.
According to these all mentioned factors, there are top-level management at Unilever should
be properly understood the actual value of operations management. Basically, operations
management provides an effective way to this company for boosting its production function.
The management of company is highly required to make its operation management aspect
more and more effective to gain excellent results.
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LO4
P6 Factors that impact operational management and decision-making
The business environment is highly impacted by many factors and aspects which has
directly or indirectly impacted the working of the Unilever as well. There are top-level
management of Unilever is highly required to identify those all internal or external factors which
can affect its operation management in both ways positively and negatively. There are some
major factors has been discussed below which can impact operation management aspect of the
Unilever company:
 Culture: Organizational culture always affects the operations management and decision-
making of various manager & leaders. Basically, when any company has positive work
culture, in which that company’s culture can positively affects its operations management
aspect. On the other side, when company has poor and ineffective work culture, then this
thing will be negatively affected to that company. In this situation, this culture factor in
influence to Unilever’s leaders and managers for taking decisions towards developing an
effective work culture.
 Resources: There are resources also a key factor that can affects to the operations
management of Unilever as well as decision-making of various managers and leaders.
The top-level management of this company should take decision towards available all
required resources to its production team for gaining appropriate outcomes from the
operations management (Thomé, Scavarda and Scavarda, 2016). There are employees
one of the main resources to his company, so existing managers and leaders responsible
to take decision for providing them a very happy and healthy workplace.
 Stakeholders: There are stakeholders also has highly impacted to any company’s
operations management, and also the decision-making of various leaders or managers of
the company. In this situation, existing management of this consumer goods company
need to take decisions for maintaining effective relations with all stakeholders, because it
is very necessary to gain excellent results through the processes of operations
management.
 Value and Ethics: This is another key factor that can impact to the decision-making of
Unilever’s managers and leaders to take decisions for maintaining different
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considerations of value and ethics in the workplace. Basically, value and ethics factors
help to different companies and enterprises to make an effective and healthy environment
within their workplace. This is the main reason that, top-level management of this
consumer goods company should be followed these factors whole conducting its
operations management activities. At the end, Unilever able to gain very excellent
outcomes from the operations management.
 CSR: There are CSR (corporate social responsibility) also too necessary or important task
which can be supported to this Unilever company for improving its goodwill and market
image (Demir, 2019). In this situation, existing management of Unilever has required to
take decisions for fulfilling this CSR on time. This factor has highly to be considered by
managers and leaders of company for gaining excellent results in the market.
CONCLUSION
Form the above report it can be concluded that there is huge difference between function,
roles of manager and leaders. Different leadership styles such as situational, system and
contingency leadership style is used by leaders of Unilever in order to provide proper guidance
and direction to large number of individuals so that task can be performed easily. Various
external and internal factors such as culture, policies of government, organisational structure and
economic condition impact upon decision making of manager and leaders and operational
management of Unilever. Therefore, effective strategies need to be planned by manager of
Unilever for expansion and success of enterprise in the industry.
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