Management & Operations Report: Leadership and Operations at H&M

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of management and operations at H&M, a multinational clothing retailer. It begins by defining the roles and characteristics of leaders and managers, differentiating their responsibilities and approaches. The report then examines the importance of effective leadership and management in addressing challenges such as staff turnover and organizational conflicts, highlighting the need for proper coordination between leaders and managers. Furthermore, it delves into various leadership theories and models, including situational, system, and contingency leadership, and their application within the context of H&M. The report also identifies key elements of the business environment that influence operational management, such as customers, government regulations, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and stakeholders. Overall, the report emphasizes the significance of strategic management and operational efficiency in achieving H&M's business objectives and maintaining a competitive advantage in the fast-fashion industry.

Management &
Operations

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INTRODUCTION
Management operations is a filed which is essentially obsessed with planning, organizing
as well as supervision of business operation with regard to production, manufacturing and many
other similar aspects. It is essentially a process of redesigning business operations. The prime
objective of this concept is to effectively ensure business related operations are performed in
effective manner so that utilizing few resources so as to meet the expected needs of company's
potential customers (Albrecht and Dasigi, 2016). This report it based on H&M is a Swedish
multinational clothing retail organisation which provides fast fashion clothing . The outcome of
this report tends to cover several aspects relating to management operation through consistency
within business can be witnessed potentially. Roles as well as characteristics of leaders and
manager will be identified. Furthermore, analysis would be conducted with regard to theories
and models of leadership. Apart from this several key approaches with regard to operations
management is considered through desired business objective can be accomplished effectively.
Lastly elements of business environment which influences operation management factors would
be identified.
TASK 1
P1.
Manager and Leader are two essential individual within an organisation. Efforts of them
essentially helps a firm to accomplish desired objective with full efficiency (Deihimi, Zahed and
Iravani, 2016). Both of them perform individual duties in order to gain competitive business
advantage.
Definition of Leader and Manager
Leaders: A leader is an individual who tends to influence a unit in order to achieve
established business objective effectively. However, a leader essentially holds a dominant and
superior position within an organisation and is cable to effectively carry out high level of control
over different individuals.
Managers: Manager is essentially a person who is considered as that in charge of a
particular unit and tends to achieve a particular objective with full skilfulness. However, a
manager usually a proper of group of individuals who are accountable to him.
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Role of Leaders: There are variety of roles which a leader within an organisation executes so
that attain desired business objective is done. Following are the major role which leader within
H&M essentially performs:
 Leader within an organisation is primarily accountable for creating vision that access in
influencing employees.
 Uniqueness of leader is that he establishes various activities through which morale of
employee at work is boast and they tend to work with their full potential.
 Long-term as well as short-term business objective is essentially set up by leaders so that
desired business objective can be achieved.
 Through the efforts of leaders only accomplishment of desired business objective is
essentially done.
Characteristics of Leaders:
 Within H&M leaders inherit effective communication skills through which proper
coordination within business is ascertained and positive working environment is created.
 Flexibility is one of major characteristic which a leader must inherit in order adjust the
business operation according to situation.
Role of Manager: However role of manager within business organisation is very curial. R
esponsibility of manager is to make so that desired business objective can be achieved (Eacott,
2018). Following are some major responsibility which manager at H&M needs to perform:
 Prime role of manager is to effectively delegate authority to its subordinates so that
consistency within business operations can be observed.
 Furthermore, manager also tends to set up strategic vision through which business is able
to perform business operation accurate and competitive business advantage can be
gained.
 Manager critically sets up the directions on the basis of which all the major business
related activities are performed.
 While introducing change within an organisation manager is majorly responsible for
setting guidelines.
Characteristics of Manager:
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 Being result oriented is the major characteristic which a manager must inherit. This
characteristic essentially helps in achieving sustainability within business. With respect to
H&M manager implement those strategies which can be achieved practically.
 Proper and effective communication is also an important characteristic of manager.
Difference between leaders and managers
Basis Manager Leaders
Nature Manager usually have
authoritative in nature (Ellis
and et.al., 2015).
Whereas leaders are
charismatic in nature.
Approach Manager within an
organisation usually possess
process-focused attitude.
Leader primarily possess
people-focused attitude in
order accomplish business
objectives.
Setting Managers tends to set up goals
within an organisation.
Whereas leaders are primarily
responsible for setting vision.
However, it can be summarised that within business organisation manager as well as
leader plays a very vital role through which consistency can be eventually witnessed. With
reference to H&M, leaders and manager properly coordinates with each other in order carry out
business operations effectively. Each department within H&M have a manager who is
responsible for carrying business activities. Whereas there are number of leaders who work
within business organisation in order to attain consistency and gain competitive business
advantage.
TASK 2
P2
Role of leader as well as function of manager is required within an organisation so as to
perform business operation with full efficiency. Both leaders and manager are indivisible in
nature. However, proper coordination between these two individual is must in order to carry
business operation with consistency (Eskerod, Huemann and Savage, 2015). It is the
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responsibility of leader and manger to essentially manage business problems effectively. Within
H&M effective coordination among leaders and manager is must. Following are some common
situation wherein role of leader and function of manager are essentially required:
 Staff Turnover: This essentially an important aspect wherein role of leader and function
of manager is required. Employee turnover is a aspect wherein exact percentage of
employees who leave an organisation and are replaced by other candidates is determined.
Proper identification is must in order to significantly find out the exact reason for
employee turnover (Fairholm and Gronau, 2015). However, the prime reason behind
staff turnover is lack of employee satisfaction, with the kind of work they perform within
a company. With respect to H&M, manager and leaders plays a very curial role. Several
policies as well as rules are formulated by manager of respective organisation in order
retain employee and provide them safe as well as secure working environment. Whereas
leaders is primarily responsibility for identifying at employees tends to learn something
new everyday so that they perform allocated task with consistency. Implementation of
new policies by manager and leader must encourage and motivate employees so that they
work with full potential which will further help in employee retention. Employee
retention strategies and leadership practices go hand in hand this is essentially because
leaders plays a vital role in staff turnover.
 Conflicts: Conflicts within business organisation is witnessed at very phase. This
situation negatively impacts the overall business operation enormously. Organisational
conflicts is a state of discord which is usually caused due to opposition of values, needs
and interests between individual working together. Organisational conflicts takes several
forms within a company. Under the situation of conflict there is a unavailable clash
between formal authority and other individuals. However, with regard to H&M conflicts
situation within workers is essentially witnessed due to which overall business
productivity is negatively hampered. Communication gap is witnessed within H&M and
due this proper interaction within workers and management is not done. However, under
such situation manager is essentially responsible for setting several strategies through
which communication gap can be bridged up (Fernandez and et.al., 2015). Whereas
leaders is primarily responsible for making an appropriate channel of communication.
Proper analysis is essentially required in order top identify the prime reason behind the
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communication gap. However, it the obligation of leader to adopt most appropriate
leadership style.
However, there are several other business situations wherein the role of leader and function of
manager is effectively required in order to deal with business related activities with full
efficiency. Proper and effective coordination between leaders and manager at H&M is very
essential.
P3
There are variety of different theories and model of leadership through adoption of which
accomplished of desired business objective is essentially done. There leadership approaches
critically helps in explaining the how and why a company needs a leader.
 Situational Leadership: This leadership approach was given by Kenneth Blanchard and
Paul Hersey. Situational leadership is wherein a leader tends to adjust style of leadership
to fit in organisation and attain desired business objective effectively. Decision-making
by leaders under this style is dependent upon the exact situation of the business (Hairon
and Goh, 2015). This theory highlights that no single leadership style is best. However,
leaders under situational leadership approach possess the following characteristics:
flexibility, coaching, delegating, integrity and many more. This leadership style is highly
flexible in nature which is the major benefit. However, with respective to H&M
situational leadership will essentially help the leaders to handle the problems relating to
staff turnover and conflicts effectively because decision-making by leaders are made
depending upon the situation prevailing.
 System Leadership Approach: System leadership Approach essentially enables a leader
within an organisation is to create condition wherein individuals at all level can work
productively with their full potential. This leadership style was given by Dr. Ian
Macdonald. The major characteristic inherit by system leaders includes: systematic
thinking approach, open mindset, effective communication skills, focus on results and
many others. The major advantage which this leadership approach possess is that it is
adaptive and dynamic in nature. Under this leadership theory the prime objective of
leaders is to carry out business related activities in effective and systematic manner. With
regard to H&M system leadership approach can be implemented by leaders so that
business operations can be carried out in systematic manner.
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 Contingency Leadership Approach: This approach primarily focuses on the context of
leadership. Contingency theory of leadership is very special in nature which states that
success of leader is on dependent on his abilities. There are several other relating factors
to due which overall business productivity is negatively hampered. Contingency
leadership theory was given by Fred Fiedler. The principle of this leadership approach
states that there no leadership approach which can be utilized in dealing with every
business problems. Fiedler's Contingency theory significantly describes that
powerfulness of leader is identified by how well leadership style matches the situation.
However, this leadership approach can significantly help leader at H&M to effectively
solve staff turnover and conflicts situation effectively.
However, there are many other leadership theories which leader of an organisation adopts
in order to carry out business related activities with full efficiency. Leader must conduct a proper
analysis through which he should adopt the best leadership approach which fits in the respective
organisation perfectly.
TASK 3
(covered in PPT)
TASK 4
P6.
 Customers: Customers are individuals due to which major enterprise activities are
essentially carried out in order achieve standard objective effectively. However,
implementation of several business strategies by leaders and managers are significantly
done in order to satisfy customers (Kang, Zhao and Horst, 2016). Business environment
is highly impacted due to this force.
 Government: Government tremendously influences the whole business environment as
well as operation management. However, it is the responsibly of managers as well as
leaders to take all the major business related decision is taken keeping in the policies and
regulations made by government. With reference to H&M, regular analysis is made so as
to deal with government made policies.
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 CSR: It is the responsibility of every business organisation to effectively contribute a
certain sum of money for the the betterment of society as a whole. However, leaders and
managers are essentially responsible for formulating several strategies through which
society is benefited (Kiehtreiber and et.al., 2015). Decision-making power for
implementing several policies lies in the hands of managers and leaders.
 Stakeholders: Stakeholders comprises of group of individual who enormously impacts
actions as well as objective of a business organisation to a great extent. Stakeholders
primarily includes creditors, owners, directors and many others. In context to H&M all
the major business related decisions are made by leaders and managers are consulting
stakeholders.
Moreover, variety of other business environmental factors that impacts operational management
activities within an organisation to a great extent. Therefore, proper evaluation as well as
determination by leaders and managers must be made so as to accomplish business goals and
objectives. Decision-making of leader and managers are highly influenced by business
environmental factors.
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned report it can be summarised that operation management is a
essential aspect of business through which consistency as well as sustainability within an
organisation is essentially witnessed. Furthermore, manager and leader within business
organisation are inseparable in nature and efforts of the essentially helps in achieving desired
business objective with full efficiency. Leader and manager are primarily responsible for
implementing several strategies through activities relating to operation management are
performed accordingly. Apart from this there are various leadership approaches which a leaders
inherits in order to carry business activities effectively. There are various key approaches of
operation management through which positive outcome within an organisation are witnessed.
Moreover, there are several environmental factors which impacts the overall operation
management activities.
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