Management and Operations Report: Leadership, Theories, and Practice

This report delves into the critical functions of management and operations within an organization, using Marks and Spencer as a case study. It examines the distinct roles and characteristics of managers and leaders, highlighting their responsibilities in planning, organizing, directing, staffing, coordina...Read More

Management and
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1....................................................................................................................................................3
P1 Roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager..............................................................3
TASK 2....................................................................................................................................................5
P2 Application of role of manager and leader in different situation............................................5
P3 Different theories and models of manger and leader.............................................................8
TASK 3....................................................................................................................................................9
P4 Key approaches to operations management..........................................................................9
P5 Importance of operations management in achieving business goals...................................10
TASK 4..................................................................................................................................................11
P6 Factors affecting operational management and decision-making by managers...................11
CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
The operations and management is the important functions of the organisation that
effectively achievement of goals and objectives of the company. Operations management
involve managing, planning, controlling all the activities that are directly related to the
production or manufacturing unit of the company. The marks and Spencer is the UK
Company dealing with the women lingerie, food, wine, other cosmetics etc. This company is
involved in variety of the product line and variety of functions in the organisation. Hence
effectiveness of the operations are necessary in order to ensuring the goals of company
effectively and timely. This helps in cutting down the various cost incurred in
mismanagement of operations. The leader and mangers affects the operation management of
the business firm to a large extent (Talk, 2016).
This module studies the difference in the role and responsibility of leader and manger.
They are having some similarities too that are also discussed in this assignment. This report
deals with the effectively implementation of management theories and the leadership style in
order to achieve operational mission effectively leading to enhancing profitability of
company. The marks and Spencer is focusing on its operations to manage effectively by
making appropriate decisions in order to achieve more productivity of quality product.
TASK 1
P1 Roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager
Manager: Manager is the person who is holding the key positions in the organisation.
They manages different task according to the goals and objectives of the organisation by
defining performance standards for the employees. This helps in achieving the gaols timely n
the organisation. Manager is the policy makers of the company. They develop various
policies in order to maintain and good and ethical work culture in the mark and spencer ltd.
The mangers is involved various strategies development and decision making process in
order to enhance productivity through managing different task of the company. The managers
are present at all level of organisation structure hierarchy in different department to manage
their task efficiently. The manger is responsible for the performance appraisal of employee
working with the organisation (Alderton and Saieva, 2013). This enhances the motivation

level of employee and ultimately manger is successful in increasing productivity of the
company by managing operations at various level of organisation structure.
Leaders: Leaders are the person that having ability to wok one form the others. The
leaders are motivators for the employee in order to perform better in workplace. The leader is
the person who inherits the objectives, mission and vision of the organisation in front of
employees. The leaders motivate the workforce and influence their behaviours in order to
achieve performance standards in operations through the workforce. The leaders are having
good communication skills that affect the behaviours of the employee to motivate employee
to work efficiently in workplace. The leaders inspire the employee to appraise their
performance.
The manger and leaders are different from each other in many aspects like their
motivating style, role and responsibility in the organisation (Ergum, and et.al., 2010). The
differences between the manager and leader of the mark and Spencer are as follows:
Manager Leaders
Manger defines the objective and goals for
the organisation.
Leaders follow and implement the
objectives specified by mangers.
Managers make policies for the
organisation
Leaders influence the employee behaviour.
Managers provide a directional approach
to workforce.
Leaders give direction to a team.
Managers develop various strategies for
the profitability of company.
These convert ideas into reality.
Mangers focus on the assets and
resources.
Leaders are focused on workforce.
Manager role and responsibilities are or
planning operations.
Leaders’ responsibilities are to inspire
employees.
Managers divide work between
employees.
Leaders motivates employee.
The role and functions of leaders and mangers of marks and spencer ltd. are as
follows:

Planning: The manger functioning is planning the business future growth plans and
defining the objectives for the marks and Spencer Company. The mangers are involved
developing various strategies in order to attain higher productivity. While the leaders role in
organisation are the communication of policies and strategies developed by the mangers of
the company with the workforce. Leaders carry more emphasis on the accomplishment of
objectives by the employees effectively on time.
Organizing: The manger role in the company is to organises the resources and assets
of the company. The manager uses the available resources in order to accomplish goals of
marks and Spencer effectively (Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, 2011). The leader role is
to allocation of the available resources between the individuals of the different teams working
in the organisation in unity. This directs the employee to optimum utilization of the resources
in company.
Directing: The manger provides or directs the overview of the task that are to be
completed by the teams if organisation. While the leaders works for directing the teams for
effective accomplishment of goals in effective ways and develops creativity in the team
members.
Staffing: The functions of the manger is to hire right person with effective skills sets
to perform a particular job efficiently. While the leaders role is to allocate the tasks and jobs
to employee according to their capabilities and skills and helps in effective resolution of
issues relate to discipline and grievances in the organisation.
Coordinating: The managers works for the integration of the works of different
department of marks and Spencer. The manger works for collectivism of the marking,
finance, operational management in unity to work as an effectively and profitable unit. While
the leaders focuses on the integration of teams and employee t work efficiently in team by
reducing communication gap and enhancing their participation in team work.
Controlling: The Implementation of different strategies and policy in the work culture
of the marks and Spencer Company is controlled and oriented by the person acquiring key
positions of other organisation like mangers (Difference Between Leadership and
Management. 2017). While the leaders controls the performance of the particular employee
of overall team performance to maintain the standards of the company effectively.

TASK 2
P2 Application of role of manager and leader in different situation
The management and leaders collectively work in order to handle various situation in
operation to manage the risk and loss associated with them. This helps in converting the risk
associated in a fruitful results for the productivity of the organisation. The various role of
manager in the workplace to handle different problems are as follows:
 Interpersonal role: The management handle various situation with the interpersonal
role of manager and build a good relationship with the employees. The manger act as
figurehead to manage all task and employee powers in right direction. The other role
of manger is that sometimes he act as leader and helps in enhancing the performance
of employee to get better results in the organisation according to set performance
standards in work culture. The liaison interpersonal role of manger involves
communicating and brainstorming with the employees in order to carry out some
requires improvement in operations of marks and Spencer.
 Information role: This role helps in monitoring various contingent situation in the
operations of the company this also helps in allocation of resources in the employee
and effective utilization of resources by employee to achieve optimum results in
productivity.
 Decision role: The decision role of manger enables a person to make important
policies, strategies and decision related to management of operations in the
organisation. The manger act as resource locator, handle distribution with
entrepreneurial approach so that the enhance the profitability and productivity of the
company marks and Spencer.
The marks and Spencer is facing huge problem in operations due to higher taxation
rate, fuel prices, raw material and equipment prices. This is an situation that have to resolved
through the effective implementation of the strategies in the organisation by the mangers and
efficiently follow up by the leaders of the company (O'Fallon and Rutherford, 2011). The
manger and functions are having responsibility to make company working in desired sets of
standards and performance constraints so that the goals and objectives of marks and Spencer
company are optimally achieved. Due to higher rate of equipment and material required in
operation there may be increase in overall cost of operation. That have to reduce by the

strategic development and making decision by mangers in order to cuts down the cost
incurred in production. The several theories and approaches that can be used to handle this
situation developed by mangers and leaders are as management by objectives, behavioural
approach, etc.
The contemporary theory deals effectively in the current situation/ problem of the
company effectively. This is the manager who develop various strategies to cuts down the
cost incurred in the operation. The manger deals with the supplier to make available raw
material at lower cost with helps of offering bulk purchase etc. this will effects the behaviour
of supplier and ultimately cuts down the overall cost of operation. While leaders can motivate
the employee to adapt changes and adapt new technologies in the workplace in order to
reduce workload and enhance the performance of employee (Slack, 2015).
Management by objectives theory defines that the manager, leaders and the workforce
of the company marks spencer works collectively to attain the goals and objectives of the
organisation effectively nude efficiently within quality and time constraints. The manger
appraise the employee performance by making various policies in relation to performance
appraisal. Leaders motivates and allocate work in team effectively to increase productivity
and cutting down cost through mass production approach.
Classical theory defines the policies related to the increment in production. This helps
n developing standards and goals related to the need of specific performance by the
employees. The management and workforce is continuously engaged enhancing the
productivity and its quality in order to decrease various costs and increasing sales figure and
revenue of the company (David, 2011). This follows participative leadership style that
enhances the team work and collective work with the management team to attain objectives
of the organisation in particular situation of higher cost of raw material and equipment’s in
external environment.
Behavioural theory approach is application of various policies and strategies in order
to develop new skills and capabilities in the workforce of marks and spencer to reduce the
various cost due to effective working of employee in the organisation. The leaders follows
transformational style leadership to motivate and transform the employee according to the
change and increase workforce flexibility and adaptability to large extent.

The approach of manger that relay on the building good customer relationship and
help in directing the employee in appropriate direction to increase revenue for the marks and
Spencer Company. This helps in effective resource allocation among employees and maintain
good communication system in the organisation. But the continues change in environment
leads to faster changing policies and strategies by the mangers in organisation that may be
weakness for the organisation system. This will leads to making decision without
involvement of employee and results in autocratic type of leadership style that impact
negatively in the performance of employee. The management can follow and good
relationship with employee by implementing transformational approach in organisation that
can become strength and competitive advantage for the effectiveness of the organisation.
P3 Different theories and models of manger and leader
The various theories of management helps in development of effective management
in the organisation. this helps in development of various skills and capabilities in the
employees so that the performance standards can be achieved defectively. This will helps in
generating various kind of growth opportunity to employee and the company too in adverse
conditions also. The various type of theories that defines the management styles are as
follows:
Situational leadership: This approach deals with enhancing the employee capabilities
according to changing situation in the company environment. This can be accomplished by
policy and strategic development by the manger in order to handle particular situation and its
follow up buy the manger to developing flexibility in the working environment of the marks
and Spencer (Krajewski, Ritzman and Malhotra, 2013). The leadership style motivates the
workforce in completing their task effectively. The leaders follow different leadership style
according to situational change and the skills requirement in the employee behaviour. This
theory defines the various strategies development by management to resolve the issues in the
operations related to higher cost of production.
Systems leadership : The system approach focuses on the systematic execution of the
operations in the organisation to reduce various wastage cost involved in the production. This
follows and systematize approach by the manger in order to allocating resources and task in
systematic manner to employee in order to reduce wastage of raw material. This ultimately
results in lowering the production cost systematic approach follows direction leadership style
to carry out particular task in the company. The marks and Spencer can use systematic

approach in order to optimum utilization of capabilities of employee and optimum use of
resources too.
Contingency leadership: This approach is useful in developing management
strategies in order to resolve the contingent problem and emergency continuous the company.
This develop new strategies and policies an implement required changes in the originations
structure for effectiveness of the organisation. The manager implement changes in the
organisation structure an culture in order to manager task and jobs of individual in the
performance of company.
The various leadership style like autocratic, transformational , democratic leadership
styles influence the employee performance to large extent. The transformation leadership
style hopeful in success for the contingent theory in order to adapt changes in employee
behaviour and the organisation too (Karlsson, 2016). While the autocratic leadership style is
effective in decision making process faster. The democratic leadership style develop
creativity , innovation and higher confidence in workforce with involvement of employee in
decision making process of the company important operations. This type of leadership style
along with management theories are utilised to enhance the effectiveness of the operation
management in the marks and Spencer company and help reducing the high cost incurred in
different department. This also motivates the employee to work efficiently to attain
performance standards efficiently by optimum utilisation of resources available to them in
workplace.
Conclusion: This can be concluded that the leadership style and management
theories are having great impact on the stretch development of the organisation. This helps in
maintain a performance standards with quality management in operations the company. He
leader and mangers are having various roles and responsibility in context to operation
management and they collectively work in integrated system to achieve objectives of the
organisation efficiently.
TASK 3
P4 Key approaches to operations management
The key approaches to the operation management effectively on the organisation are
just in time approach, total quality management and the six sigma approach. These approach

manages the operations of the organisation effectively and helps in cutting down the various
extra cost incurred in the organisation effective functioning.
Six sigma approach is followed by the organisation in order to achieve better
performance management system of the employee leading the reducing various cost incurred
in the waste. This depends on the minimum wastage approach (Zurich, 2017). This is the
optimum utilisation of resources of the organisation. The managers function in the six sigma
approach is to develop global strategies in the marks an Spencer in order to achieve effective
utilization of resources by implementing zero wastage approach. The leaders role in this
approach is to enhance the team work and coordination for achieving better performance
results.
Total quality management approach is focused upon the managing the total quality
of the operations of the marks and Spencer company. This involves the continuous
monitoring regulating the performance of employee, inventory management and effective
resource allocation in the organisation. This enhances the efficiency of the productivity and
operations of marks and Spencer. The functions of the manger in application of total quality
management is to control the and implement continuous changes in the operation in order to
improve function of company continuously. While the leaders are focused on the developing
capabilities in the employee in order to accept and adapt changes faster in their behaviour to
coordinate with the improvement requirement in operations.
Just in time approach focuses on the controlling he viability of the inventory from
the suppliers only at the time of need or just before the time of need. This helps in efficient
management inventory and eliminates the wastage of inventory. This builds a continuous
check system in the organisation (Hamilton, Holub and Blunt, 2011). The manger role is to
develop strategies in the marks and Spencer company in order to integrate the production and
operation department with the supplier leading to efficient management of inventory at the
time of need. While the role of lewder in just in time approach is to keep regular check on the
performance in order to analyse the demand and supply of inventory to allocate the resources
to the team efficiently on time.
P5 Importance of operations management in achieving business goals
The suggestion and recommendation to achieve the organisation goals effectively
through the operation management by leaders and angers. This helps in reducing waste and
implementing strategies and policies for the sustainable development of the organisation and

attaining the company goals effectively. The organisation can adopt the democratic
leadership style instead of autocratic leadership style. This enhance the innovation and
creativity in employee. This also helps in reducing the communication gap and leads to the
participation of employee in the decision making process of the organisation (Barratt, Choi
and Li, 2011). The leaders should efficiently train and motivate the individual according to
the skills and capabilities required to achieve the performance standards of the organisation
effectively. The mangers should implement new approaches in the operation management
like total quality management, continuous improvement system, just in time inventory
management and the six sigma approach in order to increase the efficiency of workforce and
reducing the cost incurred in wastage of available resources of the marks and spencer
company. These approach helps in optimum utilization of resources and allocating the
resources and job according to the change implemented in the organisation.
TASK 4
P6 Factors affecting operational management and decision-making by managers
The companies are following concept of sustainable development o organisation. The
sustainable development is allocating the resources of the company in right direction to
counter with the needs of customer effectively and ensuring the ethical business activities in
the society. The ethically development of the business develops corporate social
responsibility of the marks and Spencer company. This involves the pricing strategies, quality
of product, practices carried out by organisation and the ethically functioning of operation of
the organisation for welfare of the society (Subramanian and Ramanathan, 2012). The
policies related to the corporate social responsibility is highly influenced by the functions of
management and the role of the leaders in marls and Spencer The company is engaged in
developing the business ethically and sustainably to the continuous revenue generation by
defining social responsibility of the organisation. The marks and Spencer is involved in
enhancing the good relationship with the customers and building customer loyalty that can be
achieved by implementing sustainable development of operations of the company. The
ethical practices of the company involves maintain a health competitive relationship with the
competitors in the market. The effective implementation of the management strategies and
motivated workforce can be competitive advantage of the organisation and helps in
sustainable development of the organisation. The marks and Spencer is providing quality
services at affordable prices this is and another competitive advantage of the company that

can be helpful in increasing the success rate of company in many folds. The mangers play an
important role in developing policies in relation to corporate social responsibility of the
organisation and enhancing the goodwill of the company to large extent.
The various policies for the environment protection, employee satisfaction and
establishing competitive advantage largely affects the execution of corporate social
responsibility in practice. The various strategies helps in developing an ethical and successful
business in the market place and contributes in the CSR activates of the marks and Spencer
The manger effectively communicate these policies in the work culture of company among
the workforce. While the leaders allocate the task in order to achieve sustainable development
of the company ethically in the marketplace (Peng and Lai, 2012). Marks and Spencer
implement their policies in integration of the leaders and mangers in the organisation for
effective execution of strategies and operations of the organisation in order to achieve goals
of the company efficiently and contributes in the sustainable development of the business.
The factors affecting the business environment in the sustainable development and the
effective implementation of the strategies and polices development by the mangers are like
employee relations, communications system, efficient allocation of resources and tasks
among individuals , performance of the workforce. These factors affects the decision making
process of the manger to the large extent. The democratic leadership style implementation in
the work culture of marks and Spencer's have significant impact on the decision making of
the company as it involve participation of employee in the strategic development for the
sustainable development of the business organisation. The total quality management and six
sigma approach enhances the performance of the employee in the organisation and
successfully implement the strategies developed by mangers and followed up by the leaders
of the company.
CONCLUSION
From this report it can be concluded that the effective management of the operation of
the companies important for the success of the organisation. This helps in development of the
employee as well management skills for implementing various strategies in order to maintain
the operations of organisation effectively. From this report it can be concluded that there are
many factors that affects the leadership style and the management style. These factors should
be controlled through the practising of operation management effectively. This can be

concluded from the assignment that the mark and Spencer is managing their operations in
effective and efficient manner by optimum utilisation of resources available to the company.
This leads to higher profitability of the organisation. The company is continuously involved
in practising the various leadership style so that the leaders are able to motivate employee and
workers of company effectively. This creates an healthy work culture in the organisation. The
operational management is most important aspect and directly involved aspects of the
company in building revenue through achieving higher sales and retaining more customers
and building customer loyalty.
REFERENCES
Books and Journal
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Management. 29(4). pp.329-342.
David, F.R., 2011. Strategic management: Concepts and cases. Peaeson/Prentice Hall.
Ergun, O., and et.al., 2010. Operations research to improve disaster supply chain
management. Wiley encyclopedia of operations research and management science.
Hamilton, J.M., Holub, C. and Blunt, J., 2011, January. Simulation of ice management fleet
operations using two decades of Beaufort Sea ice drift and thickness time histories.
In The Twenty-first International Offshore and Polar Engineering Conference.
International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers.
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Krajewski, L.J., Ritzman, L.P. and Malhotra, M.K., 2013. Operations management:
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O'Fallon, M.J. and Rutherford, D.G., 2011. Hotel management and operations. John Wiley &
Sons.
Peng, D.X. and Lai, F., 2012. Using partial least squares in operations management research:
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Management. 30(6). pp.467-480.
Slack, N., 2015. Operations strategy. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Slack, N., Brandon-Jones, A. and Johnston, R., 2011. Essentials of operations management.
Financial Times Prentice Hall.
Subramanian, N. and Ramanathan, R., 2012. A review of applications of Analytic Hierarchy
Process in operations management. International Journal of Production Economics.
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Talk, O.M., 2016. Operations management.
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