An Analysis of Leadership and Management in Marks & Spencer

This report provides an in-depth analysis of leadership and management concepts, focusing on the British multinational retailer, Marks & Spencer. It begins by defining and differentiating between leadership and management, exploring the key functions of each within an organizational context. The report delves into leadership theories, specifically examining the trait theory and behavior theory, and how these theories are applied within Marks & Spencer. It highlights the personality traits associated with effective leadership, such as drive, honesty, self-confidence, and intelligence. Furthermore, the report discusses various management theories including scientific management theory and bureaucratic management theory. The report concludes by analyzing the leadership development programs implemented by Marks & Spencer to improve leadership behaviors and attitudes, providing a comprehensive overview of leadership and management practices within a retail environment. The report also emphasizes the importance of understanding the difference between leaders and followers and how leaders make decisions.

Organisations:
Leadership and Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Concepts of leadership and management...............................................................................1
Explanation of leadership theory............................................................................................4
Management development program.......................................................................................7
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Leadership is the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to motivate a group of
people for achieving the organisational goals. It is an art to influence someone to do better for
achieving a goal. In leadership, the individuals provides guidelines to the followers in an
organisation and working towards accomplish the targets. The functions of management includes
planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. It consists of the internal
function of creating and organizing corporate policy in order to achieve the objective of
organisation.
Present study is based on Marks & Spencer. It is a British multinational retailer company,
headquartered in Westminster, London. It mainly deals in clothing, luxury food products and
home products etc. it is listed in London stock exchange. The revenue of the Marks & Spencer is
approximately £10,698.2 million in 2018 and employed around 80,787 employees. The report
will describe the differences between the concepts of leadership and management and
differences among the two. It will analyse the trait theory of leadership that helps to identify the
personality traits of effective leadership. The report also explains about the leadership
development programs that are implemented by retail business organisation in order to bring
improvements in the leadership behaviours and attitudes. Furthermore, it mainly focus on
leadership development aspect of selected program of Marks & Spencer.
MAIN BODY
Concepts of leadership and management
Meaning and Definition
Leadership refers to the action of leading a team of employees within the organisation. It
is the ability of a person for influencing and guiding people effectively towards achievement of
targeted goals and objectives of organisation. Leadership involves creation and articulation of
vision, establishment of goals and objectives and also guiding employees with required
knowledge and techniques for accomplishing those objectives.
Management refers to the body of practice, knowledge and discipline. It is the set of
principles associated to various functions like planning, organizing, directing, controlling.
Management can be described as the technique of managing and decision-making within the
organisation. Managers of the organisation focus on getting things and tasks done effectively
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through others. Managers carry the responsibility of directing peoples in the organisation in
order to effectively achieve the targeted goals and objectives (McCaffery, 2018).
Differences between the concept of leadership and management
Leadership concepts Management concepts
Leadership aims at setting up of innovative
vision and accordingly provides direction to its
followers in order to effectively achieve
organisational goals.
Management focus on controlling and directing
the employees and organisational resources
according to the established values and
principles of organisation.
Leadership is considered as the change agent
and its focus is to bring innovation and
creation in the business activities and
operations.
Management do not focus on innovation, they
tend to stick with the established principles.
They stick with refining systems, processes and
structures and aims at making them better.
Leaders of Marks & Spencer are willing for
trying new things and processes so that they
bring creativity and innovation in the business
operations.
Managers do not try for bringing change in the
process, they tend to mimic behaviours and
competencies. Managers of Marks & Spencer
aim at sticking with established principles.
Leadership aims at taking risks by making
changes in order to bring innovation.
Management focuses on controlling and
minimizing the risks, thus, they control and
avoid problems and bringing change rather
than embracing them.
Marks & Spencer ensures that leaders
effectively influence the employees and it
leads to accomplishment of goals and
objectives.
Marks & Spencer ensures that managers
effectively manages the things and employees
in disciplined and better way possible.
Leadership plays role of facilitator in decision-
making process in Marks & Spencer.
Management involves in the decision-making
process in the Marks & Spencer.
There are different leadership styles that can be
used in Marks & Spencer organisation to
influence performance of employees.
Managers can make use of different
management styles in order to guide and direct
employees towards achievement of objectives
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Such as: participative, transformational and
consultative (Bolden, 2016).
of Marks & Spencer.
Such as: autocratic, dictatorial, authoritative,
democratic and transactional.
Leadership simply looks at the issues and
problems and according devises creative
solutions.
Management aim at formulating policies,
methods and strategies for resolving business
problems.
Leadership theories
Behaviour theory: Behaviour theory base on the fact that leaders are made not born.
This theory is focus on the action of the leader. Mark and Spenser adopt this theory then it will
depend upon the behaviour of the leader. As if the behaviours of the leader is positive then it will
increase the morale of the employees and also it will increase the efficiency of Marks and
Spenser. And if there is a negative behaviour of the leader than it will affect the growth of the
organisation. According to this theory, people can learn to became leaders through teaching and
observing . Also, the employees of Marks and Spenser also focuses on the actions of leader and
can learn to become leaders through their quality.
Participative Theory : This theory is based on the idea that the ideal leadership style in
which the leader encourages the employees to participate in the decision making process. If
Marks and Spenser adopt this style it will impact in the positive way because it will increase the
morale of the employees as they will feel that they are important in the organisation. Also in this
theory the leader has the right to allow the input of others. Employees will feel more energetic
and give their hundred percent efforts and it will increase the growth of Marks and Spenser.
Management theories
Management is a science and art. It manges the deals of human beings and the behaviour
which can reduce the formulas. From learning and implementing it gives benefits to mangers for
the best practised which studied and test the approaches for running the Marks and Spenser.
Scientific management theory:- this theory of management is for improving the
productivity and develop the scientific and classical approaches of the theory. It synthesises and
analyses the workflows of the Mark and Spenser and the main and important objectives is to
improve the efficiency of economic and also the productivity of the labour. It includes logic,
rationally, work ethics, elimination of waste, empiricism etc.
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Bureaucratic management theory:- The main objective and aim of this theory is to
clear the stress for the designated roles of the employees and also it is based on the hierarchy of
the management. It is an administrative system which managed the staffs and departments with
non-elected officials in Mark and Spenser. The bureaucracy is developing the negative impact on
Mark and Spenser. This theory cannot reduce the simply to systematised approaches and
mechanical for approaching to the human beings. Bureaucracy is a government administration
which is necessary for the organisation. It is running in centralised hierarchical structures in
Mark and Spenser.
Explanation of leadership theory
Trait theory of leadership
It is a first modern theory of leadership. It became a popular theory at twentieth century.
The theory identifies the specific trait of personality that distinguish the leaders from the non-
leaders. This theory believes that leaders are born not made. It focuses on the characteristics of
successful and unsuccessful leaders and are linked to the successful leadership. The successful
leadership means the leaders have interest, personality traits and abilities that are not present in
unsuccessful leaders. This theory is used to predict the effectiveness of leadership. The result of
trait can be analysis by comparing the potential of leaders against their success and failure. The
trait theory helps to identify the characteristics and personality traits that links to successful
leadership (Wyatt and Silvester, 2018). There are various trait approaches that are used to
identify leaders characteristics.
Marks & Spencer's leadership is based on trait theory. Marks & Spencer have various
personality traits in their leader that need for performing an effective leadership. The leader of
Marks & Spencer always have potential to take initiative for workers and make effective
decision making for their organisations. For example, when the competitors are continuously
enhanced their product variety Leaders of the marks and Spencer take the initiative to change in
their production and motivate the workers to work effectively to increase the variety of the
products and lead them in order to accomplishing the objective of the company. (Carleton,
Barling and Trivisonno, 2018). This creates the competitive advantage for Marks & Spencer.
There are several initiative that is taken by the leaders of Marks & Spencer that shows effective
leadership of its leaders.
There are some traits that differentiate leaders from non-leaders:-
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Drive:- Leaders gives their full efforts to their work. They have higher desires, ambitious, lots of
energy and tirelessly persistent to perform their activities for achieving goals and they also take
initiative for accomplish better goals. Marks & Spencer's leader works with their employees that
show the ambition of leaders towards the organisations.
The desire to lead:- Leaders have strong willingness to take responsibility as well as lead to
others. The leaders of Marks & Spencer are always ready to take responsibilities. In recent year
the leaders takes responsibility to enhance their sales by 20% that is very difficult as opposed to
their competitors but the leader are confident about to achieving this target that shows their
willingness to take responsibilities towards the organisations(Joseph and et.al.,2015).
Honesty and integrity:- Leader also takes initiative for their followers and built trustworthy
relationship with them and show high concern for their work as well as for their followers. The
leaders of Marks & Spencer always helps to their employees and take initiatives that are in
favour of employees.
Self-confidence:- Followers are depended on the leaders for their problem related to work and
leader always solve their problems with self-confidence in order to convince the followers for
achieving goals. The leaders are always confident about their decision and they believe that their
decisions are given positive results to the organisations (Understanding the Trait Theory of
Leadership,2019). Marks & Spencer's leader take decisions to enhance their sales . They
introduce the black Friday marketing strategy and they are confident that this strategy helps to
enhance their profit and connect more customers.
Intelligence:- Leaders need to be intelligent for gathering, summarising and interpret the large
amount of information and able to solve their problems. They create vision for future growth
and also take correct decisions for the organisations. The leaders of Marks & Spencer solves the
problems by analysing market demands.
Job relevant knowledge:- Effective leaders have knowledge about all the works that are related
to their industry, company and technical matters. Leader's in-depth knowledge allows them to
take effective decision for their organisation and understands the results of their decisions.
This theory gives detailed knowledge and understanding of traits of leaders that need for
effective leadership. It is a naturally pleasing theory. This theory helps to identify the effective
leader with great leadership style. The effective leadership can be identify by some common
traits such as great leader always moves forward the group and always ready to take
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responsibilities and do not blame others for their decision. They take both the ownership and
mistakes.
It also focuses on the difference between the leaders and followers. This theory has the
assumptions that people on leader's position have more trait than those people who are in
subordinate position. There are some traits that distinguish the leader and subordinate. Leaders
are tended to higher in things such as self-confidence and extroversion as compare to the
subordinates (Understanding the Trait Theory of Leadership, 2019). For example, if the leader is
extrovert, straight forward, motivator and able to lead their subordinate will achieve the great
success in the organisation whereas if leader is introverted, timid and do not have the ability to
lead the followers will not lead the team effectively and can not be success in their goals. With
the help of trait theory, Marks & Spencer can identify the good leadership. Good leadership
means being honest, inspiring, forward looking and competent etc. Those leaders who have these
skills will also motivate the other groups and teams in the organisation and lead others for
reaching organisations goals.
There are some limitations of the trait theory:-
This theory gives subjective judgement of the effectiveness of leadership, there is very less
relevance with practical leadership of the leaders because of several traits that they identify in the
organisation. The determination of the successful leader and unsuccessful leader is only based on
traits that raise many arguments. It gives constructive and complex information about leadership.
This theory is not based on any research or it is not a systematic concept of development and
principles. It is only a descriptive theory that explains how someone is fit as a leader. It has some
predictive and explanatory properties (Carleton, Barling and Trivisonno, 2018).
The trait theory does not give the explanation of relationship of the specific trait to performance
of leaders. The traits that are need to perform as leader are different for acquiring leadership.
This theory is only looking towards the leader (Joseph and et.al.,2015).
The trait theory of leadership helps to understand the traits of effectiveness of leadership
and these traits helps to identify the leaders for an organisation. Organisation can achieve their
goals with the help of effective leadership. Marks & Spencer is also used trait theory for
choosing the effective leader for an organisation. Marks & Spencer's leader has some personality
traits of effective leadership that shows in their decision making, attitude as well as initiative for
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the employees etc. The leaders of Marks & Spencer takes many initiative that enhance the
organisation growth and profitability (Wyatt and Silvester, 2018).
The leader of marks & Spencer is extroverted means straight forward and are able to lead their
subordinate and takes initiative for their employees and maintain informal relationship with their
followers that helps to create friendly environment at workplace and enhance the productivity of
the organisation.
Management development program
Marks & Spencer is a British multinational retail business that offers wide range of
products and services to its customers. The company is a public limited firm and it is listed on
the London Stock Exchange. Marks & Spencer specialises in clothing, luxury food products and
home products and serves around the world-wide.
The field of leadership and management has changed over a period of time. The retail
industries are developing and growing on rapid rate. Retail companies are invariantly critical for
the global economy growth. The rapid growth and evolution of domestic and global market place
and various continuous technological advances has created the needs for organisation to adopt
and implement the training and development programs. The various management development
programs are designed in a way that helps in enhancing and strengthening the leadership
capabilities. The development programs helps individual and leaders to gain and improvise the
required skills, knowledge and resources that helps in effectively leading, engaging and
developing the team. Thus, Marks & Spencer also focuses on to implementing effective
leadership and management development programs that helps in improving the skills and
knowledge of its leaders and they tend to bring effective improvement in the overall performance
of business organisation (Bush, Bell, and Middlewood eds., 2019).
Lead to Succeed Development Programme
Marks & Spencer aims at implementing Lead to Succeed leadership development
programme in order to develop and improve the skills and knowledge of leaders and managers so
that they can effectively manage the changing business environment and changing demands and
preferences of employees. The Lead to Succeed leadership development programme guides
leaders to effectively manage and deal with the range of employment situations. This leadership
development programme focus on introducing the concept of different leadership behaviours.
The development program ensures that it improves the communication skill, confidence level
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and skill of its participants so that they can effectively engage the employees in the business
activities and operations. These are considered as the important elements of effective leaders that
are used to motivate and encourage employees to perform the activities effectively. This leads to
bring effective achievement of goals due to improved performance level of employees. The
effective leader can build influential team that have high performing employees who focus on
accomplishing targeted goals and objectives of organisation (Khode and et.al, 2016).
The Lead to Succeed aims at improving the art of empowering, leading, motivating and
encouraging employees of the retail business of Marks & Spencer. The development program
also helps leaders to improve the performance and skills level so that they lead to bring further
improvements and innovation by effectively guiding employees. The leaders are also capable
and guided to effectively create and articulate the vision and objectives of organisation with its
team members and employees. The Lead to Succeed leadership development programme is
structured and formatted in a way that leaders are provided with required skills and practical
knowledge so that they can implement effective practices in business organisation. Four different
primary procedures for learning are used in development programs by keeping leadership goals
and practices in mind. The learning procedures followed by Lead to Succeed are principles and
advantages of leadership, skills to team management and dynamic system and develop strategies,
identify and review key learning. Marks & Spencer implements the Lead to Succeed and its
procedure is explained in brief as follows:
Principles and Advantages of leadership: It is the first component of Lead to succeed
leadership development programme. This module aid to participant understand the values and
benefits of great leadership to both Marks and Spencer as well as individual. It enhances
awareness of leadership styles and preferences as well as improve communication and
influencing abilities (McCaffery, 2018). In relation to that, participants evolve strategies to boost
effective decision making. Each and every contestants has made an individual leadership
development plan that they constant to build on and review throughout the programme be the
end of the first module.
Skills to team management: It is the second module of Lead to succeed leadership
development programme. This component evolves understanding and abilities to lead teams,
handle team dynamics and drive team development. Contestants learn ways to enhance
collaboration within and among teams to drive performance of Marks and Spencer. This module
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also concentrate on developing creativity and innovation in other, leading change, building
relations and coaching (Carleton, Barling and Trivisonno, 2018). Therefore, it is also necessary
to develop skills and competencies for leading a team and manage team dynamic.
Dynamic system and develop strategies: It is the third module of Lead to succeed
leadership development programme. This component aids contestants to understand the Marks
and Spencer as dynamic system and develop strategies to run successfully in difficult, changing
and competitive advantages (Mullins, 2016). In relation to that, they learn about culture of Marks
and Spencer, different roles of leaders within the firm. Also, they learn that ways of leaders
which can effect on organization and modes of firm which can influence them. This learning is
focus on consumers and need for contestants to align themselves and their actions with business
priorities.
Identify and review key learning: It is the final module of Lead to succeed leadership
development programme. This component aids participants with chances to determine and
review key learning from the programme. Contestants create presentation to members of selected
company executive committee on business impact (Bush, Bell and Middlewood, eds., 2019). It
assists to present return on investment. Together, contestants share experiences of successful
learning implementation and celebrate the completion of the programmes. Each and every
contestants leaves with clear vision for their future focus as leader.
Marks & Spencer implements Lead to Succeed as this program covers wide range of
topic that are related to bring improvement in the leadership style and practices. This program
emphasis on developing communication skill, self-awareness, workplace coaching, performance
management, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution management, change management and
ways to increase motivation and productivity. Marks & Spencer applies the Lead to Succeed in
the retail stores which is explained in brief and as shown below:
Increasing the Capabilities: The Lead to Succeed leadership development programmes
which is applied by Marks and Spencer. This programme is beneficial for sustainable success. It
has strong capabilities of senior leaders to lead changes (Bolden, 2016). The result of this
leadership development programmes is enhanced productivity, decrease external recruitment
costs and cost saving.
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Build skill and confidence: This programme is more beneficial for leaders to build skills
and confidence to challenges other s in relation to improve performance. It has also promoted
leaders to take control of conditions to ensure that they get the result they believe are right.
Building effective leaders: The Lead to Succeed implemented by Marks & Spencer
ensures that it provides leaders with required and essential skills to create effective strategies and
vision in order to get successful results. The development program focuses on identifying
strengths and weaknesses of participants so that they can accordingly bring improvements so that
leaders develop their skills and become more effective, influential and stronger (Leroy, Anseel,
Gardner, and Sels, 2015).
Fundamentals leadership skills training: Marks & Spencer ensures that Lead to
Succeed helps in maximizing the capabilities, skills and knowledge of leaders and managers and
they take the leadership fundamentals to the next level. The leadership development program
provides various workshops and sessions to participants that enables them to improve the
leadership practices. Workshops and sessions provides skills of engaging employees, practical
knowledge, interactive and thought-provoking knowledge. This leads to bring effective impact
and influences on the performance of leaders and thus on employees of Marks & Spencer.
Coaching skills training: The Lead to Succeed ensures that participants are capable for
effectively guiding and coaching the employees within the business organisation. As coaching to
robots or machines is an easy task, this only requires programming and robots will perform task
as per the instructions provided. But managing and coaching people and employees is difficult
task, they are not like robots. Thus, the development program ensures that it leads to provide
leaders with the insight and various practical techniques to effectively guide, direct and coach the
workforce so that they bring improvements in the skills, attitudes, behaviours and performance
level of employees (Guillén and et.al, 2015).
Value based training: The leadership development program implemented in the retail
stores of Marks & Spencer aims at improving the essential and required skills and knowledge.
The program emphasis on improving the communication skills, workplace coaching and
emotional intelligence. This improved skills that can be used for developing effective teams that
work in co-operation and achieves organisational goals and objectives. The leaders develop their
performance level through learning and participating in various workshop and sessions. This is
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then implemented in the workplace organisation and it helps in enhancing effective corporate
culture that focuses on vision and values (Tannenbaum and Schmidt, 2017).
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been summarised that the leadership and management both
play an important role in order to accomplish the organisation goals. It is defined the difference
between the concept of leadership and the concept of management and provided the clear
understanding of the concepts. It is analysed the trait theory of the leadership. With the help of
trait theory, the Marks & Spencer can identified the personality traits of effective leadership and
implemented it. It has been also analysed the management development program of the Marks &
Spencer and identified the effectiveness of the management. This report has been given the
understanding of management and leadership in the organisation. The leadership training and
development program implemented by the retail business organisation ensures that it develops
the required skills, attitude and behaviours of leaders. This helps in developing effective leaders
that can bring great impacts and positive influences on the performance level of employees and
overall organisational performance.
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