Marks & Spencer's Operational Management: A Comprehensive Analysis

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MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................3
LO1..............................................................................................................................................................4
P1.............................................................................................................................................................4
M1...........................................................................................................................................................5
LO2..............................................................................................................................................................7
P2.............................................................................................................................................................7
P3.............................................................................................................................................................9
M2.........................................................................................................................................................10
LO3............................................................................................................................................................12
P4...........................................................................................................................................................12
P5...........................................................................................................................................................15
M3.........................................................................................................................................................16
LO4............................................................................................................................................................17
P6 & M4.................................................................................................................................................17
CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................................18
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................................19
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INTRODUCTION
The company chosen for implementing the effective set of operation management techniques is named
as Marks & Spencer which has been defined as the company belonging towards the public sector. The
company has achieved its fame and popularity towards the sector of the retail industry. The company
was founded in the year 1884 by Sir Michael Marks Thomas Spencer.The overall revenue of an
organization has been estimated to be £10.622 billion. The income defined towards the operational
terms has been defined to be £690.6 million. There are huge numbers of employees who are working
within the company, estimated to be 84,939 until the year 2017. The company has been traded has FTSE
100 and LSE component. The type of structure being implemented towards the development and
growth of an organization is termed as the hierarchal structure. This type of structure aims to establish
the relationships in an authorized form contributing to the betterment of the coordination system
among the employees of an organization (Asam et al., 2015).
The term operation management has been defined as the way of managing the set of operations being
performed in an organization in order to fulfill the demands of the customers by determining the
successful delivery of products and services to the customers maintaining the quality of standards
towards the supply of products. It includes the group of people working together to accomplish the set
of tasks which contribute towards the development and production of an effective set of services
towards the organization. It increases the potential of the employees working within the company to
work with dedication and determination. It serves beneficial to generate the highest revenue by selling
the set of products and services in an accurate way (Stevenson, 2014).
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LO1
P1
There are many sets of operations which are accomplished by accurate and appropriate guidance and
suggestions of the leaders and managers of an organization. The leaders and managers of an
organization play a vital role in the regulation of a various set of tasks being performed towards the
development and implementation of a new set of services and products contributing towards the
popularity of an organization by achieving the fame and popularity among the various set of people.
A leader is an individual who holds a superior position in an organization with an ability to motivate and
influence the set of employees to work effectively towards the accomplishment of the defined tasks in
an effective way. The main role of the leader is to motivate the set of employees in order to deal
effectively with the upcoming set of challenges, which helps in making the environment of an
organization stable towards the progress and development leading towards the progress of an
organization (Stevenson, 2014).
A manager is an individual who holds the responsibility of accomplishing the various set of roles and
responsibilities defined towards the set of employees working in an organization. It defines the role of
an individual towards the accurate management of the various set of tasks which are subdivided among
the various set of departments of an organization. Managers also maintain the discipline of the
organization. The duty of managers has been defined as the duty of defining the set of tasks which are
interrelated with shareholders, government, staff members and others. The set of managerial
operations are performed in order to enhance the overall working of an organization.
With the aim of dealing effectively with the set of challenges and tasks defined towards the working of
an organization, it serves necessary to define the best leaders and managers towards an organization
which leads towards the efficient accomplishment of tasks (Haksever and Render, 2018).
Difference between the roles and qualities of leader and manager defined in relation to the Marks &
Spencer is defined as:
LEADERS MANAGERS
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A leader follows the nature of innovation. A manager follows the nature of administrative
Leader contributes towards the development of
an organization.
Manager contributes towards the maintenance of
various operations defined in an organization.
Leader mainly focuses on the set of people. Managers mainly focus on the structures and
systems defined in an organization.
Leader helps in defining the trust of the people. Managers help in defining control over the people.
The main focus of the leader is done towards the
horizon of a task.
The main focus of the manager is done on the
bottom line of the task.
The level of change is promoted by the leader The reaction towards the change has been defined
by the manager
The leader is originated within nature The manager is imitative within nature.
The leader has the role of doing the right things. The manager has the role of doing things right.
A leader always represents its actual image and is
defined to be unique in nature.
The manager represents the image of an
organization as its own image and the nature of the
manager is found to be command-oriented (Barnes,
2016).
M1
The difference towards the function and role of manager and leader in Marks & Spencer can be defined
as:
LEADER’S FUNCTIONS MANAGER’S FUNCTIONS
Defining Goals: The main function of the leader
towards the organization is defining the goals
towards the development of an organization.
Planning: It includes the effective planning
function towards the management. It defines the
vision, mission, and strategies of an organization
by defining objectives and goals.
Organizing: After defining the goals, leaders aim
to focus on the organization of tasks among the
set of employees.
Organizing: It provides the overall control of an
organization in terms of defining the structure. It
includes balancing and matching of resources to
achieve the objectives and goals.
Initiation towards the action: Leader of an Controlling: It includes the continuous monitoring
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organization performs the initial set of action
which leads to the initialization of the task.
of the set of operations being performed by the
employees and enhancing the output.
Coordination: With the aim of defining successful
task accomplishment, accurate coordination has
been maintained with employees
Guiding: It provides guidance towards the set of
employees in order to meet the aims and
objectives in an organization ineffective way
(Schonsleben, 2016).
Guiding and Motivating: In order to define the
effective set of procedures and tasks towards the
growth of an organization, the employees are
provided proper guidance and motivation.
Staffing: It defines the set of methods and
procedures which leads towards the healthy
staffing in an organization.
Establishing link among the employees and
managers: It provides effective accomplishment
of the task towards the implementation of a new
set of tasks and procedures.
Coordination: It deals with the establishment of
various set of procedures and tasks in a sequential
manner.
Adapting towards the change: In terms of dealing
towards the progress of an organization, the
leader serves ready to deal with the upcoming set
of challenges (Knee et al., 2016).
The set of theories of leadership and management applied towards the organizational structure of
Marks & Spencer are:
 TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
This is the leadership in which the set of changes are caused by the social and individual system.
It provides positive and valuable change among the followers by the goal of developing
followers into the leaders. In Marks & Spencer, this type of leadership is used when succession
planning in an organization has to be done.
 CONTINGENCY THEORY OF LEADERSHIP
This type of leadership is dependent upon the approach of situational leadership. It does not
define to have any particular model. This approach is applied in a Marks & Spencer when there
is the need to increase productivity and enhance the coordination among the employees
belonging to different groups.
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 CLASSICAL MANAGEMENT THEORY
This type of theory is based on the concept of defining beliefs that employees in an organization
have economic and physical needs excluding social needs. This theory is applied in Marks &
Spencer when the main focus has been done towards the productivity of an organization.
 Behavioral THEORY OF MANAGEMENT
This type of theory has been applied in terms of determining the human dimensions of work. It
mainly focuses on a better understanding of human behaviors. This type of theory is applied
Marks & Spencer when the main focus has been made towards the accomplishment of goals
towards the company by motivation the employees of an organization (De Roover, 2017).
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LO2
P2
The leaders and managers are served to be defined as the important asset towards the accomplishment
of the various set of tasks defined in an organization leading towards the growth and development of an
organization. There are the various set of management styles which provides the unique traits and
styles towards the leadership contributing towards the effective working if an organization. The
company named as Marks & Spencer have been facing the major set of challenges related towards the
availability of resources and material among the various types of situations where the functional
management is served to be helpful in terms of facing the various set of situations.
At Marks & Spencer, it has been identified that the company has been able to achieve a stable position
in the sector of the retail sector in the UK. The company has achieved its fame and popularity towards
the sector of the retail industry. The company was founded in the year 1884 by Sir Michael Marks
Thomas Spencer.The overall revenue of an organization has been estimated to be £10.622 billion. The
income defined towards the operational terms has been defined to be £690.6 million. There are huge
numbers of employees who are working within the company, estimated to be 84,939 until the year
2017. The company has been traded has FTSE 100 and LSE component (Barnes, 2016).
The types of situations defined in the company are:
STABLE SITUATION
Towards the working environment of Marks & Spencer, the set of situations which are found to be
stable by defining the development and growth of an organization are termed to be stable. In such type
of situations, the market does not possess any alteration towards the inflation rate, recession, and
boom in the market. The stability has been achieved without affecting the working environment of an
organization.
SLOW TO MODERATE SITUATION CHANGE
In Marks & Spencer, the level of competition cannot be evaluated towards the change in reason defined
in an organization moving from slow to moderate type of situations. This can be found to be altered
with reference to the working environment of the company. It leads towards the rise in inflation rate by
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defining the effective set of strategies defined in terms of the development and growth of an
organization.
RAPID CHANGING SITUATIONS
In the environment of the rapidly changing market, there are several types of situations which are
defined according to the environment of the organization. In the sectors of retail marketing in the UK,
the sales of the products and services are defined as per the demands of the customers. The company
provides the best set of procedures and strategies which leads to gaining the satisfaction of the
customers.
The slow situations towards the moderate situations in Marks & Spencer are defined in terms of
generating profit and growth towards the organization in the retail sector, which are provided as:
OUTER CHANGES IN AN ORGANIZATION
As the organization named as Marks & Spencer is recognized as the popular company towards the retail
sector. The company has defined a various set of components on which the working of an organization
is dependent. It provides the alteration towards policies defined by the government related to tax.
There are many sets of policies which are defined in an organization according to the change in policies
determined in government sectors (Knee et al., 2016).
INNER CHANGES IN AN ORGANIZATION
The set of changes which includes the financial conditions in an organization, It defines the set of
changes which are determined towards marketing strategies, development of an effective and latest set
of tools and techniques defined in an organization. The set of changes determined towards the team
management provides the diversification of various products and services determined in an organization
Planning: It includes the effective planning function towards the management. It defines the vision,
mission, and strategies of an organization by defining objectives and goals.
Organizing: It provides the overall control of an organization in terms of defining the structure. It
includes balancing and matching of resources to achieve the objectives and goals.
Controlling: It includes the continuous monitoring of the set of operations being performed by the
employees and enhancing the output.
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Guiding: It provides guidance towards the set of employees in order to meet the aims and objectives in
an organization ineffective way.
Staffing: It defines the set of methods and procedures which leads towards the healthy staffing in an
organization.
Coordination: It deals with the establishment of various set of procedures and tasks in a sequential
manner (Stevenson, 2014).
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P3
The type of leadership models and approaches applied in Marks and Spencer are:
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP
This model of leadership was developed by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in the late 1970s. The model
defines that the organization and manager adopt many leadership styles as per the type of situations
faced in an organization. This type of model includes the two factors named as supportive and directive
behavior depending upon the low and high rate. On combining these two components the fourth
quadrant is being formed.
Figure 2: HERSEY’S AND BLANCHARD’S SITUATION MODEL
Source: (Asam et al., 2015).
The key features of such type of leadership are defined as:
 It increases the confidence level among the followers
 It provides an appropriate understanding of the tasks defined towards the followers
 It changes according to the type of conditions defined in an organization
 It serves helpful in defining the most accurate style of leadership towards the development of
an organization.
CONTINGENCY LEADERSHIP
This type of leadership is determined by7 choosing the Fiedler’s Model Of Contingency. It is defined as
the method for the set of leaders which faces difficulty in order to work effectively with some set of
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employees. It includes the performance of the test over the leaders of an organization named as LPW. In
LPW the set of leaders are advised to give the name of an employee which serves difficult to work with.
The score of the LPW test determines the type of leadership which has been determined over the
working of effective leadership approach. The score less than or equal to 57, defines the task-oriented
leadership, the score in between 58-63 defines the task-oriented or relationship oriented approach and
the score higher than 64 defines relationship style (Merand and Rayroux, 2016).
SYSTEM LEADERSHIP
The type of leadership which includes the political boundaries along with the range of stakeholders and
organizational cultures without including the managerial control is defined as the system leadership.
This type of theory serves helpful in promoting the set of innovative and creative techniques towards
the growth and development of an organization. It helps in achieving sustainable development in the
company. It decreases the misuse of resources which determines the development in a sustainable way.
CONTINGENCY LEADERSHIP
This type of leadership is dependent upon the approach of situational leadership. It does not define to
have any particular model. This approach is applied in a Marks & Spencer when there is the need to
increase productivity and enhance the coordination among the employees belonging to different
groups. This type of leadership helps in achieving the productivity of an organization towards the set of
employees by defining the task-oriented model. It also serves beneficial by effectively defining the ways
of performing a suitable set of services in terms of decreased availability of the resources (Prahlad and
Pawar, 2016).
M2
The set of theories which are applied towards the organizational structure of Marks & Spencer serves to
provide some set of weakness and strengths towards the company which is determined as:
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP MODEL
The strengths of the situational leadership model are:
 It improves the awareness in terms of critically evaluating the situation as per the
implementation of the type of leadership to be used.
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