Comprehensive Report: Management and Operations at Marks and Spencer

This report provides a detailed analysis of the management and operations at Marks & Spencer (M&S), a multinational retail brand in the UK. The report explores the roles and responsibilities of managers and leaders, contrasting their functions and leadership styles, supported by relevant management and leadership theories. It examines situational, contingency, and system leadership, outlining their strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, the report delves into M&S's operational management, emphasizing the importance of key approaches, and evaluating how managers and leaders can enhance operational effectiveness. It assesses the influence of external factors on M&S's operations and offers recommendations for future improvements. The report covers topics such as operational management, the impact of leaders and managers, and the application of various leadership theories, providing a comprehensive overview of M&S's management and operational strategies.

Management and Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1. Overview of company........................................................................................................1
2 Presenting roles and responsibilities of manager and leaders.............................................1
3 Presenting managerial function and leadership roles..........................................................2
4 Example showing how manager and leaders perform their work in different situation.....2
5 Presenting different management and leadership theories..................................................3
6. Presenting strength and weaknesses of different theories..................................................3
7 Presenting how manager/ leaders impact on M&S.............................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................5
1 Presenting operational management....................................................................................5
2 Presenting roles of leader and manager in operational management..................................6
3 Presenting the importance of key approaches to operational management.........................6
4 Evaluating how managers and leaders could be effective in improving operational
management............................................................................................................................7
5 Presenting impact of external factor on M&S.....................................................................7
6 Critical evaluation of operational management...................................................................8
7 Recommendations for future improvements.......................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Management and operations plays an important role in every business. These help in
planning, organizing and decision making in order to maximizes higher profit for an
organization. The report deals with management and operations of Marks and Spencer (M&S)
which is a multinational retail store in UK. The report describe roles and responsibilities of
manager and leader in a company with its managerial functions and leadership roles by applying
different theories. It also describe situational, contingency and system leadership with its strength
as well as weaknesses. The report presents operational management of Marks and Spencer and
identify roles of leaders and managers in successful management of operations. It explain
importance and value of key approaches to operational management in order to achieve
company's objectives. Report evaluate applications of operations management to manage the
factors that impact on wider business environment.
TASK 1
1. Overview of company
Marks & Spencer is one the famous and leading multinational retailer brand in UK. It has
more than 84,000 employees and it has around 1000 stores all over the world. Around 615 stores
of M&S offers only food to their customers and its main aim is to provide good quality of
products with low and affordable prices to their customers. It has been considered that the
management system of a company is superior as compared to other stores as it follows flat
management structure which basically involves all employee for decision making process (Flat
structure, 2018). In this structure, employees have a significant authority with little supervision
and the company chooses this because it help to lower operational cost, improves communication
between all, enhance level of production and improves employee’s motivation as well as
satisfaction. Using flat structure of management helps M&S to elevate employer's level of
responsibilities.
2 Presenting roles and responsibilities of manager and leaders
Managers: Manager of M&S are responsible for planning, organizing and controlling.
They basically deal with employees and monitor whole function of a company. They act as a
bridge between senior management in order to translate higher strategies into operational plans.
1

The basic role play by them is to motivate their employees in order to achieve company's target.
They also train new employees in order to make them comfortable at the work place (Rosenbach,
2018).
Leaders: In the context of M&S Leaders are those person who motivate employees and
create best team, innovate different products and take risk in order to take company to next
further level of success. They mostly believe to inspire people and help them to achieve more for
a company while on the other side, try to support employee and even guide them in order to face
problems. Leaders focus on growth of a company while managers only attain company's defined
goals.
3 Presenting managerial function and leadership roles
After applying management theories and concept, it has been analysed that both
managerial functions and leadership roles are different from each other. Managerial function is
basically deal with technical dimension of an organization while leadership roles deal with
perceptions of employees in a company. In the context of Marks and Spencer, managerial
functions basically includes controlling, planning and managing the whole assigned work while
on the other side, leadership includes motivation and inspire employees for better performance
for a company (Northouse, 2018). Overall, managerial functions are completely depends upon
managers such as their communication skills, taking feedback regarding staff work but on the
other side leadership is completely different. It is that quality that encourages staff to do work for
the success of a company and creates vision for future while managers did not. Leadership roles
help to execute strategies and also help to improve team performance while managerial functions
only focus on work to complete it on time.
By applying situational theory, leaders of M&S will definitely sort out different
problems, as this situation states that there is no single leadership style is best while on the other
side, contingency leadership theory help to maintain best relationship with their employees as
well as with customers too and even aid to promote and inspire them for their better working
performance in a company. In this way, these theories help to describe the concept of leadership.
For management, Fayol five principal of management help to determine the concept such as
planning, organizing, coordinating, commanding and controlling. These five functions mainly
2

focus on the relationship between personnel and its management and also provide solution in
order to solve the problems in an effective way.
4 Example showing how manager and leaders perform their work in different situation
 Having a brand retail store in UK, now company wants to introduce new healthy drink
products in their store. In this situation, leaders of Marks and Spencer thinks whether the
product will be successful or help to maximizes more profit or not. On the other side,
managers of a company tries to develop new strategies in order to let people know about
their products and thinks what new promotional technique can be used in order to makes
it successful (Antonakis and Day, 2017).
 M&S follows flat structure but now it try to develop new management system in order to
make its store more comfortable for new employees. In this situation, leaders of a
company tries to motivate staff members and help them to adapt new management
system into their workplace. While manager’s plan a way to execute it into job area. This
shows that both managers and leaders plays their roles in order to achieve company's
objective. In above mentioned situation, leaders of M&S thinks about new plans while on
the other side managers of a company promote this plan into market by applying different
promotional activities. In this way, both managers and leaders work in combine order to
make those product/ services famous and help to gain more profit (Battaïa and et.al.,
2018).
5 Presenting different management and leadership theories
Situational leadership: This type of leadership style help to face different type of
situation and there is no single best style of leadership but this leadership style help to give
people what exactly they need and on the other side, it also offer guidance, caring and autonomy
and the leaders who follow situational leadership, they provide right direction and also support
their team members in order to success and they know how to develop competent in order to get
fast result.
System leadership: Under this leadership style, leaders changes their style in order to
meet different or specific goal that help in development of social changes. As the theory
basically focus on changes related to society and how leaders contributed for its development
process. The system leaders are not consider one of best but those who facilitate conditions and
make towards social change (Fairhurst and Connaughton, 2014).
3

Contingency leadership: This theory basically claims that leaders must establish best
relationship with their employees as well as customers in order to support them or inspire to
perform well for a company then they must be rewarded for the same. This model tries to match
a style of leaders who are task oriented and can do work for the success of a business.
6. Presenting strength and weaknesses of different theories
THEORY STRENGTH WEAKNESSES
Situational Leadership  So simple to
understand and
implement.
 Help to make better
relationship between
employees and superior
authority.
 Help to improve
leader’s ability to reach
company's goal.
 Creates confusion
among staff.
 Managers or leaders
struggle as this theory
is not task- oriented.
 Focus on short term
strategy (Rosenbach,
2018).
System leadership  Help to achieve
organization's goal.
 Adaptive and dynamic.
 Help in decision
making.
 Not be always practical
and sometimes lead to
delay in decision
making.
 Not applicable for
smaller organization.
Contingency Leadership  Only focus on single
type of leadership.
 Help to identify best
leader among all.
 Quite flexible than
others.
 The theory is complex
to understand.
 Reactive in nature.
 Creates problem in
testing the precepts.
4

These theories are basically help to achieve all targets of a company and by applying this
concept in an organization will help to upgrade the quality of leaders as well as managers. All
these theories mainly focus to maintain good relationship with their employees and take better
decision for the welfare of it. It has been analysed that it may not be fruitful for the growth and
development of a company because it is not suitable for all situations (Azcarate, Mallor and
Mateo, 2017).
7 Presenting how manager/ leaders impact on M&S
Leaders and managers who have efficiency, can create positive impact on a company and
they always help and inspire their employees to achieve set objectives of a company. Leaders
face adverse situation in a company and motivate others while managers tries to execute plan or
strategies in order to take business for the next level of success. Both managers and leaders are
dependent on each other and even adapt various theories or style in order to face such problems
that creates positive impact on the performance as well as productivity of Marks and Spencer.
Recommendations: For future improvements, it is to be recommended to Marks and
Spencer that leaders should not leave their positivity towards a work and they must always
motivate their team in order to achieve prescribed goals and objectives (Fairhurst and
Connaughton, 2014). Leaders are the only one who inspire their team members in right direction
so that they will be able to fulfil the demand of their customers by producing best quality of
products while on the other side, managers of a company make strategies in order to execute
those plans which are set by leaders. If they both do their work in an effective way then M&S
will definitely attain their set desired goals. Managers and leaders of a company also use latest
and advance technology in order to attract wide range of customers and satisfy the needs of their
customers and even hire new employees for giving satisfactory replies to the queries of public.
They always try to enhance level of performance of their employees so it directly creates positive
impact on the brand image of a company.
TASK 2
1 Presenting operational management
Marks and Spencer have best operational management and always tries to manage things
and even produce those item which are demanded by their customers. Each and every company
5

have their own operational management system to achieve set defined objectives as well as
operational strategies but in the case of Marks and Spencer it is quite in different way. Its
operational management activities are basically help to serve different kind of products with high
quality at their convenient locations (Marks and Spencer operational management, 2018). The
company has different operational department such as production department which produce or
manufacture various kinds of products as per the demand of their customers. It also maintain the
balance amount of its services by using latest inventory system which regularly updated by their
store managers. Selling and marketing department help to sale all products to the user and also
offers discount as well as coupons to their regular customers in order to make them keep in touch
with a store. There are various key approaches which a company used that is:
 Offer variety of products at reasonable rate with high quality.
 Follow autocratic decision making which help in company's growth and development.
 Follow hybrid service that basically includes multiple task work with best
communication skill in order to establish good network (Boakye and et.al., 2017).
2 Presenting roles of leader and manager in operational management
Role of Leader: Leaders play an important role in operational management. They
basically help a company and give proper guidance and take a company in right direction. Marks
and Spencer have strong financial status which can be seen through its revenue which is earned
during a year. As a leader, it is their duty to always focus on company's mission as well as vision
and it is leaders' responsibility to train new staff and inspire them to achieve organization's
targets and also monitor that assigned work is in progress or not.
Role of Manger: Another important role plays by manager during operational
management is that they help in marketing, budgeting and controlling activities of a company
and always try to manage those resources which are help to minimizes cost of company's product
(Chevalier and et.al., 2015). Most of the time, managers are working to improve sale as well as
business forecast. They are the person who resolve conflicts between customers and operation
department and also establish new policies to take review overall performance of their
employees.
6

3 Presenting the importance of key approaches to operational management
Operational management of Marks and Spencer basically deal with designing and
controlling the overall process of production of goods and services which are offered by the
company. This also deal with different marketing strategies in order to meet customer's
requirement. These are mainly concerned with company's planning, organizing and also ensure
best inputs to outputs in an effective manner (Akalin, Huang and Willems, 2016). These key
approaches are basically used because it help to maintain cost and quality of an offered products.
These also help in decision making that includes operations strategy, design of product, quality
management, planning related to production and inventory control. These all things are managed
by operational management, leaders and employees of M&S always takes care of long term
relationship with suppliers and customers in order to provide them best quality of products.
Through this effective operational management system, Marks and Spencer realizes their actual
position as well as production.
4 Evaluating how managers and leaders could be effective in improving operational management
To improve operational efficiencies, managers and leaders must take some steps in order
to meet company’s objectives, these are discussed below:
 There is a need to enhance their communication skill with respect to staff members and
they must listen the problems and tries to resolve them at as early as possible. In order to
maintain good relationship with all, leaders/ managers must keep their mind free and be
alert to face every type of problem (Boakye and et.al., 2017).
 To improve M&S operational management, they should keep focus on company's
objectives and aim rather than different external factors.
 They must implement all the plans into different products and even motivate their
employees in every single stage of operations with the help of cross communication and
also support their employees in order to make them comfortable at work place.
 It a duty of managers to look after products design and execute some strategies for
effective supply chain system which help them to minimize risk. Even they also take care
whether the product is delivered on time or not. By keeping these all pints in mind will
help to improve company's operational management effective.
7

5 Presenting impact of external factor on M&S
 Rapid expansion of Technologies: Marks and Spencer uses all latest technologies into
their working environment because modern business is completely based upon latest
technologies. Due to this, it starts introducing online mode of payment for the
convenience of their customers (Akalin, Huang and Willems, 2016). It has been realized
that there is a wide scope of using such type of advance technologies in a business
because it will help to decrease human efficiency and also saves time and efforts too.
 Economic Environment: It is another important external factor that affect company's
overall performance such as sudden change in interest rates and tax will affect company's
financial as well as operational management system and even these short term changes
will creates negative impact on Marks and Spencer's brand image.
 Quality and customer service: This is most important factor that creates both positive as
well as negative impact on business environment of Marks and Spencer. The main work
of operational management is to look after what quality of products and services are
offered to their customers and in the context of M&S, it provide best quality with
reasonable rates and establish good relation with them by continuous flow of cash as well
as goods.
6 Critical evaluation of operational management
It has been critically evaluated that Marks and Spencer uses all the latest technologies in
their production department but on a other side, it also have so many competitors which make
tough competition in market. As M&S wants to expand its business at global level but the
sudden change in government policies also create negative impact on company (Rosenbach,
2018). As a result it has to face loss because of sudden increases in interest rate will affect its
financial status. Organization always produce those products which are demanded by the
customers and also supply them with good quality of products which no other company do. M&S
even have good customers loyalty because of its offering products which are cheap in rates and
on the other side power of customers are completely depends on having a large number of rivals.
Marks and Spencer always tries to satisfy its customers need by doing so many promotional
activities and adapt latest technologies in their routine.
8

7 Recommendations for future improvements
As per above report it has been show that M&S have strong management but have weak
operational team. Following suggestion are to be follow by a company in order to raise its
productivity:
 M&S try to get feedback from customers, so that they will know about their weak points.
 There is need to enhance company's marketing and promotional activities and it must use
all latest technologies in order to raise company's performance and try to develop online
mode of payment as per convenience of customer's (Ways to improve business operation,
2018).
 The manager of a company must focus on long term brand revival as compared to short
term which help to continue its growth in market.
 Introduce loyalty cards in order to keep customers in touch with stores.
 Try to produce new innovative products in market at low and affordable price as
compared to its competitors which help to maintain its brand image.
 Try to listen customers’ needs and then produce products. It has been analyzed that food
store is their strength and they always do work in this field while customers says that
their products related to cloth are out of fashion which has to be maintained (Antonakis
and Day, 2017).
CONCLUSION
From above report, it has been concluded that both management and operations plays a
crucial role in Marks and Spencer. It present and compares different responsibilities and roles of
leaders as well as managers and describe various theories, approaches such as situational, system
and contingency leadership with its advantages and disadvantages. M&S have different
operational management system and the report more focuses on how managers and leaders could
do their work in effective way in order to achieve all defined goals of a company. It also assess
the impact of external factors on operational management that affect decision making of
managers/ leaders and also presents different suggestions that help for its future improvement.
9

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Akalin, G. I., Huang, Z. and Willems, J. R., 2016. Is Supply Chain Management Replacing
Operations Management in the Business Core Curriculum. Operations and Supply
Chain Management: An International Journal. 9(2). pp.119-130.
Azcarate, C., Mallor, F. and Mateo, P., 2017. Tactical and operational management of wind
energy systems with storage using a probabilistic forecast of the energy
resource. Renewable energy. 102. pp.445-456.
Battaïa, O. and et.al., 2018. Future trends in Management and Operation of Assembly Systems:
From customized assembly systems to cyber-physical systems.
Boakye, K. and et.al., 2017. Adopting Lean Six Sigma Operational Improvement Principles in
Critical Access Hospitals: Lessons Learned from an Academic-Practice Partnership.
Chevalier, P. and et.al., 2015. Revenue management for operations with urgent orders. European
Journal of Operational Research. 240(2). pp.476-487.
Manzini, M. and et.al., 2018. An integrated framework for design, management and operation of
reconfigurable assembly systems. Omega. 78. pp.69-84.
Mazidi, P. and et.al., 2017. Impact of health indicators on maintenance management and
operation of power systems. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers,
Part O: Journal of Risk and Reliability. 231(6). pp.716-731.
Northouse, P. G., 2018. Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.
Rosenbach, W. E., 2018. Contemporary issues in leadership. Routledge.
Online
Flat structure. 2018. [Online] Available through:<https://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-flat-
organizational-structure-281.html>.
Marks and Spencer operational management. 2018. [Online] Available
through:<https://www.ukessays.com/essays/business/performance-management-at-
marks-and-spencers.php>
Ways to improve business operation. 2018. [Online] Available
through:<https://www.powerhomebiz.com/managing-and-growing/managing/10-ways-
to-improve-your-business-operations.html>
10

11