Analyzing Leadership and Operations Management at M&S: A Report

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Management and Operations
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
LO1..................................................................................................................................................2
P1, M1 Define and compare different roles and characteristics of leader and manager.............2
LO2..................................................................................................................................................4
P2 Examine examples of how the role of leader and function of manager apply in various
situational context........................................................................................................................4
P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including system, situational and
contingency leadership................................................................................................................6
M2 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to situations within the work
environment.................................................................................................................................9
D1 critically analyse and evaluate the different theories and approaches to leadership in given
contexts........................................................................................................................................9
LO3................................................................................................................................................10
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play with reference to the chosen organisation.........................................................10
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business
objectives...................................................................................................................................13
M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management
to successfully meet business objectives...................................................................................14
D2 critically evaluate application of operations management and factors that impact on the
wider business environment......................................................................................................15
LO4................................................................................................................................................16
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
management and decision-making by Leaders and managers with reference to the chosen
organisation................................................................................................................................16
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M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider
community.................................................................................................................................16
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................18
References......................................................................................................................................19
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Situational Leadership......................................................................................................7
Figure 2: Kaizen Model.................................................................................................................10
Figure 3: Six Sigma Approach......................................................................................................11
Figure 4: Total Quality Management............................................................................................12
Figure 5: Just in Time....................................................................................................................13
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Comparison between manager and leader.........................................................................2
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Introduction
Management and Operation is the process that aims at improving the existing functions and
processes of the business organization. The current report will highlight the process of M&S that
operates as a fashion retailer in London by focusing on role of leaders and managers with the
help of application of various management and leadership theories. It will assess the strengths
and weaknesses of different approaches to situations within the work environment. Further the
report will explain the importance of operations management and related roles of leaders and
managers. In the last section of the report, various factors will be assessed that influence the
business environment.
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LO1
P1, M1 Define and compare different roles and characteristics of leader and manager
M&S Group plc is one of the leading multinational retailer based in London that particularly
focuses on clothing, food and home products. The organization is structured according to limited
levels between front line employees and the administration which resulting them to take an
effective decision. The intention behind this flat structure is to build a skilled employee and
reduce inefficiency that will help them to build healthy discussion between top management and
employees frequently. This structure is also supporting them in administration and guiding of the
different department with few pyramid levels. These activities are managed by an executive
manager and organization’s leader. Image shown below will give a clearer picture about
Managers and leaders of M & S
Managers: Considering as an authored person manager will liable to design and manage
different tasks of organization for achieving the goal and objectives in the desired way. In order
to achieve certain goals of the organization, Managers of M& S develop and promote applicable
techniques for preparedness employee and planning tasks (Kwok and Xie, 2016).
Leaders: Leaders are also known as an influencer of an organization that supports other
members or employees of the organization to achieving their organization’s goal. The leaders of
M&S influence people’s working minds through communication skills and guidance, inspiring
workers with proper quality to complete their assigned tasks.
The role of leader and manager may be substituted because there are several differences between
leader and manager, based on the working capacity of employees. The M&S manager and
leader's responsibility can be determined by the following comparison.
Table 1: Comparison between manager and leader
Basis of comparison Manager Leader
Approach The manager plans and works
in detail on all tasks.
Leader changes to a particular
direction given the manager's
task.
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Decision Making Capable of deciding what is
necessary.
They help to make a decision-
making easier.
Goals They concentrate on the
reaching desired outcome
(Little et. al., 2016)
Aims at the growth of the
company.
Focus Managers focus on the
processes and procedures for
the execution of tasks
(Townsend and Loudoun,
2015).
The leader focuses on
organizational staff.
Based on the above comparison, there are several functions that M&S leaders must perform,
including:
Result Oriented: The leader focuses primarily on employee performance and behavioral results.
The leader usually praises the best people who motivate whole people, but weak people must be
criticized.
Priority Needs: The leader focuses on different needs including teams, tasks and people who
help in building skilled people. It helps to set the corporate goals and objectives in building
blocks.
Managers in M&S have several functions to promote growth and success, including:
Planning: It contributes to the realization of various objectives, tasks and strategies for
organizational activities. Planning delivers successful and positive results by defining tasks to be
completed (Kim and Barak, 2015).
Organizing: The function focuses mainly upon various activities that require a balance that
achieves goals and objectives by arranging tasks in accordance with customer priorities and
demand.
Controlling: This management feature assists in monitoring tasks that require appropriate
guidance in order to fulfil employee demand tasks
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Directing: This function provides employees with the appropriate direction to fulfil their tasks
while ensuring the production quality is not compromised.
LO2
P2 Examine examples of how the role of leader and function of manager apply in the various
situational context
M&S manages its business operations with the help of leaders and managers to achieve desired
and needed objectives. Management's proper functioning promotes various styles and
characteristics related to business governance in the right way. M&S has faced several
challenges which include modernizing the market, providing e-commerce excellence, selling the
store, increased customers ' hunger, increasing product demands and gaining the heart and soul
of the public. Constant alertness requires fashions to upgrade; innovative products to increase the
interest of customers in services etc. for solving certain problems under M&S. Certain
management theories were developed to support leadership skills that help growth factors to
handle such situations (Alvarez et.al, 2018).
Theories and Models Various situations of solutions
Situation 1: Managers of M&S are assigned with the responsibility of undertaking the critical task with
the support of team members as per the defined deadline.
Management by objective theory The theory focuses mainly on the efforts of the
staff and managers to achieve the goal. The
theory's impact on employees and managers to
achieve specific goals will contribute to the
M&S condition of increasing customer
satisfaction towards the products. It will, by
theory, increase the commitment and several
ways of increasing consumer interest to
innovative products. The M&S management
attempts to work together with its plans for a
particular purpose and therefore mangers and
leaders work in co ordination for overcoming
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the difficulties of the critical task.
Contingency Theory
The theory is about the adjustment to sudden
changes in business culture and market trends
following various approaches to problems.
Theoretically, M&S Requires constantly
upgraded mode to meet customers ' fashion
demands (Otley, 2016). This is why
organizational leaders motivate employees to
look at current market needs in terms of
fashion and these changes should apply in their
manufacturing techniques. The role of leaders
in promoting customers can meet current
market mode, thereby helping them to achieve
the latest customer fashion trends. Managers in
addition to this adopt task oriented behavior for
accomplishing the critical task as per the set
deadline.
Situation 2: To overcome the situation of the declined organizational image and therefore there is need for
staff motivation by managers.
Behavioral Leadership Theory This theory explains and initiates leadership
compliance with the task assigned to
employees. Quality and production of the
products can be effectively achieved by
assigning tasks according to skills and skills to
help them achieve a common organization
purpose. By consistently producing the best
products using motivational technologies that
attract employees ' attention to their goal. M&S
can increase customer demand for services in
an organization (D’Innocenzo et.al.2016). These
leaders must dominate at certain times, but
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they must have a polite and useful character for
carrying out a given task by managers who
decide on their promotion.
Transactional Theory of Leadership
The theory allows leaders to launch a policy of
punishment and rewards for staff based on
their work results, which either motivate or
demotivate workers (Nawaz and Khan, 2016).
For e-commerce, leaders to identify
technological demands on the market, which
boost multiple routes to online selling. To do
this, M&S leaders must provide sufficient
rewards for the best performers to achieve their
objectives and punish those in defective
positions who have made the
poororganizational performance.
P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including system, situational and
contingency leadership
System Leadership
Leadership is that organizations, which really don't have control of stakeholders and managers,
are highly capable of working within geopolitical limits. Systems Leadership makes it possible
for organizational leaders to create circumstances under which people at all levels can make
productive efforts. It uses strong human behaviour principles to create model leadership,
organizational strategy, system design, and social processes. Organizational success depends on
the leader who has managed and maintained operating methods beyond certain limits, also
extending the reputation of the organization. Theoretically, policies and strategies are framed and
implemented by managers who effectively accomplish business operations. New ideas and
creativity will contribute to developing a reputation in the market and bring about modifications
to old products and updates (Boylan, 2016). By introducing the best leaders in the world to
achieve costly contracts, M&S is increasing its operations at political boundaries.
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Situational Leadership
Situational management is a style that Kenneth Blanchard and Paul Hersey developed and
studied. Situation leadership means when an organization leader or manager must adjust his style
to the level of development of his followers. The theory focuses on several ways and methods
through which changes in models and strategies do not affect the organization's present
performance and market reputation (Situational Leadership, 2018). Organizations must focus on
various approaches to bring new and sustainable growth improvements through the elimination
of common and old solutions to problems. Situation management consists of four quadrants,
based on two behavioural styles, which include a leader who describes his quadrants in the
following way. The guidelines are
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Figure 1: Situational Leadership
Source: Situational Leadership, 2019