Operation Management Report: Employee Retention at Marks and Spencer

This report provides an in-depth analysis of operation management practices at Marks and Spencer, with a specific focus on addressing the challenge of high employee turnover. The report delves into the application of various management theories and tools, such as system management, customer relationship management (CRM), employee engagement surveys, and motivational theories (Theory X and Theory Y), to improve employee retention. It examines the roles of human resource management, customer service, and operations within the organization. The report also includes a reflection on the learning experience, highlighting the challenges and insights gained during the project, particularly in understanding the differences between leading and managing, and the importance of democratic leadership in fostering employee involvement and motivation. The report emphasizes the significance of creating a positive work environment to enhance employee behavior and overall organizational performance.

Operation
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
PART 2............................................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Operation management consider as an area of management which is concerned with
controlling as well as designing the process of production. Mainly, it is business practice that
used to create the high level of efficiency within the business organization in order to attain their
set targets (Asef‐Vaziri, 2015). Along with this, it is related with converting raw material into
finished goods with the aim of maximizing the profits of an organization. Present report is based
on Marks and Spencer, is a British multinational retailer company in London that specialise in
selling clothing, home products and luxury food products in market place.
MAIN BODY
PART 1
Marks and Spencer is a famous retail company that operate their business in London with
the aim of enhancing their productivity level. Mainly, organization offer clothing, home products
and many more in over the world. The main purpose of this company is to attract, motivate and
retain higher workforce which help in improving the overall performance of the company at
market. In this context, company face issue related with high employee turnover due to low
employees moral within the organization. As it negatively impact on productivity level of the
company. This is the main reason that customers loose their customers as employees fail in
providing quality services to its customers as per their requirements (Hitt, Carnes and Xu, 2016).
Thus manager of the company needs to manage all these issues so that they can easily retain their
workers and make their brand image competitive.
Furthermore, business function is also play a significant role in organization as it is
activities carried by company with the aim of attaining their predetermined goals and objectives.
With the assistance of this, organization easily execute their entire activities and at the same time
also increase the chances of attaining their mission and targets. In this context there are some
business function Marks and Spencer which support in managing all the activities present in the
organization are as follows:
Human resource management: It is one of the important function of Marks and Spencer
in managing workers at workplace. As employees are the main asset within the organization as it
help in attaining set goals and objectives (Hitt, Xu and Carnes, 2016). In this, HR department is
responsible for recruiting right candidate with required skills and experience. Along with this,
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manager also involved workers in training and development activities to make them enable to
attain set goals.
Customers service support: It is that function in which customers service department is
responsible for interacting with their potential customers related with complaints, inquired and
another aspects (Langabeer and Helton, 2015). With the assistance of this, Marks and Spencer
can easily maintain and create strong relationship with their customers. Mainly, customers
service provide before, during and after the purchase with the aim of providing better
satisfaction. A better relationship with potential customers will help in crating loyalty in
customers mind.
Operations: Under this function, operations department is responsible for designing,
controlling the production process. By this, company easily maximize their profitability level by
optimum utilization of resources. This will directly contribute in converting raw material into
finished goods that offered by the company to their customers in order to enhance their
productivity level.
All these business functions of Marks and Spencer to improve their performance by
retain workers for longer period of time and at the same time also enhance the customers base.
This will directly contribute in attaining set target in stipulate time frame (Lim, Alpan and Penz,
2014).
Apart from this, due to high employee turnover Marks and Spencer face issues in
managing their workers within the business. In this manager of the company is responsible for
managing issues by motivating workers at workplace so that employees are easily retain within
the business. This will directly contribute in enhancing workers motivation and encouragement
towards the company and its activities as well.
Days Practice week
activity
Management
theories/ Tools
Application
1st Day Team building System
management
theory
This type of theory define alternative
approach to the planning and
management of organizations. As per
this type of theory, overall success of the
company is depends on different
elements such as synergy,
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interdependence and interrelations
among various subsystems. In
organizational context, employees and
teams are the important components to
attain success (Reid and Sanders, 2015).
Thus manager is responsible for proving
them better guidance and also influence
them to perform task in a team. In 1st day
practice week manager of Marks and
Spencer tries to develop a team by
motivating workers to perform their task
in a group. By this they can easily attain
their set goals and objectives.
2nd Day Customers
relation
Customer
relationship
management
CRM is one of the important
management tool for business
organization to maintain better relation
with their customers to attain
competitive advantages (Management
Tools, 2013). In context of Marks and
Spencer, manager use customers relation
management tool in 2nd day of practice
week in which they provide guidance to
their workers to tries to maintain
customers loyalty by understanding their
needs and wants. By using this tool
business organization easily keep strong
relation with their penitential customers
that directly contribute in enhancing
profitability level of the company at
market place.
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3rd Day Employee
engagement
Employee
engagement
survey
Employee engagement is important for
business organization to make their
performance positive. Mainly, it is
related with the relationship between
company and its workers. Engaged
workers are more productive towards the
works which may aid in attaining set
goals. In context of this, manager of
market Spencer do employee
engagement survey in 3rd day of practice
week to increase workers engagement
towards the company and its objectives
as well. It is an effective way to retain
the workers within the organization for
longer period of time. By using this type
of management tool, manager set a
survey questions that directed towards
the firm's employees (Smith, Maull and
CL Ng, 2014). With the assistance of
this, company easily maintain better
relation with workers and improve their
motivation level towards the allotted job
activities. This will contribute in
retaining them for longer period of time.
4th Day Motivation
activities for
employees
Theory X and
Theory Y
Motivating workers is one of the
important activity for organization to
encourage and retain them within the
company. Thus, manager use Theory X
and Theory Y that represent two
opposing ends of the motivation. In this
this Theory X motivate employees to be
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motivated from external sources
(Management Theory, 2018). On the
other side, Theory Y define the ideas
that workers can be motivated at work
to attain goals by using their skills and
experience. By this, workers get easily
motivated and take participate within
decision making activities which may
aid in enhancing their experience and
skills as well.
5th Day Improving
workers
behaviours
Management by
objectives
For retaining workers, it is important for
manager to improve workers behaviour
at workplace so that they can easily
perform their task and maintain positive
work environment. In 5th day practice
week, manager of Marks and Spencer
use management by objectives theory in
which employees are motivated by goals
and objectives. In this manager follow
an MBO theory rather than instructing
workers at workplace as it includes
employees in strategic decision making.
By this manager easily analyse
behaviour towards the working activities
of the company. This will directly
contribute in motivating them and also
encourage (van Aken, Chandrasekaran
and Halman, 2016). With the assistance
of this, company improve their
performance and at the same time also
make strong workforce that help in
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attaining set targets.
PART 2
This reflection is based on my learning experience associated with high employee
turnover which faced by every business organization. Thus, it is important for company to
implement various theories and models to make workers motivated towards the activities
assigned by the company. While carry out the project I used various sources to gather relevant
information about the topic in order to make better activities. At the time of project activities my
experience was challenging because at initial level I face issues in gathering relevant information
about the theories of management and leadership. In this, I learned difference between leading
and managing workers at workplace. Mainly, leading is related with the activity of generating
efforts and commitment including motivating and workers and team as well. As I found that the
main reason of increasing employee turnover is difference by culture, race and gender. All these
are the main cause that arise at workplace due to which employees leave organization. For better
understanding about the issue, I do a research about the leadership theories which undertake by
business organization. For this, I will use digital library and social media to better understand
about why leadership is totally different from the management (Learning journal 1). In addition
of this, I analysed that for motivating as well as leading workers company use various leadership
theories but for retaining workers, company needs to use democratic leadership which help in
increasing the employees involvement within the decision making activities. This will help
business organization to motivate workers and improve their performance as well.
For better understanding about the issue related with employee turnover, I includes
various management tools and theories such as System management theory which helped me in
improving my team building skills. By this, I analysed that motivating workers and encouraging
them to perform task in a group is effective for attaining positive results. In this, I evaluated that
it define various benefits such as enhance productivity, build positive relation and many more.
Along with this, another day of my learning activities my experience was ambitious because
before analysing activities I played Lego game as I really enjoy it as I think that this game is
effective for me in improving my skills in effectively understanding the organization structure.
By this I analysed the importance of all the department present in the business organization. By
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this, I can easily analysed the value and importance of team work in business organization and its
performance level as well (Learning journal 2). Along with this, I also learn about the operations
management that may aid in creating value and at the same time also manage resources. This is
the main reason that I can easily perform my activities while preparing project on employee
turnover. Me any team has a game that consist the purpose to make us understand that how a
business organization divide their function. For gathering information towards the topic about
employees, I will use digital library that support me in better understanding about how these
sources helped me in improving my skills and knowledge. By using digital library, I also better
understand about the operations management and its importance of workers and customers as
well.
Furthermore, in 3rd day learning practice week my learning experience was challenging
because I could not attend the day activities due to some work. It make me realised that I missed
important task which become more complicated for me in understanding about the concept of
operation management and its importance for workers and company as well. Along with this, I
also felt that I miss something very important through which I came out from my comfort zone
and also tries to enhance my skills and knowledge about how to a company improve their
workforce and make them able to attain their targets (Learning journal 3). During preparing
project, I also faced issues like I am a shy person and also feel less-confident at the time of
presenting my views and opinion. This is the main reason I cant interact with my team members
easily. For this, I will focus on my communication skill so that I can easily communicate with
others with more confidence. This will support me in effectively in undertaking research in order
to collect more information about the concept of management tools and theories. While
understand the benefits of employee engagement, I gather information by employee engagement
survey which includes workers views and opinion towards the company and its mission as well.
By this, I understand that employee engagement is important for the company to improve their
performance level. On the basis of this, me and my team members easily prepare project on
employee turnover.
In addition of this, in 4th day week practice my experience was so exciting because in this
I getting to know about the presentation skills and also enable in selecting people who are work
with me in the project. In this, I communicate with my team members and share my views and
opinion within others. This will support me in keeping positive relation with may co-workers. By
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this I also improve my team working skills through which I can easily express my views with
another perform. While working on operations management project, I acknowledged important
information about how set SMART objectives within the project to attain positive results
(Learning journal 4). In this my experience was good because I know how to manage the targets
along with stipulate time. In whole project I realised that my time management skill is good but
some time I fail in solving issues raised within a team. This makes me demotivated at the time of
preparing project and information about the operation management. Thus, I decided that I have
to work on my problem solving skill so that I interact with my team members and tries to
understand the main cause behind creating issues within the team. With the assistance of this, I
can easily handle the complex situation and make team m embers motivated so that they can
easily perform their task in a group and improve their productivity.
All these activities of project support me in enhancing my skills and knowledge more
strong that helped in attaining my own targets. While preparing project, I analysed that my skills
related with management and leadership are more strong as compare to my previous work. It
improve my learning activities by which I can easily communicate with others and present my
views and opinion.
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned report it has been concluded that operation management play
a significant role in maximizing the profitability level by optimum utilization of available
resources. Along with this, employees are also consider as an important asset for business
organization to execute its activities and task in an systematic manner. As, Marks and Spencer
face issues that is associated with high employee turnover which negatively impact on the overall
performance of the company at market place. For this, manager of the company use various
management tools and business function that may help them in managing workers at workplace.
Apart from this, Practice week activity is also carry out by the manager to manager effectively
manage their employees so that they can perform their task and improve their productivity level.
With the assistance of this company easily make strong workforce and improve their
performance.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Asef‐Vaziri, A., 2015. The flipped classroom of operations management: A not‐for‐cost‐
reduction platform. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education. 13(1). pp.71-89.
Hitt, M. A., Carnes, C. M. and Xu, K., 2016. A current view of resource based theory in
operations management: A response to Bromiley and Rau. Journal of Operations
Management. 41(10). pp.107-109.
Hitt, M. A., Xu, K. and Carnes, C. M., 2016. Resource based theory in operations management
research. Journal of Operations Management. 41. pp.77-94.
Langabeer, J. R. and Helton, J., 2015. Health care operations management. Jones & Bartlett
Publishers.
Lim, L.L., Alpan, G. and Penz, B., 2014. Reconciling sales and operations management with
distant suppliers in the automotive industry: a simulation approach. International
Journal of Production Economics. 151. pp.20-36.
Reid, R. D. and Sanders, N. R., 2015. Operations Management, Binder Ready Version: An
Integrated Approach. John Wiley & Sons.
Smith, L., Maull, R. and CL Ng, I., 2014. Servitization and operations management: a service
dominant-logic approach. International Journal of Operations & Production
Management. 34(2). pp.242-269.
van Aken, J., Chandrasekaran, A. and Halman, J., 2016. Conducting and publishing design
science research: Inaugural essay of the design science department of the Journal of
Operations Management. Journal of Operations Management. 47. pp.1-8.
Online
Management Theory. 2018. [Online]. Available through:<https://bizfluent.com/info-8375509-
four-types-management-theory.html>.
Management Tools. 2013. [Online]. Available
through:<https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20130729060735-64875646-shhh-the-top-5-
management-tools-in-the-world>.
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