Comparing Leader and Manager Roles in Marks and Spencer Operations

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the roles of leaders and managers within the context of Marks and Spencer's operations. It begins by defining and comparing the distinct characteristics and responsibilities of leaders and managers, highlighting their differences in terms of process versus vision orientation and their approaches to employee relations. The report then delves into the application of leadership and management in different situations, emphasizing decision-making, training and development, and risk-taking. Furthermore, it explores various leadership theories and models, including situational, contingency, and system leadership, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses. Finally, the report examines key approaches to operations management, illustrating how leaders and managers contribute to resource optimization and the conversion of inputs into outputs within the retail environment of Marks and Spencer.

Management and Operation

INTRODUCTION
Management and operation is a paramount part for any business enterprise. It is the
business practice aimed for ensuring maximum efficiency in a firm, that turn helps to improve
profitability. This includes resources from material, equipments, staff and converting these input
to an efficient and effective output on day to day activities into an organization. It concerned
with planning, organising and supervising in reference to production, manufacturing or services
(Bahirat and Micron Technology Inc., 2016).
This report is based on Marks and Spencer which is an retailer dealing in a wide range of
clothing, home products and services and home appliances. This report attempts to compare roles
and activities which are being carried out leaders and manager in an organisation. It includes role
of leader and role of administrator, various models and theories of concepts, key approaches to
operation administration and significance of measure operation. Also, bring highlights on impact
upon business environment at a time of decision making.
TASK 1
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.
Operation and management is an aspect of modern operation supply chain management.
The undertaking of operational management directly influences efficiencies, profit and costs to
related products and services of Marks and Spencer. This includes kids wear, men wears, women
wears and other related products and services to their customers and clients (Banks, Kerr and
Manecke, 2014). The management structure of Marks and Spencer precede a 'Flat Organizational
Structure' that has restricted levels of management between administrative level and front-line
employees. This construction is precede to promote worker in more decision making process. By
using flat organisational composition, there is a reduction in layer of authority which increases
the individual obligation of worker and their division. Therefore, this assist employees to have a
fast determination from time to time. The role of leader and manager of Marks and Spencer
limited are discussed under below as:
Leader
According to this, a leader has an ability to negotiate, communicate, persuade others and
influence to things with indispensable manner to attain their goals in life. For an effective leader,
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they need to follow all different values, opinions, beliefs, attitudes, goals, work habits and their
dreams. The major role of a leader are mentioned below:
 Pervasive in nature: Under this part, leadership is a basic function that is being required
at all level of management (Barsness and et. al., 2018). Therefore, it is known as
pervasive in nature. This is an eminent part to formulate and implement the plans and
policies related to Marks and Spencer limited. This can be achieved through guiding and
counselling to their employees at a time of execution of plan.
 Representative of an enterprise: This aspect covers to be representative of Marks and
Spencer limited. Leader has to represent concerned meetings, conferences, seminars and
other similar activities to communicate in an appropriate manner (Cavalcanti and et. al.,
2017). The ideal representation of the company on crucial platforms not only enhance its
credibility but also enhances goodwill of the company in the eyes of consumers.
 Provide support: According to this aspect, a leader is a manager who support their
employees through support and co-operation. This can be gained through intelligence,
maturity, experience, mutual understanding and many more. In this way, a leader can
support the employees of Marks and Spencer .
Characteristics of leader
 Commitment towards their goals: This aspect helps leader to work hard, while other
will be their at the same side to put hundred percent. This will engage employees to do
better while sharing struggles and hurdles that come at a time to achieve their targets.
 Passionate: Passion can be considered as a key characteristic for leader. The
characteristic of positive passion in a leader helps an organisation into attaining higher
results. It requires to explore their comfort zone, also differentiate their hobby from
career to find profitability for their own passion. Therefore, passion will keep eye on their
objectives that not allow them to deter them from success of Marks and Spencer.
 Consistency: This aspect leads to advantage to a leader as well as to a business firm, by
respect and credibility to buy from a team. This will bring enhancement in working
condition of employees of Marks and Spencer limited which can increase the overall
production of a business firm.
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(Source- Why Leadership Plays a Big Role, 2018)
Manager
Under this part, a manager helps to assigned duties and responsibilities that lead functions
and other activities to directs their employees in a proper manner (Deng and Xudong, 2015). As
a manager consultant of Marks and Spencer perform their work at different levels in different
manner. Sometimes they also known as functional managers, project manager, plant head and so
on. The major role of manager are described under below:
 Critical thinking: Under this aspect, manager strive to understand where and how the
projects fits into a large image to enhance their effectiveness. This helps them to review
their priority to achieve their objectives for an individual and team basis.
 Management of resources: Operation management helps in business enterprise to
manage their resources in an effective manner. This involves planning so that right
resources may be assigned to a right task. It includes schedule and budgets for projects,
supplies and other related activities of Marks and Spencer.
Characteristics of manager
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Illustration 1: Why Leadership Plays a Big Role

 Effective communication: Under this aspect, effective communication with a team and
individual is a necessary part of manager to communicate job roles and responsibilities.
Effective communication within an organisation assures that ideal results are achieved.
 Time management: It is other key element for being a successful director is time
administration (Dong and Wang, 2015). This is a necessary part that make sure to
communicate with their employees and also helps in to attain their goals in a perspective
way as manager consultant directs them.
 Knowledge: This aspect talks about the knowledge that should be offered for managers.
It can be achieved from project management, certification in entrepreneurship, ethics,
human resource management and other related activity of management of Marks and
Spencer. This will assist in guiding, instructing to their subordinates to perform their task
in proper way.
Difference between leader and Manager
Manager Leader
 In case of manager, they are process
oriented and assures that goals are
achieved in the right manner.
 While managers always protects
himself first then their employees.
 When it comes to managers, there is a
lack of trust with their subordinates.
 Whereas, in case of leader, they are
vision oriented and thinks about future.
 In case of leader, their protect their staff
and employees thereafter himself.
 Under this, they trust their workers and
vice- versa.
TASK 2
P2 Role of a leader and the function of a manager in different situations
Operation management is an eminent part for every business firm. Therefore, it is
essential for leaders and managers has to resolve their issues and problems in proper form by
using their skills, knowledge and past experiences (Goel, 2017). This includes facts and figures
that are necessary for Marks and Spencer to obtain the desired results to attain expected goals.
The purpose of manager are mentioned below as:
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 Decision making: According to this, leaders and manager plays an important part at a
time of making decisions. It is a process that is required to explore their thoughts and
collecting relevant information in an effective manner. Decision making helps in to
manage problems of Marks and Spencer for an effective conclusion. The decision making
authority is which leaders and further implemented by managers at distinct levels.
 Training and development: This part helps in to planned and control the measures that
are concerned by manager consultant to improve the skills, experience and knowledge of
their existing workers (Gurung and Gauld, 2018). While using this technique, it helps in
to engage their employees in their own work. This will reduce the workload of leader and
manager can able to focus on other important targets.
 Risk Taking: Under this, both the leader and manager are risk taker as they have to take
decisions and other activities to protect their enterprise in well manner by resolving
conflicts and other issues. As they both are enough capable to prevent their company that
can affect finance. The task of risk taking is mostly carried out by leaders in the
organisation and managers are responsible for making sure that there are minimum
instances of risk in business activities.
 Reduce employee turnover: In this part, both assist in to charge company and other
activities of business enterprise to maximize growth, solve issues or problems, increase
values as to feel proud to be a part of reputed company. It also helps in to retain
employees for a long time to work with a brand, which facilitates to reduce the ratio of
employee turnover.
P3 Different theories and models of approach
Leadership is an approach through which leaders can focus on guiding their team into a
correct path. This assist in guiding, directing their subordinates to increase their efficiency level
to achieve desired outcome (Hong and Kim, 2016). These models and theories are describe under
below as:
 Situational leadership: According to this leadership, refer to when the leader or manager
of an administration must adapt to changes which are put forward by the situation.
Generally, in this form may alter continually to meet the necessarily of others in the
organization based on situation. By adopting this model it will bring changes into an
organization for maintaining their standard into competitive world. This will depends
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upon leaders abilities that can bring changes according to dynamic environment.
Therefore, it is an ease for Marks and Spencer to develop style as per the situation arises
in a respective firm.
Strength Weaknesses
 The situational leadership improves the
communication of employees with their
managers or superiors.
 In case of situational leadership, a
leader is under constant pressure to
analyse the situation which may distract
from routine functions.
 Contingency leadership: According to this approach, it can be used by leaders at a time
of urgency or circumstances. Hence, leaders may use their own style while dealing with
their issues and problems of internal or external environment. Under this theory it talks
about how to manage uncertainty situation that are rise due to external aspect of Marks
and Spencer.
Strength Weaknesses
 In case of contingency leadership, it
helps in overcoming difficult situation
in an organisation.
 Whereas, it ignores human behavioural
aspects.
 System leadership: According to this theory, it is used according to the business system
of an enterprise. It assist in to discover new ideas, opinion and views at a time of facing
situation. This may arise due to external aspects that can be countered with an
undertaking business system. Also, leader and manager are capable enough to struggle
with their circumstances.
Strength Weaknesses
 This approach provides approach
through which complexity in the
organisation can be dealt with
effectively.
 Whereas, in case of this, a business
firm may not focus on their quality and
result as low personal growth.
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From the above context, the strength of these theory can make leaders and manager work
easier and simpler to face any kind of problems (Hsueh, 2015). It is a duty of manager consultant
to challenge the issues by using tactics and skills of situational leadership theory. Although,
weaknesses of situation theory are as these are theory but are not practically based therefore
while applying such model to uncertain situation may lead to bring a negative result at a time of
facing problems.
TASK 3
P4 Approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and managers
Operation management is a systematic approach which is used to minimize the utilization
of resources. This includes conversion of inputs into output as final product and services
(Munawar and Fellner, 2018). The key approaches to operation management of leaders and
manager are defined under below as:
 Six sigma: Under this methodology, it is used to measure terms in statistical data to focus
on team efforts to achieve their targets while improving employees performance. In case
of leader and manager they develop strategy to plan such strategies that can be utilize
resources in an effective manner. In case of leader they assist in to focus on a team work
for betterment of Marks and Spencer. While applying six sigma methodology helps in to
eliminate the wastage and improve production.
 Just in time: According to this approach it refers to the process of delivery of an output
from supplier at a time of need in production. This increases efficiency to eliminate the
wastage of inventory. Managers and leaders directs, evaluate the production and
performance of workers to fill the gap and keep record of inventory so that there is a
minimum wastage of resources.
 Total quality management: Under this approach, it bring efficiency in production of
Marks and Spencer. This helps in to continuously improve the quality of products and
services that are offered by a respective firm by considering needs and demand of their
customers. The leaders and managers will plays a significant role while managing there
quality and using them in efficient manner. Managers will assist there employees, how to
improve and minimize the use in effective way.
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Hence, it is essential role of approaches to operation administration and the roles of
leaders and managers that helps to enhance the technologies, bring sustainability and competence
in the production (Palagin and Pisarenko, 2017).
P5 Importance and value of operations management in achieving business objectives
Governance and operations is an essential part that take corrective measures at a time of
regular basis of respective business organization. As a manager consultant of Marks and Spencer
they adopt different managerial strategies and approaches to run their business in an efficient
manner. They struggle with problems with an effective way to operate their work in corrective
measures which calculate upon nature and size of a business firm. They should adopt total
quality management approach to attain their objectives in effective manner. The major
importance and value of operations and management to achieve the goals of business objectives.
These are mentioned under as:
 Maintaining quality: This portion guides in to maintain the quality of products and
services at lower cost that assist in to rise the profitability of Marks and Spencer limited.
leader should maintain its quality under international organization for standardisation
(ISO) Mark that helps in to represent products and services of respective company.
Therefore, Marks and Spencer should put this factor on prior basis as they have to
maintain the quality of its products and services.
 Planning and controlling measures: This aspect is used to evaluate the standards
performance with actual performance of Marks and Spencer. This helps in maintaining
the balance between expected and actual performance for an effective way to increase
their existing performance of respective business firm.
 Optimum utilisation of resources: This aspect talks about total quality management
approach with minimum utilization of resources which assist in for prolong period for
future needs, as resources are scare and the wants of humans are unlimited (Reinhardt,
2017). Hence, it is an essential to reduce the use of natural resources such as water,
petroleum, minerals, ores and other forms of energy. This will bring efficiency and
effectiveness at a time of increase in profitability.
 Increase productivity: Under this part, it is necessary for a business enterprise to
improve and increase the overall productivity through training and development
provided to their employees. This assist in managing available and sufficient resources
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for an effective way of Marks and Spencer limited. As a result, it will increase the
overall productivity and reduce the problems such as labour turnover ratio, lay- off,
strikes and many more.
 Effective decision making: This aspect involves an effective role at a time of decision
making in Marks and Spencer limited. This helps in to focus on major and big
conversation that can increase the profitability of respective business organization.
Therefore, it is essential for any business organization to value their operations and
management work (Shigenobu and Senjyu, 2016). This assist in to maintain balance between
supplied and resources that to be used to enhance the production of Marks and Spencer while
making an effective plan to accomplish desired objectives on targets.
TASK 4
P6 Impact upon operational management and decision-making by Leaders and managers
There are various elements which affect business surroundings and their operations
administration along with decision- making of leaders and managers of Marks and Spencer
limited. However, it is necessary for every business firm to analyse and take corrective measures
to identify external aspect of respective enterprise. These are described under below as:
 Global competition: This portion includes the aspects related to global competition of
existing business organization. It assist their leaders and managers of Marks and Spencer
able to focus on big matter that are really concerned for the growth of a respective firm.
For long sustainability it is essential to balance reputation of existing competitive market.
This assit in decision making by adopting international strategies of other countries that
helps them to influence decision.
 Dynamic growth in corporate sector: This section deals with ongoing changes that
bring an impact on leaders and managers (Wang and Singh, 2018). It is an essential part
to compete with existing business enterprise that can increase their existing performance
and bring enhancement to an individual or employee.
 Quality and customer services: Under this part, this focus on quality that bring
satisfaction to their customers. It will focus on the standardisation of quality to increase
the overall production of Marks and Spencer. This can be achieved from customers
demand and considering their taste and preferences. This helps to influence on decision
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making by analysing customers needs and their wants that is to be satisfied by the
company.
Therefore, Marks and Spencer should adopt different management strategies and
approaches to overcome from their problems and issues by which they are facing at a time of
achieving their objectives. This can be done through lean production, dynamic approach at a time
of an effective decision making.
CONCLUSION
From the above context, it has been concluded that, operation and management plays an
essential role while improving the existing performance of a Marks and Spencer . This helps in
making decision making and assists to balance the cost and quality of their products and services
that are innovative with technology or an inventory. Operation and management also choose
globalisation in form of strategy for a respective company.
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