Operations Management and Leadership at Unilever: A Report

This report provides an analysis of Unilever's operations management, focusing on key approaches such as Six Sigma and Just-in-Time, and highlighting the crucial roles of leaders and managers. It emphasizes the importance of operations management for achieving productivity, meeting customer demands, and managing costs. The report examines various factors impacting operational management, including Unilever's core values, business ethics, organizational culture, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. It concludes by underscoring the significance of effective leadership and management in maintaining standards, motivating employees, and adapting to environmental influences. The report references multiple academic sources to support its findings and conclusions, offering a comprehensive overview of Unilever's operational strategies and their impact on the business.

MANAGEMENT AND
OPERATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENT
 INTRODUCTION
 KEY APPROACHES TO OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AND ROLE OF
LEADERS AND MANAGERS
 IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
 FACTORS WITHIN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT THAT IMPACT UPON
OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION
 Operations is the internal working of the organization so that there is an
efficient working and the business will be able to achieve their mission.
 Management is the administration in an organization so that businesses
in market can function in one direction so that the functioning can get
under control and achieving the objectives is easier.
 To get a competitive advantage the organizations have to control the
operations which is under the control of management. Leaders and
management play a very important role and different responsibilities in
organizations.
 Unilever is a public limited company which is having its headquarters in
London.

KEY APPROACHES TO OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
AND ROLE OF LEADERS AND MANAGERS
 Operations management is to create the highest level of productivity within an organization with
the help of professional business practitioners.
 There are number of models which are being used by Unilever so that the managers and leaders
can have an effective workforce. The following report is going to discuss the models.
Six Sigma
 Six sigma can make Unilever have a better customer base for themselves if used in the right
measure.
 Quality of the products get improved after analysing the external and internal factors of the
company.
 Leaders and managers have to convey the information in the entire organization so that the
functioning in the organization can get better.

CONTINUE…
 Managers will have to make decisions and the leaders will have to make that decision come into reality so that
there is a growth in market.
 Managers will be able to over come the troubles which comes in front of the organization and the leaders will
have to make sure that the decisions are being implemented and followed by the employees so that the
productivity is maintained.
Just in Time
 Just in time will make the managers be able to utilize the resources effectively and minimize the waste. Supplies
will be limited and no extra resources will come in the company so that will be cost saving for Unilever.
 Leaders have to make sure that the employees of the company are following that factor and list of resources will
be made by leaders which are going to be checked by managers so that there is a better functioning for them. This
method is helping Unilever get a competitive advantage and costing saving in a lot of ways and also making less
harm to the environment and surroundings.

IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT
 Unilever has a strong base of managers and leaders in the company which is
making company have a competitive advantage.
 For having efficient and effective functioning in organization it is important to
have knowledge, skilled and experienced workforce within organization.
Productivity
 The productivity level in organization needs to be high so that the demands and
needs of the customers can be met from time to time. The managers have to make
decisions accordingly so that the employees can be satisfied with the work they
are doing in organization.
 Leaders must motivate the employees from time to time so that there is a better
functioning in the organization and the employees will be able to meet the targets.

CONTINUE…
Objectives
 There are a set of objectives and aims which are set by the management which the employees have
to achieve from time to time. Leaders break those objectives down for the employees so that there is
not too much pressure and the work can be done on time.
 This gets a sense of direction in organization. Leaders and managers have to make sure that the
targets are being met and the customers are getting their demands fulfilled.
Cost
 Management of Unilever has to make decisions so that they can have a lot of cost saving which can
be invested in a lot better place for later. Reports are prepared by leaders and managers in the
organization so that they can have a clear image of the organization and make future decisions
accordingly.
 Leaders have to do the best with the resources which are being supplied to them and the employees
must utilize that is ensured by the leaders.

FACTORS WITHIN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT THAT
IMPACT UPON OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT
Value
 There are set of values which Unilever has for themselves which the managers and the
leaders have to make sure are being followed in the organization.
 There are four core values of Unilever which are integrity, respect, pioneering and
responsibility which are being followed in Unilever from time to time. Following the
values making the organization have a clear vision for themselves.
Business Ethics
 Communication is present in the organization so that the decisions which are being taken
by managers are known by everyone and the sense of clarity can make the business
achieve their targets.
 Treating all the employees equal and giving what they deserve by leaders and managers is
very important for Unilever so that productivity of organization is maintained for a
competitive advantage.

CONTINUE…
Culture
 Culture of the organization is making employees have a sense of direction for achieving
goals in market. Managers have to make sure that they are having a good workforce and the
leaders are motivated so that the leaders can get the best out of the employees.
 Culture is being followed in Unilever which is making the environment of the organization
healthy and safe for the employees to work in and the organization is not having a high
turnover of employees.
Corporate Social Responsibilities
 The impact on the environment has reduced from Unilever and it has been an influence on
other organizations as well. Managers and leaders have to make sure that the employees are
following the measures which have been taken by Unilever so that that processing is better
in market. Managers make decisions and leader implement those in reality.

CONCLUSION
 From the above presentation it can be concluded that managers and leaders
within the organization play a very important role in business.
 Roles and responsibilities of managers and leaders are different from one
another and there are a lot of functions and decisions making with the two
have to make for the benefit of the organization.
 Leaders and managers have to maintain the standards and employees
motivation so that the standards of productivity in organization is
maintained. All the troubles have to be solved by leaders and managers and
they can make the employees meet the demands and needs of the customers.

REFERENCES
 Ansoff, H.I and et.al., 2018. Implanting strategic management. Springer.
 Cachon, G., 2016. Operations Management, 1e. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
 Carter, M.W. and Price, C.C., 2017. Operations research: a practical introduction. Crc Press.
 Chan, H.K and et.al., 2017. The role of social media data in operations and production
management. International Journal of Production Research. 55(17). pp.5027-5036.
 Dierynck, B. and Labro, E., 2018. Management accounting information properties and
operations management. Foundations and Trends® in Technology, Information and
Operations Management. 12(1). pp.1-114.
 Garza-Reyes, J.A and et.al., 2017. Managing Innovation and Operations in the 21st Century.
Productivity Press.
 Hill, A. and Hill, T., 2017. Essential operations management. Macmillan International Higher
Education.