Strategic Management Report: Analysis of M&S Business Strategies

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Marks and Spencer's (M&S) strategic management, examining various aspects of the company's operations. It begins with background information on M&S, highlighting its vision, mission, and key business areas. The report then delves into the methods of development employed by M&S, specifically focusing on the Ansoff Matrix to understand market penetration, market development, product development, and diversification strategies. It also explores the leadership styles adopted by M&S, including laissez-faire, participative, transactional, autocratic, authoritative, and democratic approaches. Furthermore, the report analyzes change management within M&S, discussing organizational contextual features like time, scope, readiness, and power, along with design choices such as change paths and styles. Finally, the report assesses M&S's sustainability strategy, outlining its Plan A initiatives and commitment to eco-friendly practices. The conclusion synthesizes these findings, offering a holistic view of M&S's strategic management practices and recommendations.

Strategic Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
M&S Background information...................................................................................................1
Methods of development.............................................................................................................2
Leadership style..........................................................................................................................3
Change Management...................................................................................................................4
Sustainability...............................................................................................................................6
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Strategic management is regular planning, assessing and evaluating need of organisation to
achieve goal and objective in timely manner. This concept is depending on vision as well as
mission of organisation that must be achieved in future period of time. For this process, it is
necessary to have appropriate strategic planning in proper way and also optimize resources
according to need. This assignment depends upon case study named as Marks and Spencer. It is
British international retailing company that is given by Michael marks & Thomas Spencer in
1884. In this assignment, the background related to Marks and Spencer, method connected to
improvement adopted by organisation. In addition to this, they also determine leadership style
and also apply change administration for assessing strategy within business organisation. At last,
it provides assessment regarding sustainability strategy & determines recommendation
(Barthwal-Datta, 2020).
MAIN BODY
M&S Background information
Marks and Spencer is British international retailing company that is given by Michael
marks & Thomas Spencer in 1884. In year of 2020, company focuses on open 1038 outlets
which are situated in UK and there are around 481 outlets that are located around world and also
the organisation executed their operation at global level and recruit regarding 75000 individual
person in which mainstream is female.
 The vision of company is to achieve leading position around the world. The organisation
focuses on goal that must be achieved in timely manner. They also focus on executing task
and activities in an appropriate manner.
 The mission of business organisation is to improve superior quality for its user.
 The clothing as well as home items are determined as an important part of activity of
business organisation and it increases sales that are around 3.9 billion.
 In year of 2016, the online sales which will be around 20% and sells related to home utilities
around 40% that is appropriate for business organisation.

Methods of development
ANSOFF MATRIX
Marks and Spencer is determined as a retailing organisation within UK. It is determined as
well known organisation provide goods such as home product, food product and many more in
order to satisfy them. Marks and Spencer focuses on operating their functioning in order to
perform different activity in proper way.
Ansoff matrix the company can understand regarding strength as well as weaknesses of
company to accomplish goal in timely manner. This matrix is adopted by Marks and Spencer that
is going to be mentioned below:
Market penetration the company enhances sales of goods in market along with existing
goods. Marks and Spencer focuses on increasing profit margin by putting their contribution in
order to attract ample of user and it also involve different variety of product that help in
increasing sales in future period of time (Fatima,Desouza and Dawson, 2020).
Market development herein, the company focuses on increasing profits with similar
product but in new market. The organisation adopts different kind of promotional technique in
order to increase sales in future period of time. It attract ample of customer which will be helpful
for company in taking major decisions.
Product development the organisation emphasis on improvement of innovative product in
existing market so that customer gets some modification within goods and services that help in
increasing sales in future period of time.
Diversification herein, the new product will be available in new market in order to satisfy
its customer. The Marks and Spencer need to gain more and more profit in order to operate their
business at global level. It is considered as a risky element because it is not easy for business
organisation to expand their business in new market. The organisation focuses on adopting this
kind of strategy which will be helpful in achieving competitive advantage over rivalries at
market place.
Therefore, the Marks and Spencer adopt strategy related to market penetration in order to
provide innovative product in new market for satisfying its user.

Leadership style
An approach to guide the team with most appropriate technique is called leadership style.
Choose the best suitable approach of leading/ guiding the team and showing the right direction to
fellow employees. Leadership styles adopted by Mark and Spencer are as follows:
Laissez-Faire Leadership Style:
Laissez-Faire Leadership Style or delegating leadership focuses on delegating work to
other employees or colleagues. This leadership style can be implemented effectively, if the team
members are reliable and competent. Mark and Spencer allow employees to complete their task
with less supervision, so that the employee's can be more independent while performing their
activities which will enhance their decision making skills also.
Participative Leadership Style:
Participative leadership style encourages participation of all the team members of the
organization and values their opinions, ideas and enhances decision-making. This leadership
style also motivates the employee's as they feel valued by the organization. Mark and Spencer
encourage employees to be more engaged and will give more involvement to the company.
Through this the company can develop the feeling of belongingness in their employees towards
the organization. Use of this leadership style helps the management of an organisation when it
comes to retention of their workforce (Johnson, Mora and Schmidt, 2016).
Transactional Leadership Style:
This is the style in which the lesson of motivating employees through financial motives is
followed. Everyone in an organization is not motivated through non financial benefits, some
needs to be recognised through awarding with monetary benefits. This is the main leadership
style that is adopted by Mark and Spencer, as the company focuses on maintaining high
performance of their employees which will result into productive involvement of the employees
for the organization. This will be helpful by gaining maximum productivity and efficiency from
employees. This will ultimately reflect in improved profitability level of firm.

Autocratic Leadership Style:
Autocratic leadership style is an approach through which one person controls in decision
making, make policies and procedures and minimal input of other team members is appreciated.
Such leaders takes full control in decision making and believe in leading the team according to
their own approach. The team leaders are responsible to control the actions and activities of the
members of groups so that work would be completed on time.
Authoritative Leadership Style:
This leadership style states that leader can force the team members to perform the task
accordingly and clear guidelines are given to the employees that needed to be followed. While
implementing this leadership style, lack of decision making, creativity and innovation can be
reduced as their self input is not valuable for the organization. The leaders according to the task
assizes by the higher authorities force the team members to carry the operations so that desire
results are achieved (Mitchell, 2018).
Democratic Leadership Style:
Democratic leadership style encourages participation of all the members of the
organization; employee's are recognized and appraised for their performance in the organization.
A democratic leader encourages employee engagement while planning, decision-making and
executing the plans. The employees on the bases of their performance get rewards and bounce so
that they feel motivated and work hard.
Change Management
Change administration signifies method through which they signify changes in business
organisation and also adopt changes by using internal as well as external processes. Herein, the
organisation focuses on adopting changes which is necessary for company to conduct different
task in proper way.
Due to enhancing globalisation, the advanced technology and also changes is determined
as an important part of organisation that needs survival in changing environment of company.
The Marks and Spencer focuses on adopting different kind of model such as kaleidoscope model.
Herein, the organisation focuses on time, scope, readiness as well as power (Noto and Noto,

2019). There is different kind of features as well as choices in reference of Marks and Spencer
that is given below:
Organizational contextual features: Organisation adopts transformation changes within
Marks and Spencer that is given below:
Time the time is required in order to bring changes within company. These are
connected with strategic improvement and to conduct different things in proper way.
Scope the scope is determined as a degree related to changes in respect of transformation.
It is used to assess how changes impose direct effect on activity of business organisation. After
changes in organisation imposes direct effect on entity.
Preservation it is connected to level that is needed for measure different methods of
working and various aspects of culture. In addition with this, it is helpful in assessing
competencies of business organisation in an appropriate manner.

Diversity in context of diversity between subordinates, it is necessary to bring changes
within company. This kind of department is divided into sales, divisional culture that imposes
direct effect on national culture.
Capability it is divided into different level like individual, managerial as well as
organisation. These kinds of changes depend upon various people that must determining changes
which is necessary for success of company.
Capacity is related or connected with resources that are available for investment in
respect of changes and there are different type of people perform their activities with appropriate
change.
Readiness herein, the subordinate focuses on increasing awareness regarding changes
that is necessary for success of company.
Power it is determined as power and liberty that is determined as a key agent related to
change within company.
Design or applying choices:
Change path it determine various types of changes in respect of alteration and speed
related to changes within an organisation that help in achieving favourable outcome in future
period of time.
Change starts point these are those points that need to bring changes and improvement
like Marks and Spencer use changes for more arrangement (Stacey, 2016).
Change style herein, the Marks and Spencer adopts continuum style that is depending
upon highly collaborative into participative.
Change target for this kind of changes, the business organisation adopts specific things
like cultural, interpersonal, political changes and many more.
Change levers herein, the Marks and Spencer focuses on determining that individual
person who take responsibility or duty related to changes.
After analysis, it has been assess that Marks and Spencer use transformational change
through which they emphasized on present procedure of operation and technology.
Sustainability
The sustainability signifies meeting need of user in order to satisfy them. According to this
strategy, there are three pillar methods to future that is mainly focuses on subordinate and

transforming communities for planet. The plan A which is maintained for 2025 is a plan that is
made for future that is appropriately sustainable for partnership with user and stakeholder that
imposes direct effect on business organisation.
The Marks and Spencer focuses on providing packaging according to eco-friendly
environment by year of 2022.
The Marks and Spencer focuses on improving clothing as well as home item by 25% in year
of 2020.
The primary purpose of Marks and Spencer is to be clear as well as transparent and focuses
on motivating substantially.
In year of 2019, the Marks and Spencer focuses on launching or introducing mechanism
item that help in achieving sustainability criteria (Tang and Veelenturf, 2019).
CONCLUSION
On basis of above given report, it is assess that strategic management is regular planning,
assessing and evaluating need of organisation to achieve goal and objective in timely manner.
This concept is depending on vision as well as mission of organisation that must be achieved in
future period of time. For this process, it is necessary to have appropriate strategic planning in
proper way and also optimize resources according to need. In addition to this, they also
determine leadership style and also apply change administration for assessing strategy within
business organisation. At last, it provides assessment regarding sustainability strategy &
determines recommendation.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Barthwal-Datta, M., 2020. Constructing India as a Similar Enough Other: The Bush
Administration's Strategic Narrative of the US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation
Agreement. Journal of Global Security Studies.
Fatima, S., Desouza, K.C. and Dawson, G.S., 2020. National strategic artificial intelligence
plans: A multi-dimensional analysis. Economic Analysis and Policy, 67, pp.178-194.
Johnson, D.A., Mora, A. and Schmidt, A., 2016. The Strategic Costs of Torture: How" Enhanced
Interrogation" Hurt America. Foreign Affairs, 95(5), pp.121-132.
Mitchell, D., 2018. To monitor or intervene? City managers and the implementation of strategic
initiatives. Public Administration, 96(1), pp.200-217.
Noto, G. and Noto, L., 2019. Local strategic planning and stakeholder analysis: Suggesting a
dynamic performance management approach. Public Organization Review, 19(3), pp.293-310.
Stacey, R.D., 2016. The chaos frontier: creative strategic control for business. Butterworth-
Heinemann.
Tang, C.S. and Veelenturf, L.P., 2019. The strategic role of logistics in the industry 4.0
era. Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 129, pp.1-11.