Unilever: Management Structure, Leadership, and Operations Report

This report provides a comprehensive overview of Unilever's management and operations. It begins by examining Unilever's organizational structure, defining the roles of leaders and managers, and contrasting management and leadership styles. The report analyzes various leadership approaches, including autocratic and democratic styles, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, it delves into key operational functions, explores how external business environment factors affect the company, and discusses strategies to improve operational efficiency to meet business objectives. The report also includes recommendations for enhancing performance and achieving business growth, concluding that effective leadership and management are crucial for Unilever's continuous operational success. The report covers employee engagement, new product introduction and the impact of different leadership styles on Unilever.

Management
And
Operations

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
PART 1............................................................................................................................................1
1:Introduction on Unilever management structure.................................................................1
2:Definition and roles of leaders and managers, difference between management and
leadership................................................................................................................................2
3:Analyse the different roles of management and leadership in different organisational
situations.................................................................................................................................4
4: Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of different approaches of leadership.................5
5: Conclusion and recommendations......................................................................................6
PART 2............................................................................................................................................6
1: Introduction to Key operations of organisation..................................................................6
2: Explain key operational function, analysing responsibilities and roles of managers.........7
3: Describe key operational approaches to operations management and values....................8
4: Evaluation of affects of external business environment factors.........................................9
5: How efficiencies of operational can be improves to successfully to meet business objectives
..............................................................................................................................................10
6: Conclusion and recommendations for further improvements taken by company............11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Management is defines as a procedure of planning, organizing, decision-making,
encouraging, leading and controlling the physical, financial, information resources and human
resources of a workplace to reach business goals effectually and efficiently. Operation is major
function in industry along with marketing, finance, supply chains and human resources.
Operations require management of strategic and production on regular basis of products and
services. Operations management refers to administration of organisational practices to make
highest level of possible efficiency within workplace (Alblooshi, Shamsuzzaman and Haridy,
2020). It is concerned with transforming materials and labour into services and goods in efficient
manner to generate maximum profit of business. Below report is based on Unilever, It is British
Multinational Consumer Goods organisation located in London, England. This industry founded
in 1929 and they have different category in products such as energy drinks, food, baby food, tea
& coffee, pet food, Beauty products, personal care products, health care products, bottled water
and many more. Their products and services are available in more than 190 countries. This
company is largest producer of soap across world. Below report includes, roles of leaders and
functions of manger, theories and concepts, strength and weakness of different approaches to
leadership or management. In part second includes, key operations and its functions, approaches,
affect of external business environment factors and management and leadership approaches.
MAIN BODY
PART 1
1:Introduction on Unilever management structure
Management structure refers to how industry organize their management hierarchy. In
this management process involve that are planning, organising, staffing, directing or controlling
different operations. In context to Unilever organisation, it is largest producer of variety of
products and they serve their products across entire world. Company divide products on the basis
of type and category, it is most important feature (Bilovodska, Syhyda and Saher, 2018). They
have corporate executive teams in different department which includes human resources, chief
executive, home care, legal, finance and many other. Thy divide strategies on basis of
Geographic such as company make strategies for Europe so they can target potential people. In
every country people have different needs and demands so it is essential to making strategies as
1

per customer's desires. They have different categories in products and they effectively manage all
departments.
2:Definition and roles of leaders and managers, difference between management and leadership
Leader: A great leader is someone who provide vision and guide towards goals to
employees. They work for making their vision into reality. They require to be connect with
people and empathetic to be more successful.
Manager: He is responsible for motivating and supervising workforce and directing
business programs and tasks of an organisation (Cheng, 2021) (Hopkin, 2018). Manager make
effective strategies for better growth and provide right training to new employees as per
requirements so organisation can achieve higher rate of performance.
Role of Manager and leader
Basis Manager Leader
Role Focuses on improvement:They
are one to make better use of
all resources in a advanced
manner or keep concentration
on improvement in their
enterprise and this assist in
group meeting competitive
benefits in huge market.
Communicator: It is medium
via which information transfer
form one people to other.
Leader make decision or
Interact to their associates in to
satisfaction of goals business.
Promote strategic thinking:
company's Manager is one
who is accountable for entire
business tasks so they also
underline and welcome new
thoughts that will assist in
rising organisation to next
level of success.
Influencer: It is exercise of
encouraging their subordinate
so that workforce will put their
best efforts in accomplishing
business objectives. It assist in
enhancing performance or
productivity of staff.
Self awareness: Managers are
make change in different
Teacher: they are provide
better guidance to subordinates
2

operations of Organisation so
it need to keep updating about
their specific field. So they can
make effective decisions
how to perform business tasks
effectually and teach to
employees in new ways of
organisation which will leads
to more advancement in
industry.
Characteristics of Leader and the Manager
Basis Manager Leader
Characteristics Time management: They are
responsible for performing
tasks and activities in complete
manner in fix time (JOHN-
EKE and EKE, 2020). It is
give as-surety by managers to
have effective code of
conduct. So in organisation
task and business activities
done in proper manner.
Allure personality: leaders are
must be a creative, broad
minded or adaptive, through
this leaders can take decisions
as per environment changing
by adopting different activities
and strategies of business.
This assist to leader of
Unilever company to direct
their workforce in an suitable
manner.
Effectual skills on the basis of
social: These skills are which
assist in personal improvement
of individual and consider the
communication, presentation
skills that are reflect
Individual personality.
Outstanding public specking:
company's Leaders are
representative and who is lead
subordinates to make them
efficient and take participation
in some speech or public
speaking to create better brand
image.
3

3:Analyse the different roles of management and leadership in different organisational
situations.
Leaders and manager, both are play an crucial role in different company's situation and
handle them in an suitable way. There are different conditions which are leads to have affect on
business success but manager explore path in which they can solve various problems and assure
smooth operating of enterprise. In terms of Unilever, there are several situation in which leaders
and managers play an essential role which is described below as:
Engagement of Employees: It is level in which workforce are consecrated towards their
work, job profile and make commitment to company, also give best contribution in
accomplishing goals of business. It assist in rising skilfulness, so that employees will perform in
an more appropriate way (Kalkanci, Rahmani and Toktay, 2019). It is effective activity in which
staff work well in their functional operational areas to accomplish business goal.
Role of managers and leaders: Leaders are responsible for creating thoughts to use
several activities and assure that each worker is performing with their desirable satisfaction.
They assure effective practices to keep workforce engage in operational departments so they can
hold in enterprise for a long terms. Manager in Unilever company emphasis on development and
training of staff, so they take part in process of decision making with creative thoughts.
New product's Introduction: In this stage new or innovated product is being developed
or also utilize innovative or advance basis tools or techniques in manufacturing process of new
goods. It is important to done by investigating about market, examine desires and present trends
so that new goods will take firm to its maximum growth. Unilever company emphasis on goods
improvement by adopting innovative technique in terms to serve huge market.
Role of leader or manager: Leaders are make effective or new strategies and organized
plan for execute the modifications in their process of business and provide guidance to
subordinates with thought of developing new goods that reach present trends of marketplace.
Manager take some steps to make changes in several operational tasks and also help them
training to their workforce that will assist in manufacturing procedure of innovated or new
product successfully manner (Lawrence, Rasche and Kenny, 2019). Unilever is work on goods
development by using latest trends and conducting several training programs for learning of
staff.
Leadership styles
4

There are several leadership styles that are used by leaders in terms to operate their
operations in business an proper manner or react as per to situation. Various kind of leadership
styles explained below:
 Situational leadership: It is style in which leaders of company select leadership style
as per to situation and circumstances so that leaders can manage situation effectively.
They select style which effectually suits to achieve goals of organization.
 System leadership: It is set of skills or ability that individual have in terms to adopt them
in their leadership procedure. So that Unilever can take proper of utilization of their
skilfulness in terms to accomplish their objectiveness.
 Contingency leadership: In this ,leaders examine condition and as per to it identifies
style. Then a proper balance is made between situation and leadership. So that leaders
can effectively lead group in an effectual manner.
4: Evaluation of strengths and weaknesses of different approaches of leadership.
Leadership is creation of motivating team of individual for accomplishing business
goals or objectives in terms to set up a right code of activity in their operational departments
(Lee and Tang, 2018). They have to take big decision in dynamic environment so it need
effectual leadership for fine operating of company. There are various models of leadership
which is utilized by Unilever is described as follows:
Autocratic Style: This states the leader take own decision or map path, also set needs in
terms to achievement of business task in an efficacious way. They focusing on making proper
use of several strategies of business based on vision or Autocratic style is a gestural of assured
leader that make decision or entirely responsible for each financial loss and risk related with
several operations. Unilever focuses on development of firm or also business concern with
achieving company's goal so that leaders can set up a good brand picture in market. The
capability of this style of leadership is that it provide decent plan of action to their workforce in
terms to develop future activities of business with intellectual of making correct use of
enterprise. On another hand, The imperfection of this style of leadership is that it refuse new
thoughts of potential workers that assist leads to retardation of their enterprise operations.
Unilever is adopting their this style of leadership to set up right code of conduct in operational
areas.
5

Democratic Style:It is style which emphatic on thought create from staff and leaders are
particularly concern with worker's belief before approval of final conclusion. This leadership
style is also known as participative style in which each staff take part in procedure of decision
making by providing their valuable thought (Murphy and Murphy, 2018). The capability of this
leadership style is to promote workforce by involving to them in huge decision making process
and they feel encouraged or perform in an better approached way. Imperfection of this leadership
style is in some area, it would be dangerous to perform on principles or decision form by
workforce. Manager of Unilever company is also adopt this style to make proper employee
engagement.
5: Conclusion and recommendations.
This has been concluded from above part that Leader or manager are play an crucial role
in ceaseless operating of company. Manager focusing on strategical thinking or improvement in
their functional areas. Leader also intensity on influencing or teaching their associates so that
both can perform business tasks in an effectual way to accomplish business goals.
As per above discussion there are some recommendations for company which helps in
increasing performance and business growth (Nadeem, Garza-Reyes and Glanville, 2018).
Managers and leaders need proper participation of employees in every decision making process
and business activities to enhance performance and increase sales in market. Company can adopt
other approaches to meet market trends and improve performance of business.
PART 2
1: Introduction to Key operations of organisation
Operations management concern to handlling process or operations within business. An
impressive operational management organization need maximum quality or accountability for
providing of business project and product with success. In process it perform different purpose
that are help in raise production or more revenue. In terms of Unilever their functional
management based on handling various goods and services in contrastive supermarkets, hyper
marketplace and etc (Pettit, Croxton and Fiksel, 2019). It control process which are change over
inputs into products or services. All procedure are interconnect with the supply chain or each
operations are shows adding more values or transforming, there are two kind of system of
operation one is opened or another one is closed loop based. Opened trade with speed as a
6

maximal priority and Closed loop is controlling stages between procedure and outcomes or
receive feedback at the find step. There are several key purpose of the operational management
which are justify below as;
 Strategies within operational management or this explain to plan of action planning that
aid through optimized business resources or competitive border improvement over other
company. Strategies consider sales, capacity to hold capital, human resource usage in
optimal way or the supply chain configuration.
 Operations are concerned with the several functions like; planning, organise, guiding and
controlling all tasks or activities of organsiation.
 Forecasting take an entire estimations of consumer's needs, demands, budgets or many
other. It play crucial role in production procedure.
 Finance is necessary element in functional management and it execute in many terms like
making budgets, investment, payroll or etc. Effective usage of finance assist in reach
customer's needs.
2: Explain key operational function, analysing responsibilities and roles of managers
Operational functions are play vast role in manage each activities which are related to
enterprise and help in getting objectives in proper direction. Managers have various duties and
role towards central operational functions that are shown below as;
Finance: This function have huge role in enterprise and it assist in many concepts like as
doing activities or tasks of company, investing in new tools or techniques that are needed in
enterprise (Prado Perez, 2020) (Qureshi, 2020). It help in fulfilling consumer wants and in terms
to Unilever, they have effectual finance place in organization. In this managers are have duties or
role to handle financial tasks and activities, also budgets related to enterprise in right way.
Strategy: It is crucial part to execute any task and enterprise action to accomplish
positive results via adopting correct direction. In case of Unilever, every strategies are making by
supervisors or managers. Responsibilities or role, both are includes in making strategies in exact
manner or based on the accessibility of resources.
Operations: This function is crucial for better administration of the production or it
includes several component like planning about business task or project, organise each steps and
required resources, Guiding the planning in correct direction and after execute tasks so according
examining they require to control some things which are not appropriate for organisational task.
7

In this handlers of Unilever have duties or role to plan about company's activities, organize them,
leading in right way or control as per examine outcomes.
Forecasting: It is crucial to estimation about further growth or plans of actions
accordingly. This is essential for making efficacious strategies or make planning about important
projects, budgets set up and many other attendant to business. It is manager's duty or role to
estimation right rate of success and handle performance for further in Unilever.
Managing quality: To fulfil user's needs efficacious quality is must. In case of Unilever,
they handle their quality in accurate manner to retain more people or meet their desires and
wants by giving attractive goods or services quality.
Supply chain configuration: It includes selecting suppliers, effective resources, process
and mode of transit at all step of supply chain of several alternate which change in price, time
lead or many more (Romero‐Hernández and Romero, 2018). In case of Unilever, manager
choose accurate supplier for their enterprise, and use optimal resources , follow all procedure in
correct direction or select exact manner of transportation to supply products and services to
`users. An efficacious supply chain enhance sales or brand values in marketplace.
3: Describe key operational approaches to operations management and values
Total quality management: This model or operations management refers carry through
growth for long term via providing customer satisfaction. TQM theory contribute efforts in
enterprise to each staff are take engagement in rising services, products, process or cultures of
organisation in which workforce are perform. Unilever adopt TQM to handle quality of services
or goods and also take staff engagement for accomplish better company's performance.
Just in-Time: This model of operational management is a stock list system in plan of
action of management that are formation up in terms of raw material from the directly suppliers
with correct schedules of process production. It is opposition with just in model strategies and
manufacturer are hold enough stock list to have sufficient products to reach market demand at
maximum rate (Shetty and Shreenidhi, 2018). Unilever handle their inventories or maintain
good relations with suppliers.
Six sigma: This theory provide tools or techniques to company that are assist in enhance
quality of business process. It assistance in raise performance or reduce process of fluctuation
assists in lead to diminution of defect or betterment in revenue, quality of services and goods or
8

employees mental state. Unilever use this model to reduce or avoid some defect for minimise
financial loss and better business performance.
There are several values of important operational theories in operations which are described
below as;
Enhancing user satisfaction: As per adopting above concepts in company each are
assist in giving better customer satisfaction or reach more people form various markets.
Increase goodwill: Theories are assist in better goodwill in marketplace or proper
handling quality of products or services, maintain stock list or reducing imperfection are assist in
reach customer's needs or desires and it increase goodwill in marketplace.
Improvement of quality: TQM assist in carry off quality in efficacious way and another
two concepts are assist in better better qualities for fulfilling customer's expectations or wants.
4: Evaluation of affects of external business environment factors
There are different elements that consider in company's environment that create several
affects on business activities acting by managers or leaders in operations. In case of Unilever,
they analyse external factors by adopting PESTEL model which assist in scanning several factors
in environment which are affect organisation. Factors are explained below as;
 Political: This factor affect decision making procedure of managers or leaders in
stableness feature of political. It consider fiscal or tax, trade policies, rate of corruption ,
regulations and etc. In current days political factors are really supportive for Unilever
company in trading or operating business activities smoothly.
 Economical: This factor impact on decision making activity in several position like; rate
of unemployment, stock market performance, fluctuations in cost, success rate, rates of
exchanges, rate of interest and etc. Recently Unilever company suffer from challenges
due to Covid pandemic but they handle in effectual way by adopting strategies so they
can provide services or goods to people. It impact on profitability in negative way but
now they balance between work and generating profit.
 Sociological: This factor impact decision making activity of handler or leaders in various
status like attitude towards tasks, workplace cultures, religious belief, arrangement of
wealth and etc. Unilever firm ensure about products or service's quality so that they
9