Leadership and Management Concepts: A Case Study of Marks & Spencer

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Leadership and Management Concepts: A Case Study of Marks & Spencer

Leadership and Management Concepts






Executive Summary

This report was divided into two activities that are the leadership and the management as well as the operation management of the Marks & Spencer. This report included the roles & functions that leaders & the managers perform at M & S stores. It also explained wide difference on their roles & function. The different theories and diverse model connected to leadership and approaches of management were explained. The theories related to the leadership like the contingency, the systems and the situational were explained along with the weaknesses & the strengths of them. It analyzed the various operational management at Marks & Spencer. It evaluated the utilization of TQM, JIT and the six sigma approaches. This report involved the significance of operations management in M & S for leaders & its managers. It demonstrated the influences of the external factors on the decisions of leaders and how they managed them.









Activity 1

Introduction

This assignment is about the roles and the function that played by the leader as well as the managers of the Marks & Spencer’s. It explains how their roles and function differs from each other. It consists of brief explanation of a various theories and diverse model related to the leadership as well as the approaches of a management. The leaders-ship theories such as contingency, systems and the situational is used to explain. It evaluates the areas of the weaknesses as well as the strengths of these foresaid theories into the Marks & Spencer. This company is the UK’s top retail brand dealing into clothes, food as home related products.



Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.

Points of Difference

Managers at M & S

Leaders at M & S

Definitions

A Manager is one who handle and manages the diverse work of company into a several situations and assist and guide towards the attainment of already set objectives or goals of their company.

A Leader is one who motivates as well as encourages it subordinates or peer staff for better performance along with enhancing their productivity to meet targets.

Diverse Roles

  • M & S’s managers takes the diverse decisions.

  • These managers direct the various kind of functions within the M & S.

  • They make the plan to meet their own organizations’ goals as well as target at M & S.

  • Managers at M & S retain the culture of their company.

  • M & S’s managers aims is to work on achieving the target or goals.

  • M & S’s leaders does the implementation of the plan as well as working towards the target which are formed by a manager (Xuetong, 2019).

  • Role of M & S’s leader is to provide the motivation to subordinate for giving their best to meet targets.

  • M & S’s leader thinks and plan keeping the future in mind.

  • M & S’s leader are fully responsible to bring the valuable change in their company.

  • M & S’s leader play a major role in employee growth as well as meeting the targets.

Diverse Characteristics

  • M & S’s managers are one who evade the risks and try to reduce any risks.

  • Managers at M & S are responsible as well as accountable for the organization working.

  • Managers at M & S are inflexible in their decisions.

  • The M & S managers are decision takers and target setter (Akhmetshin, et. al., 2019).

  • M & S’s leaders are risk takers and ready to any challenges to face.

  • Leaders at M & S have characteristic to motivate the people of their company.

  • The leaders at M & S have feature to be flexible in taking a decision as well as performing tasks.

  • Leaders at M & S focuses on the goal attainment as well as responsible towards the tasks.





Analyse and differentiate between the role of a leader and function of a manager by effectively applying a range of theories and concepts.

Functions of Manager at M & S

Roles of Leader at M & S

Managers of the M & S performs the task of the administration as well as making certain decisions concerned with their store’s daily operation

Leaders of the M & S brings into the existence the plans as well as decisions taken by their managers and guide their subordinates (Kouzes and Posner, 2017).

The function of managers at the M & S is to focus towards its company’s overall structure and its system improvement.

The role of leaders at the M & S is to emphasize on the targets with the help of the motivated staff and assisting them.

Managers of the M & S makes the plan, respective strategies, provide the resources by allocating to employees, working for achieve the target and evaluating the used strategies (Ele, et. al., 2020).

The role of leaders at the M & S is to motivate its subordinates and make sure their performance level improves.


Managers of the M & S uses the scientific theory as well as systematic theory.

The leaders at the M & S uses the theory of transformational – leadership in their retail stores.





Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in different situational contexts.

In M & S, the functions performed by their managers and the roles played by their leaders are very necessary for attaining the targets that are already set. Both the managers and their leaders have diverse form of style as well as diverse skills that used in the diverse situations. For e.g., Marks & spencer are facing the issues due to the increased competition in the retail industry in the UK. The M & S’s leaders and mangers need to deal with this by applying the management and the leadership related theories along with their skills. In this competitive situation, the managers and leaders can use the Management by objectives theory – MBO to meet the goals of increasing the sales and improve the share in the market (Johncy, 2017). The managers of this company are required to work its employees by setting the performance level to achieve. The leaders of this company need to delegate the diverse task to employees and perform for meeting the targets of sales. There different style of every leader which help in take different types of decisions in different situations.








Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership, systems leadership and contingency.

There are various kinds of the leadership theories as well as leadership models which are utilized by the M & S. Some of them are presented below in detail. This helps the leaders to deal with certain situations and problems in a better way.

  • Systems - leadership theory: The leader of Marks & Spencer are trained themselves to adapt the new and unique changes in their company in the retail processes as well as operations for making profit and improving the overall productivity. They are working for developing the best system at different levels of M & S.

  • Situational - leadership theory: In this theory, there are four diverse styles like telling, delegating, selling as well as participating approach of leadership. At M & S, its leader tells their staff what work to be done, in selling the leader tells outside company about the work, in participation involving the staff as well as delegating includes limited engagement of leader and give their subordinate the ground to grow (Zigarmi and Roberts, 2017).

  • Contingency - leadership theory: At M & S, with the help of this theory, the leader uses different style as per need of the situation and problems at their retail store. The decisions as well as the tasks are based on the problems. This is the most helpful theory as leaders approach differs every time when the diverse situations or problems are faced.









Examine strengths and weaknesses to appraise different approaches to situations within the work

Strengths of diverse theories / approaches - The below are the different strengths of diverse theories / approaches that M& S’s leaders and its managers utilized at the retail store. They are as follows:

Strengths of System approach:

  • Using this leadership approach at M & S, the overall efficiency of its employees improves as well as the target are achieved.

  • The decisions which are made are effective and worthy of the trust using this theory at M & S (Hallinger, 2018).

Strengths of Situational approach:

  • It is very effective in diverse situations as the leaders of M & S forms their decisions according to the needs of a particular problem faced.

  • It ensures the adaptions as well as brings the required changes in the M & S ‘s overall company’s store.

Strengths of Contingency approach:

  • By using this theory or approach, it provides the unique and effective outcomes to a company with the flexible form of culture.

  • With these leaders at M & S can enhance their problem - solving ability (Hamlet, et. al., 2017).

Weaknesses of diverse theories / approaches - The below are the different weaknesses of diverse theories / approaches that M& S’s leaders and its managers utilized at the retail store. They are as follows:

Weaknesses of System approach:

  • It is suitable to only small size organization, thus it is ineffective at large retail stores of M & S.

  • It is unsuitable for the manager’s diverse areas of the functions at M & S (Drier, et. al., 2019).

Weaknesses of Situational approach:

  • It mostly emphasizes only on different sort of task to be performed which is ineffective for the M & S.

  • With this kind of theory, environment of dependency will be formed among its employees at its retail stores.

Weaknesses of Contingency approach:

  • It is very complex kind of approach for leaders to utilize at the M & S.

  • It just gives the solutions which are not permanent to M & S’s leaders and managers.









Critically analyse and evaluate the different theories and approaches to leadership in given contexts.

By utilizing the situational theory by leaders or managers at M & S may assist in the expansion of its business in the countries where it is not operating currently. The leaders or managers of M & S can analyze the market of new economy and motivate its employees to work towards the goal’s attainment. By utilizing the system theory by its leaders would assist into the adapting the new market’s culture as well as using the diverse technologies by incorporating selling, telling, participating as well as delegation (Harrison, 2018). The use of the contingency approach would be effective to provide the resolutions to the issues that M & S is facing.







Conclusion:

Therefore, it can be summarized from the above analysis that Marks & Spencer’s managers and its leaders have the diverse roles to play. They both performs their own diverse functions which is help in meeting the decided targets of increasing sales, customer’ satisfaction and business overall growth. By utilizing the diverse forms of theories, the management as well as the leader can make the effective environment to grow. It is important to use the effective theory from the situational, the contingency and the system. By knowing the strengths and weaknesses areas the effective one will the contingency approach for the M & S.









Activity 2

Introduction

In another part of the report, the operational management that Marks & Spencer performs into its retail stores operating in different economies of globe is analyzed. This briefly studies the diverse approaches of that are utilized for improve the retail stores’ operations for better management. It includes the use of TQM, JIT and the six sigma approaches for effective operations. It also describes the significance of the managing the operations at M & S by its leaders as well as its managers. It also demonstrates how the external factors are influencing the decisions that taken by leaders of this company and how they manage those factors efficiently.









Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and managers play.

The concept operation management involves the process of planning, sourcing, producing, processing, controlling and making product or service available to the buyers. The various types of operation management are carried out by the leaders and the operation managers at the retail stores of M & S. It involves the finding the different kind of the suppliers of the products, giving the orders or purchasing, handling and recruiting the floor staff at their retail store, ensure the proper flow the required or necessary product or inventory by managing it, ensuring the proper storage the items in its ware-house and satisfying its buyers with its proper customer service management (Wolniak, 2020). The diverse approaches which can be utilized by M & S’s leaders and managers, they are as follows:

  • JIT (Just in Time) approach: By utilizing this method of operation management, the managers and leader will be able to make sure that inventory or items are available in their retail store of M & S. This help to meet the customer’s requirement as well as demand of its products. It is effective for saving both the expense as well as time of the managers and company. This ensures the efficiency enhancement in the retail stores operating in different economy. For e.g., If M & S enters into the production of the certain item, using this approach, its time get saved by proper inflow of the resources needed and enhancing the company’s efficiency.

  • Six sigma approach: By utilizing this method of six sigma, M & S ‘s leader can make sure that there are not defective products at their retail stores and no error into their service while serving the buyers. It helps to provide the quality items and services to its buyers. For e.g., If M & S retail stores have standard quality items then their image will enhance in customer’s mind (Lamine and Lakhal, 2018).

  • TQM (Total Quality Management) approach: With help of the TQM approach, the M & S can ensure that their standard of services and items that they sell are maintained for the customer satisfaction. Even the TQM training can be given to staff at their retail stores of this company.

Manager’s role in operation management at the M & S:

  • Motivating the employees: The role that manager plays at M & S is to encourage its employees for maintaining the benchmark in its quality services as well as products that they sell. This will help to ensuring the buyer’s satisfaction by staff and improve sales.

  • Training the floor staff: The manager of M & S, are responsible for training the staff to use the diverse approaches like six sigma, JIT and TQM (Raju, 2018). This helps in making staff prepared for retail store operations and increasing level of buyer’s satisfaction.

  • Managing the effective inventory: The manager of M & S ensures and are responsible for the proper number of the inventory available in store for sales in their retail store’s shelves. The proper strategies and plan are made to timely storage of the items into shelf racks.









Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business objectives.

The core importance and the value of the M & S’s operational management for meeting the targeted objectives of this company are many which is helping the company to grow its business in domestic as well as global market. This will help in the expansion of this brand in other global market of the world. They are given in the brief below:

  • Effective in achieving the targets set by M & S management: Through the operation management, the managers form the plan related to the retail store’s different operations which help in management of all the tasks. All this help the managers in meeting the set targets on time at M & S.

  • Effective in raising the employees’ efficiency level and productivity level: At the M & S, the proper operational management by managers help to utilize the capabilities of their staff in the diverse functions that are carried out by them. Even the training of different approaches of the operational management, also ensures the maintaining the quality benchmark and meet the objective on time which directly contribute to efficiency and the M & S staff’s over-all productivity in their store (Dametew, et. al., 2020).

  • Effective in enhancing the M & S’s image and value: As the quality is ensured in products and the services by the M & S staff using the proper managing of its operations by the retail store managers creates the positive image among the buyer’s coming to the store and create the value of the brand in the society at large.

  • Effective in motivating the M & S’s employees: As the employees in the retail store of M & S can meet the targets that are set by their managers will being a confidence and the motivation to perform well. The employees who are motivated will help the company to carrying out its operations.

  • Effective in proper utilization of the M & S’s internal resources: The use of the managing the operations at M & S’s retail stores will make sure that the internal resources are used properly and reduce the wastage and needless items in the store shelves.





Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management to successfully meet business objectives.

The Marks & Spencer’s qualified managers and the visionary leaders assists into the enhancement of the organizational efficiency and the targets of the sales, customer satisfaction as well as the expansion of the stores in other market internationally. The qualified managers and the visionary leaders help its subordinates and employees to work in the best manner and use their own capabilities as well as skills. The contribution of the motivated employees increases the productivity standards ensure the increase in the retail stores total sales, profits and maintaining the needed inventories in the retail stores as well as their warehouses. The encouragement of the employees at M & S by its leaders and the managers by providing the prizes as well as the incentives for their operations in the retail stores (Luu, 2017). It also vital involve the staff of M & S in a process of decision - making will also encourage them to work for goals. The culture in the M & S needs to be maintained where the change is welcomed and always there must be scope for the constant improvement in the near future to serve its market of buyers with its operation management.









Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational management and decision making by leaders and managers

Various factors influence the M & S’s operation management and their managers’ decisions as well as its leaders’ decisions. They are discussed in the brief below:

  • Lack of the organization’s resources: The M & S organizational resources are important for the proper operations of the retail stores operating in the domestic and global market. The expansion decision of the manager at M & S is also based on the availability of the resources like human resource, funds and proper management skills. It the resources are not available in the required quantity; the operation of the retail stores gets impacted along with the decisions of the management which may affect the sales and goals related decisions.

  • Financial status of the M & S: The operations of M & S and management decisions of expansion are directly affected by the availability of finance and profitability of this retail company. Even the training associated to operation management is planned bases on the financial status of this company’s retail stores. The managers of M & S need to decide about the operations and the training.

  • Changes in the consumer preferences and trends: The preferences as well as trends of the consumer’s keep fluctuating from time to time due to change in retail environment of the M & S. The leader and the store’s managers need to take decision to update the trends stocks of items which are in more demand (Prasad, 2020).

  • Stake-holders’ impact: The decisions of M & S’s managers get affected by the shareholders, customers, government, staff and other types of the stake-holders. The expansion decisions can be made by the support of investors and employees. The analysis of government regulation is vital for making vital decisions.

  • Political and legal influences: The UK and other countries’ government regulations on the retail stores’ operation affects the M & S daily store operations and expansion decision of managers. Even the law needs to be considered for better decisions.

  • Advancement of the technologies: The rivalry in domestic and global market is also affecting M & S’s managers’ as well as its leaders’ decisions of the selecting the required technology for retail stores’ operations.



Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider community.

The financial status and the resources of the M & S are the major factors which affects the business atmosphere and the community at the large. As without the proper availability of needed resources, the employees will not be in proper position to work at the retails stores to serve the buyers. Even the community will be impacted ineffective retail stores’ operations of M & S. The buyers’ changing preferences makes the great influence on choice of the community. The legal as well as government influences hampers the company’s growth and society’s overall development. The technologies use will make business automated (Teoman and Ulengin, 2018). The sustainability operations of the M & S help in the community welfare and creating good image.





Critically evaluate application of operations management and factors that impact on the wider business environment.

Marks & Spencer’s retail operations management is connected to the quality of the products and services that company serves with the help of methods like Total Quality Management, Inventory management, Just in Time and Six sigma (Habidin and Fuzi, 2016). The benefit of this is that the level of performance and employees’ overall output has increases in M & S’s operations. It is help in reducing defects and wastage by proper functional excellence by ensuring the needed inventory. Th problems with this at M & S are that their need of proper resources and proper cooperation among the staff which are the major issue for managers.









Conclusion

Therefore, it is concluded that Marks & Spencer’s leaders as well as its managers are carrying out the effective management of its store operations and functions. With the help of the TQM, JIT and Six sigma by its visionary leader and talented managers for wastage reduction, handling the inventory properly, ensure the buyers’ need and maintain the standards of the quality. The leaders can use the technologies and other advancements for operations. The leader’s decisions are majorly influenced by the external issues. It is vital to consider the positive and negative factors for Marks & Spencer to expand the operations in another place.



References:

Akhmetshin, E.M., Vasilev, V.L., Vlasova, N.I., Kazakov, A.V., Kotova, X.Y. and Ilyasov, R.H., 2019. Improving management functions at an enterprise: Levels of the internal control system. Calitatea20(171), pp.39-43.

Dametew, A.W.W., Kitaw, D. and Ebinger, F., 2020. Enhancing Basic Metal Industry Global Competitiveness Through Total Quality Management, Supply Chain Management & Just-In-Time. Journal of Optimization in Industrial Engineering13(2), pp.27-46.

Drier, L., Nabarro, D. and Nelson, J., 2019. Systems leadership for sustainable development: strategies for achieving systemic change. Boston: Harvard Kennedy School.

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Habidin, N.F. and Fuzi, N.M., 2016. Lean six sigma, strategic control systems, and organizational performance for automotive suppliers. International Journal of Lean Six Sigma.

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Hamlet, M., Owarish, F. and Hsu, D.K., 2017. LEADERSHIP AND eLEADERSHIP: AN ANALYSIS OF CONTINGENCY FACTORS AND CONSIDERATIONS.

Harrison, C., 2018. Leadership research and theory. In Leadership Theory and Research (pp. 15-32). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Johncy, E.A., 2017. MBO (Management by objectives). TNNMC Journal of Nursing Education and Administration5(1), pp.27-30.

Kouzes, J.M. and Posner, B.Z., 2017. The Leadership Challenge 6th ed. John Wiley.

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Prasad, L.M., 2020. Principles and practice of management. Sultan Chand & Sons.

Raju, R., 2018. Critical success factors of TQM, Six Sigma, Lean and Lean Six Sigma: A literature review and key findings. Benchmarking: An International Journal.

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Zigarmi, D. and Roberts, T.P., 2017. A test of three basic assumptions of Situational Leadership® II Model and their implications for HRD practitioners. European Journal of Training and Development.



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