Developing Leadership and Management Skills Assignment Sample

Introduction

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Executive Summary

An in-depth look at the potential of improving leadership and management abilities is provided in the following paper. This backdrop is provided by British American Tobacco (BAT) and assesses key marketing prospects, key performance indicators, industry background, etc. On this basis, the paper goes on to discuss the differences and similarities in the perspectives of leadership and management within the setting of the company in question.

Introduction to the report and outline to the selected business

British American Tobacco’s organisational setting has a significant impact on leadership and management potential, which is examined in this paper. UK-based corporation "British American Tobacco plc," which makes and distributes tobacco products, notably cigarettes, is known as "BAT." The corporation was founded in London, England, in 1902. It is the biggest cigarette firm in the world in terms of net sales. “BAT’s cigarette brands are available in more than 180 countries throughout the world”. Several well-known brands fall into this category, including "Dunhill," "Kent," "Lucky Strike," and "Pall Mall.". Another range of products offered by the firm include "Vype," "Vuse," and "Glow." More than 55,000 people presently work for the company, which has a revenue of around £25.684 billion. However, BAT executives and managers may work together to maximise the company’s advantages from a wide range of resources. We will take a look at the pros and cons of the most common management and leadership styles in history in this assignment. Additionally, we will talk about the following topics, all of which are unique to each organisation (Azad, 2017). To a large extent, a company’s success may be attributed to its leadership. These elements affect the company’s culture, its willingness to adapt, and its morale. Each of these variables has a significant impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of a certain institution’s activities.

Analysis of leadership and management comparison

BAT’s management and leadership abilities are essential to the project’s success. If a company does not have the necessary leadership and management in place, it is likely to collapse. Management and leadership principles must be well understood by anybody in a leadership or management role in order to be effective. Management and leadership concepts are currently being used to handle new difficulties, raise market rivalry, and improve efficiency or production in organisations. Human and non-human resources must be managed in order to achieve the goals set forth in the plan (Cacioppe, 2018). They are also known as "human resources management" (HRM). Helping their employees achieve their goals is also part of management. Managing a team is quite different from managing an office. Manage means enlisting the help of others to carry out one’s responsibilities. To fulfil one’s leadership obligations, one does not need the assistance of anybody else or any other resources. A well-thought-out strategy or programme is required to solve the problem. The notion of management encompasses a wide range of activities, including strategic planning, budgeting, and goal tracking (Burke and Collins, 2011). Managers are responsible for coming up with plans, setting goals, allocating resources, keeping tabs on the status quo, and evaluating the final result. Leadership requires that you convince your colleagues and subordinates into working together toward the same objective. The following sections cover a wide range of leadership and management theories.

CLASSICAL MANAGEMENT THEORIES

BAT was created as a result of the Industrial Revolution’s impact on civilization. The greater usage of creative thinking has resulted in a rise in the productivity of workers. During this historical period, small-scale farmers started to construct big corporations. Industrialization was delayed by steam, electricity, and hydropower. Industrialization led to a dramatic increase in the number of modes of transportation accessible (Collins, 2018). A new age in transportation may have been ushered in with the arrival of railways. Trade and commerce between cities and villages grew as the two were connected. Electricity and industry boomed in the late 18th century, spurring the development of transportation infrastructure on land and sea. New challenges occurred throughout the Industrial Revolution, necessitating the creation of new technology (Burke and Collins, 2011). A large number of people worked on a single project during the height of the Industrial Revolution. As a consequence of these advancements, people are seeking for ways to better manage their time and work more efficiently. Some credit them with assisting in the identification and resolution of these issues throughout the twentieth century. These people have been dubbed "Fathers of Classical Management," for their contributions to management. Scientific management, administrative management, and bureaucratic management are all discussed in this article. Many companies are still using this strategy in order to increase their daily production and productivity.

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT THEORIES

Time and motion ideas were invented by him. Frederick W. Taylor is widely regarded as a pioneer in scientific management. Frederick Taylor is widely credited with developing organisational theory. The scientific management studies he did have improved or modernised several aspects of his professional career. Engineers and management consultants worked together to help organisations improve their efficiency. Although the market was booming, there were no defined guidelines for how things should be done. Manufacturers struggled to keep up with the ever-increasing workload while managing large staff (Gloet, 2018).

After Taylor’s participation, Taylor used the phrase scientific theory to describe his notion of standardisation, efficiency, and profitability. He devoted his whole career to the scientific management theory of information use in business. The goal of his research was to find a way to speed up the flow of work in the shop. One cannot exaggerate the value of his studies on the nineteenth century. Change the inefficient working practises of the past was what he was hoping for (Toor, 2011). The staff is responsible for spreading information and doing research in order to determine whether or not the programme is a success. Workers were urged to focus on one or two particular tasks at a time rather than focusing on the whole project all at once (Vohra, Rathi and Bhatnagar, 2015). When this was first implemented, it was a novel approach of doing business in the area. In an effort to increase productivity, every step and action was streamlined. In the beginning, he was well-known for his unwavering search for a single solution. There should be a hierarchy between higher management and shop floor employees, according to Taylor. Hierarchical organisations appealed to him because of their role in developing and enforcing workplace standards.

In addition to this management theory, certain important leadership theories, such as: 

Trait Theory

The traits that make up a person’s personality are reflected in their patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting. In the context of trait theory, variations between individuals may be explained by the strength and intensity of their fundamental characteristic dimensions.

When describing a person’s character traits, consistency, stability, and originality are all important considerations.

People must be consistent in their behaviours when it comes to the trait. Or, to put it another way, the chattier they are at home, the chattier they are in the office. A quality must be shown in a consistent way in order to stay stable throughout time. It is a well-known fact that as individuals age, they become less talkative. Between the ages of 30 and 40, this is particularly true. The feature is related with a wide range of behaviours, each of which is unique to the individual. Because of the wide range of people’s "talkativeness," the term "talkativeness" has emerged as a unique personality characteristic.

Organisation/sector/marketing based key performance metrics

Evaluation of the success of Batbrasil in respect to its objectives is done using a wide range of measures and indicators by Batbrasil (2022). KPIs are part of the company’s incentive programmes for management to ensure that the focus on shareholders’ interests is matched. Profits surged by 17 percent in 2009, well above the company’s long-term goal of 3 to 4% annual sales growth. As a result of acquisitions and favourable currency movements, our revenue grew by 21% in 2008. To get at this figure, the entire income of the organisation is deducted. Brands like Dunhill and Kent, as well as Lucky Strike and Pall Mall, are part of the GDB portfolio of the Group. GDB traffic grew just 4% in 2009, down from a 16% rise in traffic in 2008. An average annual growth rate of less than 10% is our long-term target. The total sales of our four subsidiary brands are used to calculate GDB volumes.

Subsidiary markets can have a significant impact on the company’s productivity, according to a performance review. For example, the Group subsidiaries’ market share declined from 28.2% to 27.9%. The ultimate objective is to expand one’s market share. Wholesale and retail accounts for almost 80 percent of the Group companies’ revenues in the company’s top 40 most significant markets. This projection was based on a mix of publicly available data and internal business study. In general, the Group’s adjusted profit from operations is forecast to climb by 6% per year. In comparison to 2008, when it rose by 24 percent, it increased by only 20% in 2009. (Batbrasil.com, 2022). This means that Subsidiaries’ adjusted profit is taken into account in this analysis. Information from memoranda is taken into consideration. As a result of this new move, the Group’s overhead expenses were dramatically reduced in 2009. As part of the £800 million savings target for 2012, a specific goal was created for 2009. The overhead cost is calculated by taking the total cost of all subsidiaries, except variable expenditures and marketing investments, and subtracting them.

Organisational leadership and management performance

Leadership and management play an important part in the growth of BAT’s effectiveness; in this section both managers and leaders are described.

Theory of leadership is centred on resource allocation and leadership style. The behavioural technique is often used to evaluate leaders. Workers’ activities play an important role in this case’s behavioural approach. Increased productivity and profitability are a primary objective of this strategy. One popular management method is the idea that decisions should be distributed among members of a group or department (Mango, 2018). The significance of top-level management in defining a company’s vision is emphasised using the old-school technique. Productivity and efficiency both rise when managers properly define the scope of their task (Bush, 2018). It is important for management to first prioritise the challenges at hand before moving forward with this plan. This is a crucial phase in the development process. The ability of a department to provide the desired results is highly valued in the management context theory, which is also known as the management context theory. Long-term success depends on a company’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to unanticipated circumstances. If the circumstances and resources are favourable, this notion may be used in any situation. When making choices, managers must consider both the positive and negative aspects of a changing environment (Burke and Collins, 2011). There must be a considerable emphasis on action-oriented leadership methods in the administration of organisations. This guideline ensures that our development plans are put into effect. To that end, managers and other top team members will implement this plan. A significant increase in production was required if we were to reach our targets.

In order for this strategy to succeed, the team/individual must be well-managed. The characteristic theory of leadership encourages managers who feel that transactional leadership improves performance by rewarding or punishing employees. The importance of transactional leadership in ensuring a high level of compliance is recognised by companies throughout the globe. Comparing present performance to prior accomplishments, for example, would allow managers to identify the best employees (Anderson, 2017). Managers need to use tactics that energise their employees’ morale. Consequently, this approach may not be the best since it might lead to a lack of concentration on many things at once. Management and supervisors may be held accountable for training and developing their subordinates and workers if the organisation so desires. A worker’s personal and professional life will benefit from training if managers and leaders can identify which areas need improvement (Anderson, 2017).

A management model in management by objectives is the framework for a management model that describes the aims of the management process. Employees play a critical part in attaining the company’s goals and aspirations, according to this section. Improved efficiency and effectiveness may be achieved via the use of this approach. It is expected that management and employees will work together to accomplish a shared goal. If the company’s operations are recorded and monitored, it will be simpler to evaluate its performance. An successful leader has the following characteristics: The goal of this approach is to motivate employees to work to their absolute potential. As a result, workers will have a greater stake in the company’s success (Bush et al., 2018). A good illustration of this is when managers urge their employees to come up with ideas for training and development. Management and employees should get together soon so that possibilities for professional growth may be planned and discussed.

It is also possible that the BAT will use Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to help motivate employees and encourage their development as a company. In Maslow’s Hierarchy of Requirements for human needs, there are five stages of fulfilment (Turner and Baker, 2018). It is often used in the workplace as a means of determining how to inspire and satisfy the demands of workers. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is based on the importance of workers’ self-worth. Employee self-worth is defined by how highly they regard and esteem themselves (Frey, 2018). Self-worth is more strongly associated with individuals who have this notion than those who do not. A strong feeling of purpose and motivation may be instilled in employees via the employment of this potent weapon when employed by managers and leaders.

Conclusion

Finally, the goal of this article is to examine how the BAT organization’s operations management plays a critical role in all stages of production and delivery. Leaders and managers must not only encourage their employees to perform as effectively as possible, but also adhere to the standards established by the company. Using the criteria outlined in this study, companies may ensure that the values they uphold while protecting the environment are ecologically sustainable while implementing CSR programmes. The administrative and operational domains of a firm are not the only ones impacted by cyber-attacks. It is essential for them to have this knowledge in order to succeed. If the ethical sector wants to reach a wider audience, managers need to understand what aspects of their company are appealing to potential consumers.