Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Management and
Operations
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Table of Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Task 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 4
LO1 ................................................................................................................................................. 5
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager. ............ 5
M1 Analyse and differentiate between the role of a leader and function of a manager by effectively
applying a range of theories and concepts. ..................................................................................... 8
LO2 ............................................................................................................................................... 11
P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in different
situational contexts........................................................................................................................ 11
P3 Apply different theories and models of approach, including situational leadership, systems
leadership and contingency ........................................................................................................... 13
M2 Assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to situations within the work
environment .................................................................................................................................. 15
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 16
Task 2 ............................................................................................................................................ 17
LO3 ............................................................................................................................................... 17
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and managers
play. ............................................................................................................................................... 17
P5 Explain the importance and value of operations management in achieving business objectives.
....................................................................................................................................................... 19
M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management to
successfully meet business objectives. ......................................................................................... 21
LO4 ............................................................................................................................................... 22
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational management
and decision-making by leaders and managers. ............................................................................ 22
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider community 24
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 26
References ..................................................................................................................................... 27
2
Introduction
Management and operations include the importance of channelling the work of an organisation so
that the organisational objectives can be achieved successfully. The function of the managers and
the leaders in gaining the importance of operations is huge as they are the support of the
organisations. In the present assignment Vodafone has been chosen as the company to analyse the
areas where the organisation can excel and the different operational steps that are taken. This
assignment would deal with a number of aspects of managers and leaders and the theoretical
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Task 1
Introduction
The present section of the report would deal with Vodafone and the business environment created
by the company over the years. The importance of the leaders and the managers in the company
along with different leadership theories would be dealt in this section. The report would further
analyse the role of leaders and managers in the organisation. The importance of management and
operational strategies that are taken by Vodafone under certain conditions would be analysed
(Cook, 2017).
headquarters of the company is in London with the operations of the company being as vast as
including Asia, Africa, Oceania and Europe. In the year 2018, the company has been ranked as the
fourth highest in terms of mobile customers. This company is listed in the London Stock Exchange
and the CEO being Nicholas Jonathan Read. The company was established in the year 1982, by,
The operational or the organisational structure of Vodafone Plc can be understood in the light of
following description.
The operational division of the company is decided by the regional CEO who has the power to
divide different positions and create job roles based on the responsibilities that every employee
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The commercial department of Vodafone looks after the promotion, advertising and marketing
departments which are under the direct reporting of the Group Chief Commercial Officer who is
under the CEO of the company. The major strategies and the tactical decision making owing to
the value of the company, brand image, the target market and revenue maximisation is looked after
the CEO, CFO and the Director for Strategy and Business Development. The companies are the
mastermind behind the strategies to enhance the brand identity in the market. The IT department
is looked after by the Group Chief Technology Officer for technological part that is under the
The new strategy taken by the organisation in the year 2010 includes the idea of removing too
many hierarchies in the organisation. It was understood this creates confusion and hence to reduce
LO1
P1 Define and compare the different roles and characteristics of a leader and a manager.
A leader can be defined as the person who commands a team or a group to inculcate idealism,
principle, hard work, enthusiasm and responsibility to achieve the target that has been set for
individuals. A leader in an organisation tries to bring commitment and willingness within the work
force to perform better and attain the departmental objectives successfully (Haksever, and Render,
2018).
A manager on the other hand can be defined as a person who is in charge of administering and
controlling an organisation as per set rules. He is one who creates the essential link between the
subordinate employees with the higher authority and the motive of the organisation. He looks after
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the satisfaction of all the stakeholders and tries to influence the work force to achieve the target,
within the set deadline and with the best possible outcome (Bolton, and Thompson, 2015).
(Cook, 2017)
The role of leader is different than that of a manager in different aspects. This includes the change
in controlling and managing along with functioning, risks assessment, organising and planning
(Nalwaya, and Vyas, 2014). The manager is the one who looks after the allocation of resources
and trying to grab the best opportunities to bring the best out of allocated resources. They bring
communication and interaction within teams and work force to ensure that the aims of the
departments are met successfully. The manager is the one who is responsible for directing the
workforce. They try to find out the cheapest and the shortest means to achieve the project targets
for the organisation and ensure meeting the organisational goals (Bolman, and Deal, 2014).
The leader on the other hand, is a person who is responsible for bringing innovation, creativity,
flexibility and vision within the organisation. Leaders try to bring new ideas in the process of the
organisation and inspired the workforce to be involved in the same thoughts. They want the
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organisation to succeed by creating some new and unique, which is done after calculated risk and
In case of Vodafone it is seen that managers of the departments take the orders from the CEO of
the specific region, CFO or the Director for Strategy. The manager on the other hand to look after
different departments that collectively make the operations like Human resource, finance,
advertising, sales and marketing and others. The resource that is primarily the employees in these
The leader is primarily the CEO of Vodafone who is the visionary in the organisation. They try to
think out of the box to create better experience for the stakeholders. They are the ones who have
the idea of encouraging the managers, positively influence them and help them to work with their
teams effectively. The managers are made active in the work process so that they can perceive
different ideas which they can bring in the organisation in the future (Slack, 2015).
Apart from the above differentiation that has been seen the major distinction that is seen in between
the manager and the leader of the organisation is leaders are revolutionary and visionary whereas
in case of managers they are functional. They try to retain the process that is followed so that the
Hence it can be said that in case of the managers of Vodafone they try to coordinate and delegate
the required work. They are the ones who specialise in certain departments and position along with
motivating the team to perform best. They are responsible for controlling the team and control the
employees to achieve set goals (Bolman, and Deal, 2014). The leaders on the other hand, is the
person to show the ways in which the work can be achieved and to bring the short cut and
innovative ways to complete the same. They are creative in the organisation. Leaders in Vodafone
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work with the managers to inspire and motivate them and resolve the issues that they are facing.
They monitor the managers so that the rules and regulations are followed. They also look after
brining the authority within the mangers so that they can take the necessary responsibility
M1 Analyse and differentiate between the role of a leader and function of a manager by
Certain theoretical base is created with reference to the work of the managers and the leaders based
on the roles and responsibilities that are completed by them in an organisation. At times, there is a
difference between the theory and actual practice that is created in the organisation (Bolton, and
Fayolism:
Henry Fayol was of the opinion that managers are the ones who are responsible for forecasting,
planning, organising, commanding, controlling and coordinating. The organisation should follow
a hierarchical structure where responsibilities and information should be top down. He further
proposed that manager should be present to supervise, direct, monitor and discipline the
employees. They must speak and interact with the employees and treat them correctly along with
paying the expected wages. This would make the employees inspired towards work and
Scientific management:
This is the theory that claims that managers in an organisation are present so that they can direct,
assess and monitor the employees. Managers need to look after the performance of the employees
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to set the reward for those who are performing. This instils the idea that the employees need to
work effectively so that they can help in achieving maximum productivity for the organisation
Organisational theory:
This theory entrusts the manager with authority rather than making them all powerful. This ensures
the fact that the managers are part of rules and regulations same as that of the employees. It is
important that the organisation and the departments must be divided with the employees who are
The role theory of leadership states that every employee in an organisation has certain roles to
play. The leaders need to ensure that the employees are defined their roles and responsibilities.
The employees need to work based on the definition of the roles, the means through which, people
react to their roles and responsibilities and how they channel their work profile (Cook, 2017).
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(Bolman, and Deal, 2014)
As per this theory, it is stated that there are certain traits with which leaders like. They need to
make use of these traits in the best possible ways so that they are successful. However, with the
traits there are certain skills that must be developed by the leaders. This would ensure smoothness
in the system. The amalgamation of traits and skills are required in substantial amount to be the
As per this theory it is seen that there are times when the followers of a leader might not be
comfortable in following the orders. There are situations when there is a conflict within the leaders
and the followers in such cases being autocratic might not be the answer. The leaders would not
try to follow the same instructions that have been forwarded for the followers and the followers
would not follow the instructions as they do not agree to the orders. Creating the amicable situation
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The application of the theories cannot be followed from line to line in an organisation like
Vodafone. The leaders and managers create means and methods to understand the work
environment and the necessity or importance of motivating employees from time to time. There
cannot be a prescribed theory or strategy that is followed in the organisation. Hence, the
requirement is to analyse the situation and accordingly take the step (Bolton, and Thompson,
2015).
LO2
P2 Examine examples of how the role of a leader and the function of a manager apply in
The mission statement of the company, Vodafone states to be the leader in communications in a
world that is increasingly getting connected. The vision statement of the company on the other
hand, states the company to enrich the lives of the customers through the unique means of mobile
connection (Margherita, 2014). The services would include unique experiences for mobile
communications.
Role of leader:
The mission and the vision statement of the company is the target within which the leaders need
to work and perform. It is crucial they control, motivate, lead and decide on strategies so that the
mission and the vision of the company can be achieved successfully. The leaders decide the ways
in which the corporate culture will be maintained in the organisation and the measures that must
be taken to achieve the same. They try to build performance based culture so that managers can
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Function of manager:
The manager needs to study the market and gather the market information that would be beneficial
to understand the strategies of other competitive companies. It is important that they create the
work environment where the mission of unique mobile communication would reach the customers
effectively. This would ensure the fact that the customers are satisfied with the service (Bolton,
Such as in case of any urgency and the team of workers need to complete a job within a very short
notice then, being the role of a leader the person, acts a like a team lead and also take part in the
work process and work together with the team to help assist the team to complete the work on
time. While on the other hand, a manager act as a supervisor and supervises the team of workers
and also provide the instructions that how and when they need to complete the task or job given,
hence, managers get the work done without involving them the group activity.
Role of leader:
The leader is the one who creates the vision in organisation. He has the calibre and the rights to
create innovative methods of operating in an organisation. The continuous thrust is to enhance the
services. Leaders are also responsible for creating policies and manifesting the same in the
Function of manager:
The manager needs to ensure that CSR policies are followed. The managers also need to look that
the policies, rules and regulations that is set in the organisation is followed. They must have the
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insight in motivating the workforce and guide them in following the organisational needs and
In the role of a leader a person interacts with the team members and try to resolve the issue by
listening to the problem and grievances of the team members, mainly follows a friendlier approach.
From the other angle, a manger handles the situation in a more formal way and make sure that the
office norms are not being violated and mainly takes help of policies and procedures to resolve
such conflicts.
In Vodafone owing to the dynamics in telecommunication sector, the present need of leadership
cannot be assigned to single leadership styles or approaches. There are changing needs of the
Vodafone based on which there are changing leadership styles that are used by the leaders. The
Situational leadership
This theory was proposed by Hersey and Blanchard and it was stated that the role of the leader is
changed as per requirement. These include directing, coaching, supporting and delegating (Renz,
2016). The directing aspect is applied by the leaders when there are new decisions that are to be
taken by the leaders. This is the new strategic decisions that are to be taken. Coaching is analysing
and interacting with employees to improve the performance of each other the organization,
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Vodafone. Important decisions must be taken by the leaders based on the need of the hour. The
aspect of supporting deals with the idea where it is crucial that the leaders support the employees
and motivate them in reaching the target as Vodafone is operating in much competitive
environment. Finally, they need to delegate responsibilities and change them from time to time if
Systems leadership
This is the theory that is based on the holistic approach and adoption of leadership. This leadership
style includes conditions where productivity is the key to the system of work and process. Every
level in the organisation like, Vodafone, creates social process, good leadership, systems design
and organisational strategy. Human behaviour is ensured as the sound principle in this type of
leadership theory. In addition, the internal and external factors in Vodafone play a pivotal role in
deciding the business environment and market situations for the leaders (Nalwaya, and Vyas,
2014).
Contingency
This theory is based on interlink between the specific situations and application of management.
This theory is based on the effectiveness is contingent and there is the interplay within the structure
of management in Vodafone. The ways of leading the team or an organisation like, Vodafone is
largely dependent on the situations or the circumstances. This theory is dependent on the situations
that are present in front of the leaders and the tactics that are applied by them in such situations
(McCaffery, 2018).
In case of Vodafone all these theories are followed till the area when they are applicable for the
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M2 Assess, the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to situations within the
work environment
In case of situational leadership, it is seen that there is flexibility in the system which can be opted
by the leaders. They can create policies and rules as per need of the situation. The weaknesses
include that it is hard for employees to cope the changing wants of the leaders or to follow the
instructions. In case of Vodafone the flexibility is maintained in such ways that there are no abrupt
changes in the system. This ensures that the employees receive the perfect ambience to work. They
can understand the requirement of the leadership traits so that they can follow the leaders
In case of systems leadership, it is seen that the strength is the inclusion of the machines that makes
the strategies scientific and achievable for the employees. The weakness of the same can be that
the internal forces and the external influences should be understood at length before taking any
major decision. In case of Vodafone, it is seen they try to understand all the positive factors and
the adverse factors before taking a decision. This is crucial as based on the data and the market
In case of contingency leadership, the strengths could be that the leaders are approachable and in
case of need they can be approaches. The weakness is that the leader must have the necessary
assessing power to understand a situation and act accordingly. In case of Vodafone it is seen that
the leaders are approachable by the managers and they guide and help the employees in case of
need. In case of any decision that needs to be changed the leaders involved the high ranked official
to understand the areas where changes are required (Glinkowska and Kacsmarek, 2017).
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Vodafone have leaders who try to cope with the situation. They are aware of the fact that they
Conclusion
It can be stated that both leaders and manager are essentially the support and the backbone of the
company Vodafone. It is the integration and the work ethics that is followed in the organisation
that makes a perfect operational strategy. The system and the monitoring process instil the idea of
every employee to perform. Finally, it could be stated that it is the hard work of the leaders,
managers and the employee that has created the brand image of the company globally.
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Task 2
LO3
P4 Explain the key approaches to operations management and the role that leaders and
managers play.
Operations management is that part of a business organisation where the aim is to produce and
distribute the products. The services are planned, organised, coordinated and controlled. The
allocation of the resources and bringing the best of the resources is the key requirement of
operational management of an organisation like Vodafone (Harvey, Heineke, and Lewis, 2016).
The different approaches that are used by Vodafone of most of the other business organisation can
be mentioned as follows:
Lean approach
This approach, tries to include strategies where the resources are utilised to full extent without
wastage. In addition, there is innovation and creativity that is part of the process. The first in the
process is the aspect of leadership which states that there is the essential leadership commitment
that would help in sustaining (Larsson, 2016). The next step is the elimination of waste which
could be stated with the help of cost curtailing processes in areas where the same is not required.
The feedback or the ideas that are acquired from the market based on products and services should
be immediately worked upon. The data and the observation are important matters. Finally, there
should be processes and data that must be updated from time to time to understand the performance
of the company. This is used by Vodafone throughout it being in the communication market
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Six Sigma and queuing approach:
This approach makes use of the anticipated risk or uncertainty that the company might face with
drastic steps. This is followed by Vodafone with the help of pilot survey and introducing certain
products to check the acceptance of the customers before launching the same in the market.
This is the approach where the company needs to look after the quality of products and services
so that customers are satisfied. The same is done by Vodafone effectively. They create products
and services that are as per perceived expectation of the customers. They maintain their quality
with respect to the prices that are paid by increasing productivity and reducing waste (Larsson,
2016).
This is the approach that makes use of managers and employees to be part of the production process
at all levels. This is one of the greatest means through which the employees are engaged to the
company and can relate to the motto, vision and mission of the company. This is done by Vodafone
with the help of high levels of efficiency that is set by the managers. In addition, as the work is
divided this increases the productivity and operational cost of the company (Harvey, Heineke, and
Lewis, 2016).
This is the approach that helps in maintaining the inventory effectively. This is the reason that
there are no delays from suppliers and the company can serve within the deadline to customers.
This assures that customers are satisfied with in time delivery of the products and services. The
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managers in Vodafone try to intervene in this process try to cater to the needs of the customers
with flawless services. This helps in streamlining the services with managers and workforce to be
objectives.
Operation management is the process that helps in bringing all the departments together to work
and create a unique experience for the customers who are interested in the company. This includes
the persistence of the company in different markets and areas so that they can reach more
customers (Stevenson, and Sum, 2015). The aspect of operation management poses to be a vital
factor for Vodafone to attain its core objectives are mentioned below:
The importance of value in the operations of a business like, Vodafone can be stated as following:
Financial aspects
This is the aspect that is taken care in the operations. The idea is to receive maximum output with
minimum resource allocation and thus, to reduce wastage and preserve resources for the betterment
of the society be an objective. In addition, the importance of employees being skilled and efficient
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in their position is crucial for reducing the financial cost in Vodafone and thus taking care of
Operations
The aim of the operations in Vodafone is to ensure the fact that there are necessary monitoring and
evaluation process that has been applied and thus to welcome scientific development and
innovation. This ensures that there is organising, planning, controlling, coordinating, monitoring
and evaluation process that is important to take the tactical decisions. The necessity lies in
providing efficient service, reducing wastes, cost management and meeting expectations of the
Strategy
The importance of strategy is found in controlling, directing and managing the operations. The
reason being it is the tactical decision that helps in getting the perceived outcome from the
organisation. In the global telecom sector Vodafone has been one of the best companies. Hence, it
is important that there are necessary measures that must be taken with reference to the competitive
advantage of the company. Data, market information and market research help in taking the
Product design and the R&D of Vodafone are very strong. In order to be one of the best in the
telecommunication sector, it is crucial that the organisation needs to create better customer
experience and services. This would include faster and smarter means of helping the customers
and also to ensure proper development of services and meeting with objective of openness and
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accountability. In case of any issue, the products are to be redesigned as per convenience of the
Forecasting
Forecasting is important in Vodafone as based on the same there are certain decisions that are
taken by the organisation. In many cases, it is seen that forecasting helps in understanding the cost
addition, the demand of the service could be analysed and thus, better accountability and
M3 Evaluate how leaders and managers can improve efficiencies of operational management
The leaders or the managers in an organisation try to efficiently work on operational management
successfully through various means. There is certain limitation for both the managers and the
leaders that are part of the process. Hence, they need to strategize and work accordingly.
Role of managers:
The role of the managers is that they monitor the performance of the employees in the team or the
departments. They need to ensure that the employees are performing as this is related to the overall
productivity of the organisation in meeting the business objectives. Managers try to document and
maintain the performance of the employees. They ensure that the daily work is completed by the
employees. In case of the issues they call for face to face interaction or meeting so that they can
inculcate the importance of meeting the objectives in the minds of the employees. The same is
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followed by the managers of Vodafone so that the organisation can meet the operational targets
The role of the leaders in this case is that they try to involve the uniqueness and innovation in
reaching the operational objectives. This ensures the fact that they think in different ways and
means so that the operational means of doing better than competitive companies is also met by the
organisation. The leaders try to create ideas that are not the already viable option. Thoughts include
new notions of reaching the organisational gaols. The leaders think and decide with the highest
authorities. They calculate the rough risk and enter into the step. This is important as with time
there has to be new and creative methods that must be applied in organisational prices. This would
ensure that the organisation can work with the changing demands of the customers and the market
LO4
P6 Assess the factors within the business environment that impact upon operational
Operations management provides an insight to the managers and the leaders of the organisation
Vodafone to create a process and structure of work. The different departments and the
interconnectedness between them help in creating products and services. The expectation and the
behaviours of the managers are exhibited accordingly. Vodafone tries to apply tactical thinking
that is important for bringing out optimum productivity from the process (Bolden, 2016).
The factors that impact on the business environment of Vodafone Plc includes following:
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Timing influence:
In the recent days it is seen that the customers are parts of ever changing demands and wants. In
most cases the companies need to ensure that the services and products are updated from time to
time. The effectiveness of operations management in Vodafone is ensured with the speeding
technology that the company uses. The managers or the leaders ensure that they are part of the
process where the sole idea is to satisfy the customers. Timely launch of new products are services
help in retaining the customers and increasing the customer base. This would further entail the fact
that the customers spread the positivity on different media. Continuous study updates in
Quality influence:
Quality influence is one of the most important components that must be ensured by the managers
and the leaders of the organisation. The customers who are part of one of the best
telecommunication companies in the world would always want to receive better products and
services. This is the area where the company needs to work relentlessly and the same has to be
offered within competitive pricing. Vodafone assures the same which has made the company one
of the best in the global scenario in the telecom sector. In addition, the continuous technological
and strategic influence to enhance the quality of products has served the purpose (Glinkowska and
Kacsmarek, 2017).
Cost influence:
Maintaining the budget and the cost influence for any project or system is the look out of the
managers. This is to ensure that the company is not moving beyond the forecasting and the cost
that would be incurred for the entire process. There are different technological processes, software
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that is used by Vodafone to ensure that the cost influence is maintained. The competitive pressure
is checked by the company with the application of different financial strategies. In addition, the
hike in process for supplying raw materials and inventory are also controlled through this process
M4 Analyse how these different factors affect the business environment and wider
community
There are different factors that affect the business environment in the wider community. There are
strategies and information that is usually gathered by the companies from time to time so that they
get the necessary information. In case of Vodafone, the same is applied by the leaders and the
managers to get the rough idea of factors that are in the business environment.
Political environment
In case of political environment it is seen that the companies are largely targeted due to issues in
tax and the governmental decisions. In case of Vodafone it is seen that there are certain issues that
are faced in the organisation with respect to the presence of the company in different countries.
The government ideology, philosophy and internal trade taxes are the reasons that are found to be
Economic environment
The economic policies largely deal in identifying the profit of the business. The important factors
include identifying the buying power of the customers. They need to have the necessary means to
buy the product and services. In case of Vodafone the company tries to include the services as per
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the country or the buying power of the customers in the same area. Like in case of cases like Brexit
there can be blow in the business of the companies and in doing international trade (Certo, 2018).
Social environment
This aspect of the business environment is the acceptance of the people or customers towards the
products. In addition, there are factors like the presence of labour, mobility, culture for work and
the initiative of the suppliers or stakeholders. These aspects determine the cost culture, cultural
heritage and the conventions in acquiring an international company (Bolden, 2016). Vodafone tries
Technological
This is another important aspect that is seen in the organisation where the importance of the
technology is largely based on the advanced services that is provided to the customers. this is
provided to the customers through different means by Vodafone. They apply software and other
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Conclusion
Management and operations in any organisation is vital as this is the process that ensures that every
employee is performing as per set expectations. The managers and the leaders try to control the
workforce to ensure that the productivity is as per the demand and customer expectations are met
satisfactorily. Finally, it can be stated that in case of Vodafone the importance of controlling,
planning and directing to help the employees, reduce operation cost and maintaining productivity
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