Case Study

Management

Question 1:

The sources of power that apparently were used by Ron Powell were expert power and referent power. The referent power of charisma emerges as charismatic person influences others through admiration, respect and trust that others have for her. This power also stems from personal connections that a person has with key people in the hierarchy of the organization. Whereas, referent power is exercised on the basis of feelings of respect, admiration, trust and loyalty to those in power (www.mindtools.com). Apparently, Ron Powell had a good rapport in the management due to his effective democratic management style. He had proved his credentials in the New York office and his leadership qualities were duly recognized by the firm's executive committee. He was confident in his decision making and made rational decisions. A good leader must make decisions and be able to propose realistic and achievable goals. This has to acquire information, and much of this has to be the result of interaction and trust with peers. All this is facilitated by communication: the interest in knowing the feelings and thoughts of the people who work with him or her and contact with them. Powell did displayed this characteristic while he was in the New York office, but somehow he failed to effectively apply this with the workforce of Dallas office.

Question 2:

The leadership styles that are apparent in Ron Powell's leadership are Democratic/Participative Leadership and Task-Oriented Leadership approach. The participative style is one in which the subordinate leaders ask their opinion, information and recommendations, but it is they who make the final decision on what to do. Task oriented leaders are focused only in that the work is completed and can be a bit autocratic (www.mindtools.com). These leaders actively define the roles and the structure for the organization. Ron Powell showcased his participative style of leadership in the New York office, as he appreciated the involvement of his sub ordinates in the decision making process. By this, we can analyze that he was involved with his sub ordinates and valued their opinions, but the end decision was made by him. Whereas, this method did not work out well in the Dallas office. We can see hints of task oriented leadership in Ron Powell as well, he knew that he had been assigned the role of the captain of a sinking ship and he had to get the job done. He did made some rash decisions, like replacing professional staffing, then laying off people, then again hiring people due to expected workload, and then laying off people once again as the expected workload did not materialize. This showed that he just wanted to get the job done, and did not think about the team and their morale.

Question 3:

The Theory of Motivation-Hygiene, also known as Two Factor Theory states that the factors causing dissatisfaction among workers are totally different nature of the factors that produce satisfaction. The theory is that man has a dual system of needs: the need to avoid pain or ...