- Subject: Leadership in Organizations. - Mandatory book for this week's assignment (file attached - please include in citations): Yukl, G. A. (2013). Leadership in organizations. Harlow, Boston: Pea

A nsw er t h ese e ssay q uestio ns:

E ssay # 1: G iv e y o ur e va lu atio n o n th e u se fu ln ess o f c a se s tu die s, b ehavio ra l r o le

m odelin g, a nd la rg e-s ca le s im ula tio ns fo r le aders h ip tr a in in g. W hic h is th e m ost

e ff e ctiv e in y o ur o pin io n a nd w hy?

E ssay # 2: E va lu ate s e ve ra l m ajo r p oin ts o f c o n ve rg ence a m on g th e r e se a rc h o n tr a it s

a nd s kills , b ehavio rs , in flu ence p ro ce sse s, a nd s it u atio nal v a ria ble s.

E ssay # 3: C ase S tu dy: F edera te d In dustr ie s

P atr ic ia P ate rs o n is th e n ew v ic e p re sid ent fo r h um an r e so u rc e s a t F edera te d

In dustr ie s, a c o nglo m era te w it h s e ve ra l d iv e rs e s u b sid ia rie s. H er p rim ary r e sp onsib ilit y

is to p ro vid e s u pport a nd a dvic e to e ach s u b sid ia ry a nd m on it o r th eir p ers o nnel

pra ctic e s to e nsu re th ey a re c o nsis te nt w it h c o rp ora te p olic y a nd s tr a te gy. S he r e ports

d ir e ctly to th e C EO o f F edera te d . T he C EO is c o n ce rn ed th at n ot e nough c a pable

l e aders a re c o m in g u p th ro ugh th e r a nks. T he s u b sid ia rie s h ave c o m ple te r e sp onsib ilit y

f o r th eir o w n in te rn al m anagem ent d eve lo pm en t, b ut th e C EO w onders w heth er it is

t im e fo r a m ore u nif o rm a ppro a ch . T he C EO a ske d P atr ic ia to fin d o ut w hat e ach

s u bsid ia ry is d oin g to d eve lo p le ad ers h ip s kills , th en r e port b ack w it h r e co m mendatio ns

fo r im pro vin g le aders h ip d eve lo pm en t o ve ra ll a t F edera te d In dustr ie s. P atr ic ia a rra nged

to m eet w it h th e p ers o nnel d ir e cto rs o f th e th re e m ajo r s u b sid ia rie s a nd a ske d e ach

d ir e cto r to p re pare a s h ort b rie fin g.

T he fir s t d ir e cto r to s p eak w as P ete r P ro skin , fr o m a n e ngin eerin g c o m pany. H e

exp la in ed th at h is c o m pany p ro vid es o nly te ch n ic a l tr a in in g, b eca use th ey la ck th e s ta ff

t o p ro vid e m anagem ent tr a in in g. A ll m an agem en t tr a in in g is d one o uts id e th e c o m pany.

A m anager ( o r a n e m plo ye e w ho w ants to b eco m e a m an ager) c a n lo ok a t th e lis tin g o n

ava ila ble tr a in in g a nd r e quest a n y s e m in ar o r w ork sh op th at a ppears r e le va nt. If th e

em plo ye e’s b oss a ppro ve s th e r e quest, th e m an ager is s e n t to th e tr a in in g a t c o m pany

exp ense . S om e e m plo ye es a re e nro lle d in th e e ve n in g M BA d egre e p ro gra m a t th e

lo ca l u niv e rs it y , a nd th ey a re r e im bu rs e d fo r h alf o f th e tu it io n c o st. P ete r s a id th ey d o

not p ay c o m ple te tu it io n fo r d eg re e p ro gra m s, b eca u se it is to o c o stly . A fte r s o m e

em plo ye es fin is h th eir M BA, th ey le ave fo r h ig her ‐ payin g jo bs a t o th er c o m panie s e ager

to g et p eople w ho h ave m anageria l a s w ell a s te ch n ic a l s kills .

T he s e co nd d ir e cto r to r e port w as A lic e A ls to n, fr o m a c o m pa ny th at m ake s c o nsu m er

pro ducts . S he e xp la in ed th at th e c o m pa ny p ro vid es a p ro gra m to d eve lo p le aders h ip

s kills in h ig h ‐ pote ntia l m anagers . M an agers a t e ach le ve l a re e nco ura ged to id entif y a

p ro m is in g s u bord in ate to m ento r. T he p ro té gé g ets lo ts o f p ers o nal c o ach in g a nd is

g iv e n s p ecia l, d eve lo pm enta l a ssig nm en ts . F or e xa m ple , a c o u ple o f ju nio r m anagers

a re p ut o n e ach e xe cu tiv e c o m m it te e to le arn a bout s tr a te gic is su es a nd o bse rv e h ow

th e s e nio r m anagers w ork . O th er a ssig nm en ts in clu de s e rv in g o n c ro ss ‐ fu nctio nal

pro je ct te am s a nd c a rry in g o ut im pro ve m en t p ro je cts s u ch a s s tu dyin g w ork p ro ce sse s

and r e co m mendin g w ays to m ake th em m ore e ff ic ie nt. A lic e s a id th at m ost o f th e mento rs a nd p ro té gés lik e th e p ro gra m . H ow eve r, p eople n ot in th e p ro gra m ( ro ughly

t w o ‐ th ir d s o f th e e m plo ye es) s o m etim es c o m pla in a bout th e la ck o f d eve lo pm enta l

opportu nit y in th e c o m pany.

T he la st d ir e cto r to s p eak w as H al H arw ic k, fr o m a n e le ctr o nic s c o m pany. H al e xp la in ed

th at th ey c o nce ntr a te th eir tr a in in g o n m an agers w ho p re vio usly d em onstr a te d th eir

e xe cu tiv e c a pacit y . T he s ix m ost p ro m is in g m an agers b elo w th e to p e xe cu tiv e le ve l a re

s e le cte d to p artic ip ate in a s e rie s o f s e m in ars h eld o nce a m on th . E ach s e m in ar is

c o nducte d b y o ne o f th e to p e xe cu tiv e s, w ho ta lk a bout c o m pa ny a ctiv it ie s in h is o r h er

are a o f e xp ertis e . T hre e o r fo ur tim es a y e a r, H al a rra nges fo r a n o uts id e c o nsu lt a nt to

c o nduct a tr a in in g w ork sh op o n a s p e cif ic to pic s u ch a s p ro je ct m anagem ent,

b udgetin g, o r d ele gatio n. T he p a rtic ip atin g m an agers k n o w th ey a re fa st ‐ tr a cke rs in lin e

fo r p ro m otio n to to p m anagem ent. T hey lik e th e p ro gra m a nd h ave to ld h im it is v e ry

w orth w hile . Wh en o ne o f th em is p ro m ote d, a noth er p ro m is in g m anager is s e le cte d fo r

th e p ro gra m b y th e to p m anagem en t te am . T he o nly d ra w back is th e p olit ic a l in fig htin g

th at s o m etim es o ccu rs w hen e xe cu tiv e s tr y to g et th eir p ro té gés s e le cte d fo r th e

pro gra m .

Questio ns

1. Id entif y s tr e ngth s a nd w eakn esse s in le aders h ip d eve lo pm en t a t F edera te d.

2. Wh at ty p es o f c h anges a re m ost lik e ly to im pro ve th e le aders h ip d eve lo pm ent?

3. Wh at a ddit io nal in fo rm atio n is n e eded to m ake a g ood r e port to th e C EO ?

Essay # 4: C onsid er th e e ntir e c o urs e , e ve ry th in g y o u h ave r e ad a nd d is co ve re d fr o m

th e In te rn et, a nd y o ur o w n e xp erie nce s. Id entif y th e 1 0 m ost e sse ntia l fu nctio ns o f

le aders h ip ; e xp la in h ow y o u s e le cte d th em , a nd w hy th ese w ere s e le cte d a nd n ot o th er.