The employees at your organization have formed a union, and the bargaining process now begins. Write a case study in which you analyze the situation. First, begin with background information about the
Let’s examine what you know about your supervisors.
Supervisor A (Allen T. Rait) believes that he is an effective leader because of his traits. He
reports that he is intelligent, he is confident, he is an extrovert, everyone likes him, and he
is unbelievably trustworthy. He knows that he was born with these traits. This is an
example of the trait leadership theory.
Supervisor B (Brooke B. Haven) believes that she is effective because of her behaviors
and the action that she takes when faced with decisions. She is a good listener and
encourages employees to do their best. She believes that she can learn to become an
effective leader. This is an example of the behavioral theory of leadership (Uslu, 2019).
This reminds you of Blake and Moulton’s managerial grid where the concern for people is
on the Y-axis and the concern for production is on the X-axis. Visit The Blake Mouton
Managerial Grid webpage review Blake and Moulton’s framework for thinking about a
leader’s task versus person orientation.
Supervisor C (Curtis Contingent) evaluates the situation and matches his leadership style to the situation. The style used is based on the relationship between the employee and the
leader. Contingency theories focus on three areas: the leader’s style, the situation, and the
style with the situation. Uslu (2019) found that the Fidler contingency theory focuses on the
leader-follower relationships and the impact it has on the situation.
Supervisor D (Deryl “The Situation” Davis) knows that one leadership model does not work
in all situations. Shafique & Beh (2017) report that there is not one best leadership style. At
times, the supervisor will tell employees what to do or will sell ideas by sharing suggestions
and encouraging employees to accept the suggestions. The supervisor believes in
participation by including employees in the decision-making process. The supervisor also,
when relevant, will delegate decisions to the team. This is an example of the situational
theory of leadership or, more specifically, the Hershey-Blanchard situational leadership
theory.
Supervisor E (Ellie T. Action) likes to direct her employees and believes in the importance
of rewarding her staff when they complete a task on time. She knows the importance of
external rewards and the impact on performance. This is why this transactional leader
continually rewards employees with movie tickets and lunches when projects are
completed.
Supervisor F (Fatima T. Formation) believes in the importance of motivating employees and
appreciating their contributions to the organization. She knows and cares about the
employees. She is a role model, and she is the type of leader who can increase
organizational effectiveness and productivity, thus giving the organization a competitive
advantage. This is an example of a transformational leader. You now know that Bass
introduced the theory of transformational leadership in 1978 and was further developed by
Bass in 1985 and Bass and Avolio in 1995 (Shafique & Beh, 2017).This theory continues to
be relevant in today’s complex environment.
Supervisor G (Georgie Sochill) takes a very hands-off approach with employees. The Title
supervisor believes that the best approach is letting employees make decisions. This
supervisor leaves staff alone because he strongly believes that employees know how to do
their jobs. You are concerned because this department has the lowest productivity. This is
an example of the laissez-faire leadership theory.
Supervisor H (Harry B. Servin) considers himself to be a servant leader—one who serves
others by listening to and understanding employees’ needs. The supervisor believes he is
there for the employees and wants the employees to do the best that they can. Greenleaf
(as cited in Heyler & Martin, 2018) believes that servant leaders have 10 qualities that have
been expanded upon by other researchers. These qualities are listed below.
• Listening
• Awareness
• Healing
• Conceptualization
• Persuasiveness
• Empathy
• Stewardship
• Foresight
• Community-building
• Developing others
Supervisor I (Irene B. Genuine) is self-aware, self-regulated, and works to develop
transparent relationships. The supervisor is genuine and sincere. She encourages positive
relationships between leaders and employees, resulting in higher employee engagement
and work satisfaction. This is an example of the authentic leadership theory (Covelli, 2018).