Assignment Title – Leadership Case Study Portfolio
The aim of the assignment is to provide students with an opportunity to critically appraise the effectiveness of a leader and make recommendations on leader development using leadership theories, tools and techniques. You are required to analyse a video case study, develop a model of leader effectiveness and apply it to the case at hand. You must also make recommendations on leader development relevant to the case.
Assignment Task:
1) Review the interview with Howard Schultz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83yInyY1KLs), which focuses on critical topics within leadership.
2) Drawing from at least one trait, style, and contingency approach, develop your own philosophy of effective leadership (i.e., a model of effective leadership).
3) Putting your philosophy to a test, evaluate Howard Schultz’s leadership.
4) Informed by your leadership philosophy, if you had to coach Howard to address the future challenges of Starbucks, what would you do?
Structure:
- Drawing from at least one trait, style, and contingency approach, develop your own philosophy of effective leadership (i.e., a model of effective leadership).
Strategy:
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Define effective leadership
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Identify and evaluate (at least) one trait by making an informed decision on the basis of existing evidence. I.e. what trait would be beneficially related to your definition of effective leadership? you could take one of the big 5 traits, intelligence or shoe size etc. You must provide empirical evidence (meta analyses).
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Identify and evaluate (at least) one style approach by making an informed decision on the basis of existing evidence
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Identify and evaluate (at least) one contingency approach by making an informed decision, using evidence where relevant. E.g. Fiedler‘s Contingency Theory, Path Goal Theory, Situational Leadership, Leadership Substitutes Theory, (Culturally Endorsed) Implicit Leadership Theories. Justify why you have chosen this contingency approach, how does it fit in your philosophy?
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Ensure integration
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How does your chosen trait relate to your chosen leadership style/ behaviour? What is the evidence for this?
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What role does your contingency approach play on the effects of your chosen trait and style?
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Why do you think this? Is there some evidence? What logic underpins your assumption?
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How do the various factors work together to lead to leadership effectiveness?
- Putting your philosophy to a test, evaluate Howard Schultz’s leadership.
Strategy:
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Determine whether Howard Schultz is an effective or ineffective leader by applying the different elements of your philosophy
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For example:
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Does he have a leader like personality?
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Does he use the right style?
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Does his leadership fit the situation?
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How do his followers respond to him?
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What effective/ ineffective outcomes do you identify in the case?
- Informed by your leadership philosophy, if you had to coach Howard Schultz to become a more effective leader, what would you do?
Strategy:
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Build on your answer to question 2, what are Hayek’s weaknesses?
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What can be done to overcome these weaknesses?
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Train him how to use a certain leadership style?
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Train him to adapt his style to the situation?
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Train him how to change the situation?
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Anything else that could be done?
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Through which means can this be achieved (360, coaching, action learning, job assignments, networking, mentoring)?
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Theory, example, application, critical engagement (you must critique and challenge)
- Apply the PEEL paragraph writing approach throughout
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You must draw upon relevant, up-to-date research, theory, and evidence to inform your answer.
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Make good use of signpost – Logical structure (THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT)
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Application – this is when you have a theoretical construct, and a context and example to explain it
- Show substantial evidence of synthesis and evaluation
Learning Outcomes Assessed – Please pay good attention to these:
1. Appreciate leader, follower and situational characteristics that determine leadership effectiveness at work.
2. Identify conditions and processes that facilitate or undermine leadership effectiveness at work.
3. Show good understanding of different approaches and tools that can be used to select and develop effective leaders in organisations.
4. Identify their own and other people’s leadership potential and address how it can
be improved.
