In preparation for her review, Vanessa should know her performance figures, ready to discuss her plans to increase going forward.

Instructions:

Part 1:
Read the case-study ‘Many managers, different styles’ (Northouse, 2018: 97-98), add a reply to the discussion and answer the following:

THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS BELOW WE WERE ASKED DURING THE WEEK FOR GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT ITS ABOUT (Northouse, 2018: 97-98),

Based on the assumptions of Theory X and Theory Y, how would you describe each manager’s philosophy and style of leadership? In what ways do their attitudes about Vanessa affect their leadership?
In this type of customer service setting, which leadership style would be most effective for the bank to meet its goals? From the bank’s perspective, which (if any) manager exhibits the most appropriate leadership?
What advice would you give to each of the managers to enhance their leadership skills within the bank?
What do you think Vanessa can do to prepare herself for her 3-month review?
To what extent do you agree with their assessment of each manager and their advice to Vanessa?
Have you any personal experiences (either as a manager or employee) which may give you a different perspective on the situation described in the case-study?
ANALYSE THIS CASE STUDY – (Northouse, 2018: 97-98),

Student post/ COLLEAGUE POST BELOW

Question 1:

Judging by the negative approach Marion Woods has towards her team and their productivity figures it is apparent she has an autocratic leadership style. A clear need to exercise control, insisting Vanessa follow scripts when speaking to customers. Alongside this, her decision to publicly criticize Vanessa, may be viewed as a way to regulate and constrain her team members. (Muenjohn, McMurray, and Fernando, 2018)
Bruce Dexter takes a laisses-faire approach displayed in the distant and minimal interactions he has with the team and very little managerial support he offers (Muenjohn, et al., 2018). Vanessa feels less intimidated by Bruce as they have little dealings however this also results in a lack of direction from a leadership point of view.
Heather Atwood, exhibits democratic leadership characteristics. Her friendly and attentive approach to her leading her team is encouraging and allows members to engage in their progress, motivating them and growing commitment to their role (Muenjohn, et al., 2018).

Question 2:

In this instance, Democratic leadership would be most effective as is demonstrated through the relationship between Heather and Vanessa. The learning style of this type of leadership is beneficial when it comes to supporting newer team members in meeting target requirements. By implementing this style and choosing to work in collaboration with her subordinates, Heather has established an encouraging and trusting rapport allowing them to feel comfortable and receptive to her guidance (Muenjohn, et al., 2018).

Question 3:

I would encourage Marion to take on a more collaborative approach in her training methods. Rather than insisting each member stick to the one procedure and script allow them to incorporate their own skills and personality (Northouse, 2018). It would also be effective to hold performance meetings or private conversations with staff members to avoid publicly criticizing them.

Bruce needs to implement a participative approach. With 14 years of experience in climbing the ladder within the company, his knowledge and guidance would be beneficial and welcomed by his subordinates. Important he can develop his interpersonal skills.

Heather does well in the supportive managerial role however her interference with customer conversations could be misconstrued as undermining the other staff members, this can knock their confidence in her and possibly cloud the customer’s judgment of the staff member they are engaging with. It would be more constructive to observe from afar, noting any pointers and discussing later one to one with the team member.

Question 4:

In preparation for her review, Vanessa should know her performance figures, ready to discuss her plans to increase going forward.

As she is dealing with 3 very different managers she should enquire about their expectations as these may be a little unclear.

If she is struggling to meet those, ask for help and guidance in areas she is struggling with.

Student post 2

Hi everyone,

Having read the case study “Many managers, different styles” (Northouse, 2018, 97-98) I believe Marion Woods defiantly has and autocratic leadership style as she provides scripts on how to do the job and openly feedbacks to them on progress, be that positive or negative.

Marion also displays McGregor’s Theory X traits (Kopelman et al, 2008). Heather Atwood shows qualities of a democratic leader by taking time to discuss, assist and motivate Vanessa. These have also been described by McGregor as falling under his theory Y (Kopelman et al, 2008).

Bruce Dexter shows characteristics of Laissez-faire style. By predominately working in his office he is allowing his staff and managers to get on with things with very little input (Muenjohn, 2018).
In the short term, I believe a manager such as Marion, would certainly be effective to achieve the banks goals.

However prolonged use of this style will leave staff de-motivated and they would ultimately look for alternative employment. Heather Atwood would most certainly get the best out the staff, by using a democratic style, and feel the bank should adopt this approach of leadership as there are many long term benefits such as staff retention, motivated workforce and therefore productivity.

I would advise the bank to provide training in leadership to ascertain the managers predominant leadership styles along with showing them the benefit and shortfalls of each. In my opinion Bruce should be encouraged to reflect on his current style of leadership and adopt a more democratic one as soon as possible. There are very small benefits of the Laissez-faire style and is really only suited to a very experienced and knowledgeable team (Muenjohn, 2018).
Venessa should think on how she has adapted to her new role including her progression in attaining KPI’s and expectations. She should also seek assistance at the meeting to set achievable goals and ongoing development training. Reflecting on negatives would also be of benefit to her so she can answer potentially awkward questions in the three-month review meeting.

Word Count 335

Student post 3
Good evening,

Based on the assumptions of Theory X and Theory Y, how would you describe each manager’s philosophy and style of leadership?

Autocratic = Marion – Theory X leadership style
Democratic = Heather- Theory Y leader style
Laize Faire= Bruce
In what ways do their attitudes about Vanessa affect their leadership?
Each manager holds a different attitude about Vanessa and her motivations for being in her role. For example, as Marion exhibits a Theory X and autocratic leadership style, she may assume that Vanessa is not interested in her role and is only at work as a means to earn money. As a result, Marion is more inclined to set high targets for Vanessa without encouraging her to develop her responsibilities.

Bruce may believe that Vanessa is competent at her job. Still, as he is not particularly interested in his role as a manager, he is less willing to encourage Vanessa to achieve more.
Heather exhibits a Theory Y and democratic leadership style, which Vanessa appears to be responding well to. However, this type of leadership may not help Vanessa improve her ability to sell products and services, meaning that key performance indicators (KPIs) are not adequately met.

In this type of customer service setting, which leadership style would be most effective for the bank to meet its goals? From the bank’s perspective, which (if any) manager exhibits the most appropriate leadership?

From personal experience, individuals in a customer service setting require both authoritarian and democratic leadership styles depending on the goals set out. For example, I previously worked as a complaints officer. I found that having daily and monthly targets in KPIs encouraged and motivated me to provide a high level of service to all customers. Despite the use of KPI’s, which some may argue falls under an authoritarian leadership style, I worked best under a democratic leadership style where I was able to take on responsibility and find creative ways to solve problems.

Due to my experience, I do not believe any one style is the most effective for the bank to meet its goals, but rather, a combined approach is the most effective to meet company goals.

What advice would you give to each of the managers to enhance their leadership skills within the bank?

I would advise the bank managers to reflect on the type of leadership traits/styles they exhibit and then suggest implementing an Autocratic-Democratic continuum model as suggested by Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958, cited by Muenjohn, 2018, 66). A model such as this allows managers to alter their leadership style depending on the requirements of the role and situation, meaning that managers can adapt their leadership style to better fit an employees skill set.
What do you think Vanessa can do to prepare herself for her 3-month review?

I think that Vanessa can prepare herself for her 3-month review by discussing her role with each of the managers. Understanding the expectations for the role and targets set may help Vanessa grow in confidence.

Word Count: 502

Last Completed Projects