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Case Study: Mike Monroe’s Leadership, Motivation & Stress
Mike Monroe is a senior manager at a large software engineering company, where he has worked his way up over the last 15 years. He was recently promoted to his current position due to his innovative ideas and the resulting strong financial performance, for which he received most of the credit.
Mike is very loyal to the company and is well-known in the industry for his involvement in several notable business acquisitions. He is self-confident, has a very strong vision and sees himself as the future managing director of the company. He is also known as a manager who does not tolerate opposition and often outsmarts opponents in the business world.
The Board of Directors think very highly of Mike. They can always count on him to set an example of what can be accomplished, and, with his personality, he meets any sort of demand that the company places on him. However, opinions among his staff are divided. While some of his followers like him and view him as a hero, others accuse him of using his power for personal gain and being mainly concerned with pleasing top management and disregarding the needs and concerns of those who question his decisions. His focus appears to remain firmly on promoting his own vision. Most staff who report to him feel underpaid and overworked compared to staff in similar roles in other departments. They also experience a lack of control Since they are restricted in making decisions about their work. They are uncertain about the future direction of the company and don’t feel as if they belong in the company anymore.
These employees complain that they cannot rely on Mike’s support. Consequently, there is considerable conflict in the department. Since staff avoid talking about their frustrations with Mike, they often blame each other instead. They experience the work environment as very stressful, and some are threatening to resign or to request transfers to other departments. The performance of the department has begun to decline because of Mike’s leadership style, yet top management seems to be unaware of the situation.
SECTION A: CASE STUDY
1.1 Identify and critically discuss the modern leadership theory that best applies to Mike Monroe’s leadership style. Explain in your own words what this theory entails.
1.2 Provide advice to Mike by outlining the possible strengths and shortcomings of this leadership theory and how he could demonstrate his leadership behaviour. Use appropriate sources to support your discussion, along with examples from the case study.
Discuss and apply the most appropriate theory of work motivation to explain the team members’ experience of perceived unequal treatment.
Identify and discuss individual coping strategies and specific techniques that individuals can use to manage inevitable prolonged stress more effectively. Use examples from the case study to support your discussion.
4. Besides pay, what factors could influence the team’s job satisfaction or dissatisfaction? Justify your answer by referring to appropriate literature. (10)
Leadership Assignment Answers: Expert Answers on Above Questions on Leadership
Modern leadership Theory
In the given case scenario the leadership style of Mike can be associated with transactional leadership and also with charismatic leadership. This is mainly because transactional leaders focus on authority and compliance rather than empowerment, in the given case scenario, Mike has implemented his vision and got support from the top management, and did not focus on team collaboration.
Strengths and shortcomings of this theory
The main strength point is clear focus, performance oriented and admired by supervisors. However the shortcomings include low employee morale, high stress and poor job satisfaction. The advice to Mike is to adapt transformational leadership that empowers staff, recognise their contribution and help the company in achieving its goals.
Motivation theory
The most appropriate theory of motivation is equity theory. This theory is highly effective as employees feel underpaid and leads to dissatisfaction, stress and reduced commitment.
Coping strategies for stress
This strategies that can be applied includes problem focussed coping, emotion focussed coping, time management and seeking mentorship if the problem is unresolved. In the given case study, the staff avoid confronting Mike with results into the shift of conflict to each other. It requires proper stress management training to deal with such issues.
Factors influencing job satisfaction
The main factors that influence the job satisfaction level of employees include recognition and support from leadership, autonomy and decision making power, work life balance, fair treatment and communication, and opportunities for growth.
| Disclaimer: This answer is a model for study and reference purposes only. Please do not submit it as your own work. |
