Assignment 1: LEADERSHIP

CASE STUDY: A Strained Research Team

Submitted to:
Dr. Anumapam Khatkar

Submitted by:
Sugandha Sharma

Assistant Professor LMTSOM, Thapar University, Patiala

Roll # 501104026

Date of Submission: 1st October, 2012

The skill approach frames leadership as the capabilities (knowledge & skills) that make effective leadership possible.

Case 3.1: A Strained Research team

This case is about Dr. Adam Woods, principal investigator in the Elder Care Project, 3 year , $1million federally funded research grant to study health education program for older population. Dr Woods is the prominent and foremost Scholar in the field of the health education research. Unlike the previous Projects in which Dr. Woods worked alone, he was assigned a team of 11 colleagues. In the due course of the project it was found that the project was under budgeted and there was shortage of resources. Although the team members were spending 20-30 % of the budgeted time but it was not helping out. Instead of having motivating the team Dr. Woods was rather having pessimistic approach towards them. Although he arranged the money when the team needed money for pamphlets but he unable to cope up with team members and understand them

Q1: Based on the skills approach how you would assess Dr. Woodss leadership and his relationship to the members of the Elder Care Project team? Will the project be successful?

The skills model of leadership has 5 components: Competencies, Individual Environmental influence. Attribute, Leadership Outcome, Career Experience, &

Competencies can be further analysed as follows:

1) Problem Solving skills: When the pamphlet costs came out to be significantly more than the budgeted cost, Dr. Woods has been very adept at finding out solution as where they might find small pockets of money to help cover those costs, Although he was unable workout the plan for successful working of the project as it was realized in the due course of the project that it was under budgeted and had few resources. 2) Social judgement skills: Dr. Woods was not very good at understanding the people and their needs. He was unable to understand the social system. Even though team members was spending 20-30% more time on the project that was budgeted to them , but Dr. Woods was unable to foresee their dedication and appreciate them for the same, Dr. Woods was not being sensitive about how his ideas are going to fit with his team.

His relationship with his team was not cordial. Although his team members respect his competencies but they find His leadership style frustrating at times, as his negative comments during the staff meeting demoralize team members and creates a negative aura of thoughts instead of motivating them to work hard. His relationship with the elder care team project was not cordial and fruitful. 3) Knowledge: Dr. Woods was having great deal of knowledge regarding the health education research, as he was foremost scholar in this area throughout the country. He was known to be as a very competent researcher. Individual Attribute: 1) Cognitive ability: Dr. Woods was having cognitive ability to solve the problem regarding the health care projects as the knowledge he has gained through the experience and he was the foremost scholar of healthcare projects in the country. 2) Motivation: in the Starting of the project Dr. Woods was motivated to work but as the time passed, after 1 yr he was regretting the fact that he took up this project. 3) Personality: Dr. Woods was lacking the personality characteristics like openness, tolerance for ambiguity, affects the leaders performance. Leadership outcome: Leadership outcome is highly influenced by the leaders competencies, & the environmental influence. Dr. Wood was having earlier career experience in the health care project dealing, but it was his first hand experience working with team earlier he used to work as individual, it was the main factor he was lacking the social judgements skills . a) Performance: the project was under budgeted and had too few resources at hand, and thus had a negative environmental influence over the project and moreover Dr.Woods lacking in social judgement skills making it worse. The performance of the team was not up to the mark. b) Effective Problem Solving: The problem solving ability was missing although Mr. Woods was scholar in the health care projects but he had prior experience of working as the individual not in team, he was unable to eradicate the problem that were being faced by the project. Keeping the current circumstances in mind, the project is unlikely to be very successful until and unless the problem the project team is facing is dealt with properly. Q2: Does the Dr. Woods have skills necessary to be an effective leader of the research team?

Mr. Woods is a well known foremost scholar in the field of health education research, he was knowledgeable enough to lead the group but lacking in social judgement skills unable to understand team members need , as earlier he working as individual and had no prior experience of leading a team research project. Thus when the problem surfaced in the project he was unable to effectively deal with them and resolve them which were in turn affecting their overall performance. Thus as per the skill approach Dr. Woods was not possessing all those skills and need to develop certain skills like social judgement skills to be a effective leader.

Q3: The skills model describes the three important competencies for leaders: problemsolving skills, social judgemental skills, and knowledge. If you were to coach Dr. Woods using this model, what competencies u would address with him? What charges you suggest that he make in him leadership? Dr .Woods is having both problem solving skills as he arranged the money for the pamphlets problem, although he lacks in the social judgement skills and thus is unable to cope up with his team members, and understand them and solve their quires. He possesses a pessimistic attitude toward his team members and demoralizes them. Although he is knowledgeable person foremost scholar in the country in the field of health research projects. Dr. Woods has prior experience of working as individual not in team i would suggest him to develop the social judgement skills which are must to work as an effective leader. More in case of individual attribute he must focus n the personality dimension like openness, tolerance to ambiguity etc.