Henry Tam and Mgi Team
Final Project Henry Tam and the MGI Team
Angela Alvarez
Kaplan University
Managers as Leaders
GM500
Dr. George Sparks
January 09, 2011
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Henry Tam and the MGI Team were given three weeks to design a business plan for the Harvard Business School Business Plan Contest. The team consisted of seven members and had little success in working together. They experienced conflict, tension, and disorganization throughout their entire project. Henry Tam needed to take a leadership stance and apply leadership approaches, group dynamics, and polarities to help resolve and organize the team issues. The Path-Goal Theory, time management, conflict management, written communication, and management of diverse groups, would have been effective leadership approaches and group dynamics for the team to come up with an effective business plan. Henry Tam could have also used polarities and polarity management to create an effective business plan.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HENRY TAM AND MGI TEAM:
APPLYING THE PATH-GOAL THEORY The first recommendation for Henry Tam and the MGI Team would have been to utilize The Path-Goal Theory of leadership. This leadership approach focuses on the situation and leader behaviors, rather than the leader’s actual traits (Moorhead, Gregory, Leadership Theory, 7th edition). This theory suggests that effective leaders will lead the behavioral paths and achieve the desired goals (Moorhead, 7th edition). The Path-Goal Theory rewards the subordinates’ performance based on its effectiveness. A leader in this theory will behave differently to different situations. There are four kinds of leader behaviors in The Path-Goal Theory: directive behavior, supportive behavior, participative leadership, and achievement-oriented leadership. Directive leadership approach tells subordinates exactly what is expected of them and gives guidance on how the tasks should be accomplished. Directive leadership could
Angela Alvarez
Kaplan University
Managers as Leaders
GM500
Dr. George Sparks
January 09, 2011
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Henry Tam and the MGI Team were given three weeks to design a business plan for the Harvard Business School Business Plan Contest. The team consisted of seven members and had little success in working together. They experienced conflict, tension, and disorganization throughout their entire project. Henry Tam needed to take a leadership stance and apply leadership approaches, group dynamics, and polarities to help resolve and organize the team issues. The Path-Goal Theory, time management, conflict management, written communication, and management of diverse groups, would have been effective leadership approaches and group dynamics for the team to come up with an effective business plan. Henry Tam could have also used polarities and polarity management to create an effective business plan.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HENRY TAM AND MGI TEAM:
APPLYING THE PATH-GOAL THEORY The first recommendation for Henry Tam and the MGI Team would have been to utilize The Path-Goal Theory of leadership. This leadership approach focuses on the situation and leader behaviors, rather than the leader’s actual traits (Moorhead, Gregory, Leadership Theory, 7th edition). This theory suggests that effective leaders will lead the behavioral paths and achieve the desired goals (Moorhead, 7th edition). The Path-Goal Theory rewards the subordinates’ performance based on its effectiveness. A leader in this theory will behave differently to different situations. There are four kinds of leader behaviors in The Path-Goal Theory: directive behavior, supportive behavior, participative leadership, and achievement-oriented leadership. Directive leadership approach tells subordinates exactly what is expected of them and gives guidance on how the tasks should be accomplished. Directive leadership could
References: From: Henry Tam Date: January 11, 2011