Case:
Capital Energy is a new company in the Clean Energy sector. In an effort to save money, they are considering switching to a cheaper battery. The battery company, Tilt Battery, has 10 years in the industry and would represent a 20 percent savings.
Tom, the VP of Public Relations at Capital Energy, says his intern has heard rumors about Tilt Battery dumping toxic elements into the environment. Tom, 50, has 20 years of experience in energy. His communication style is direct.
Before deciding if the company will switch to Tilt Battery, Kim, the CEO, has ordered a team to be assembled to research the allegations and fit of Tilt Battery with Capital Energy. Kim, 60, has 5 years of CEO experience and 10 years in leadership roles. She is a master delegator and expects results without excuses. Kim has demanded Tom lead the team since he mentioned the problem. He will need to bring facts and recommendations to the next senior leadership meeting in three weeks. All team members require Kim’s approval to be considered for the team.
Tom has assembled Joe, Lisa, Marie, and Karl to help in this endeavor. Here is some background on each person.
Marie, 40, is the VP of Legal and Compliance with 3 years at Capital Energy and has a passive communication style. She is a supporter of peers but does not like teams.
Joe, 31, is an Intern at Capital Energy. He suspects Tilt Battery of unethical behavior based on rumors. Joe is a recent graduate with a Master in Environmental Studies and a Bachelor in Solar Engineering. His communications style is direct, and he has many ideas.
Lisa, 29, is a new staff employee at Capital Energy with prior experience at a battery factory for 4 years. She has strong opinions about most topics and does not work well with others. She can be passive or direct in her communication, but English is her second language. Lisa’s culture dictates that she should agree with leaders.
Karl, 55, is the Manager of Security and Investigations at Capital Energy for 8 years. He is an early employee at Capital Energy who understands the company, culture, and vision. He works well in teams and loves to be of service to others. Karl is liked by everyone, and his communication style can be passive or direct.
1. Question: Negotiating with Leadership
Joe has been contributing consistently to the group and feels he deserves more credit. His ideas have been invaluable, and he has worked extra hours on the project. Karl feels great pride in encouraging Joe to take initiative and bring out the best in Joe.
Explain the negotiation strategies that Joe could apply to communicate his concerns and identify Karl’s leadership style that is being demonstrated. Feedback: You are getting there. Could you tell us more about outline of individual contribution, and leadership style?
2. Question: Group Dynamics and Ethics
Karl has decided to credit Joe on the presentation slides and provide him with a company “on the spot” bonus reward for his superior work on the project. In an effort to be transparent, he informs the rest of the team of his decision. Right away, Tom claps and agrees. Meanwhile, Lisa and Marie are upset. They feel they equally contributed, and Lisa says, “Boys club” under her breath.
Evaluate the conflict in this scene and explain the impact on group dynamics.
Feedback: You are getting there. Could you tell us more about effect of team buy-in on conflict, and what causes rebellion in a team?
3. Question: New Leadership and Ethics
If Tom decides to be the leader and dictate all elements of the team interaction and work distribution, he will take no input from the team and only consider his own ideas.
Identify two problems Tom’s leadership style could pose to team success and provide one example of the ethical impact on team psychology. You are getting there. Could you tell us more about autocratic leadership style’s main characteristic, and effect on work culture?
