Leadership Management
Order Description
Two parts. One page for each part.
Instruction are enclosed.
PART 1 – Description
Carefully describe a critical incident in which you were either directly or indirectly involved in your organization in the past year. (e.g. your employer or university) or a group you are involved in (e.g. an online community, sports team, etc.)
This incident should represent a leadership challenge that resonates with the topics covered in the ILOB course (e.g. “My team is not motivated and has failed to reach its targets” or “the communication between two of my organization’s departments is lacking and has led to frictions”).
WHAT TO DESCRIBE
1. The situational context (type of company/organization/group, country/countries in which the incident took place, hierarchical/collaborative company/group culture, etc.).
2. The players involved (roles, age, relationships, cultural background, and other relevant information).
FYI: Topics covered in the ILOB course:
TOPIC 1
The topic being discussed this week is: Motivating Followers – International leaders need to spur and channel the energy, talents, and commitment of their followers. They need to understand and attend to their diverse needs, and to appeal to their diverse fundamental motives. While we recognize that there is no “magic bullet” for motivation that work reliably and universally, we discuss motivation theories and frameworks that can greatly enhance international leaders’ ability to adapt their motivation efforts to cultural differences – both for individuals and for teams.
TOPIC 2
The topic being discussed this week is: Communicating Effectively. Almost everything international leaders do they do through communication. They often encounter language and meaning barriers when they interact with followers, peers, and partners from other cultures. We will talk about how to encourage open, respectful, and productive conversations for improving collaboration and collective decision-making. We will also closely examine the role of communication for leaders identity and their relationships with others. Practitioners will share with us what they have learned about intercultural communication and how to develop your leadership skills.
TOPIC 3
The topic being discussed in the video lectures is: Navigating Culture. Impact of cultural differences on organizations, decoding culture, culture classifications and stereotyping, developing intercultural intelligence.
TOPIC 4
The topic being discussed in the video lectures is: Leadership Acumen, in which we will learn the basics of leadership and leadership development curbed to an international mindset.
PART 2 – Analysis
In the past weeks we have covered three topics about international leadership: 1) Navigating Cultures, 2) Communication, & 3) Motivation. Choose the set of theories that is most applicable to the incident you have selected, and pick ONE theory or framework (e.g. for navigating cultures: The Onion Model; for communication, The Four Dimensions of Communication; or for Motivation, the Expectancy Theory; etc.). Clearly state at the beginning of your PART 2 submission what theory you are using to inform your analysis (e.g. “I am analyzing my incident with the help of the expectancy theory of motivation.”)
As you are analyzing the problem(s) and suggesting a solution, put yourself in the shoes of a leader who wants to resolve the incident, even if that was not your role when you experienced the incident.
WITH YOUR CHOSEN THEORY OR FRAMEWORK
1. Examine the main problems in the incident you described in PART 1 using the elements, variables, and theoretical concepts suggested by the theory or framework (e.g. “My team leader suggested performance based bonuses for the team. However, using high-powered financial incentives as the only means to motivate a team who faces a task that members believe to be impossible to accomplish is going to be ineffective according to expectancy theory, because…)
2. Suggest a solution based on the theory or framework. Ask yourself “What course of action would a leader follow based on the theory I selected?” (e.g. “According to expectancy theory motivation hinges on three questions that people implicitly ask themselves as they determine whether to exert effort, and how much effort to exert: [add details]. This can help me in managing the motivation of the team in the following way… “).