Course Profile Organizational Studies: Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources (BOH4M), Grade 12, University/College Preparation, Public

Unit 4: Leading

Time: 30 hours

Activity 4.1 | Activity 4.2 | Activity 4.3 | Activity 4.4 | Activity 4.5 | Activity 4.6

Unit Description

Students apply theories of human behaviour to understand how individuals and groups function in the workplace. Students apply teamwork and group dynamics to carry out projects and solve problems. Students demonstrate the use of proper leadership techniques in a variety of situations along with the use of appropriate communication techniques related to business management. Finally, students evaluate the strategies used by individuals and organizations to manage stress and conflict while comparing a variety of theories about how to motivate individuals and teams in a productive work environment.

Unit Synopsis Chart

Activity	Time	Learning Expectations	Assessment Categories	Focus
4.1 Human Behaviour	5 hours	OLV.01, OL1.01, OL1.02, OL1.03	Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Application Communication	1. Case Study: Anger in the Workplace 2. Human Personality and Behaviours 3. Influences on Human Behaviour 4. Impact of Attitude 5. Video Homework Assignment
4.2 Group Dynamics	5 hours	OLV.02, OLV.04, OL2.01, OL2.02, OL2.03, OL4.01, OL4.03	Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	1. Group Exercise: Heart Surgery 2. Individual Roles in Groups 3. Company Simulation Activity 4. Case Studies 5. Group Dynamics Field Trip or Activity
4.3 Leadership Techniques	5 hours	OLV.03, OL3.01, OL3.02, OL3.03, OL3.04	Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	1. Leadership Traits and Behaviours 2. Interview: School Administrator 3. Leadership Style Survey or Role Play 4. Matching Leadership Styles to Situations
4.4 Communication Techniques	5 hours	OLV.4, OL4.01, OL4.02, OL4.03, OL4.04	Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	1. Communication Process Model 2. Communication Barriers Exercise 3. Communication Documents 4. IT Research and Report Presentation
4.5 Stress and Conflict	5 hours	OLV.05, OL5.01, OL5.02, OL5.03	Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	1. Stress Management 2. Conflict Management 3. Conflict Situation Role Play 4. Report and Presentation
4.6 Motivation	5 hours	MEV.03, ME3.01, ME3.02, ME3.03, ME3.04	Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/Inquiry Communication Application	1. Motivational Theories 2. Reward Systems

Activity 4.1: Human Behaviour

Time: 5 hours

Description

Students learn various aspects of human behaviour and how they impact the workplace.

Strand(s) & Learning Expectations

Overall Expectations

OLV.01 - apply theories of human behaviour to understand how individuals and groups function in the workplace.

Specific Expectations

OL1.01 - analyse the components of human personality (e.g., heredity, culture, family) and their impact on human behaviour;

OL1.02 - demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between a person’s biases and the decisions he or she makes;

OL1.03 - explain the relationship between three major influences on human behaviour (personality, attitudes, and perception) and job satisfaction.

Planning Notes

The teacher:

· prepares overheads, lecture notes, handouts and assessment tools;

· provides students with assessment tools before the activity begins;

· records video clips that exemplify differing situations of human interaction.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. The teacher begins this unit having the students analyse a mini-case about a frustrated employee venting to his boss. See Appendix 4.1.1 – Human Behaviour in the Workplace – Mini-Case: Jack’s Frustrations. Give students time to read and analyse the case on their own; then engage the class in several discussion questions. Discuss with the class whether Jack was justified in his outburst. Describe methods of controlling anger and dealing with difficult situations. Discuss whether Jack harmed himself permanently, even though he got the promotion.

2. Follow the mini-case activity with board or overhead notes on components of human personality and their impact on human behaviour. What makes up an individual’s personality – discuss heredity, culture, family, and other factors. Discuss with students the importance of recognizing factors of personality and how to deal with different personality types (including difficult people). Reinforce this discussion by showing video clips of situations exemplifying various human behaviours and personalities interacting with one another. An alternative is to have students come up with scenarios exemplifying aspects of human behaviour in the workplace and role-play them in front of the class. Either activity should be followed with feedback and discussion on the various situations – particularly those where personalities clashed. Discuss how the video clip/role play handled it and how it could be better handled.

3. Next, focus on how major influences on human behaviour (personality, attitude, and perception) relate to job satisfaction. Begin by defining the terms stereotype, assumption, suspicion, and perception. Use the fish diagram (see Resources) to illustrate perceptions. Perceptions can also be illustrated with optical illusions (see Resources). The teacher further illustrates this by engaging the class in the Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant activity (see Resources). Explain how these factors of human behaviour can affect human relations; and how in turn, that can affect individual job satisfaction, and overall organization productivity. Engage the class in several quick exercises on Identifying Behaviours and Understanding Unpleasant Behaviours (see Resources). Follow with a note on managing the Perception Process.

4. Discuss using overhead or board notes why a positive attitude can be a manager’s most priceless possession. Explain that the transmission of attitude is a form of communication – as is verbal and written. We communicate our attitudes through facial expressions, hand gestures, and other more subtle forms of body language. Sometimes our attitudes speak so loudly that people cannot hear our words. Define attitude technically (a mental set that causes a person to respond in a characteristic manner to a given stimulus), and simply (the way you look at your whole environment). Describe how a positive attitude is essential to career success. When you are positive, you are usually more energetic, motivated, productive, and alert. Explain the importance of first impressions on the job and how they have a lasting effect. Make students aware of the fact that a positive employee contributes to the productivity of others. Students should also realize that the kind of attitude you transmit to management will have a great deal to do with your future success. Students must be aware that a positive attitude is far more than a smile. Explain to students how to keep your positive attitude when things get tough (talking about positive things, looking for the good in people and organizations, avoiding personal problems through planning and discipline, not permitting a fellow worker—or even a supervisor—who has a negative attitude to trap you into his/her way of thinking). Follow with an activity where students, working in pairs, come up with ways to deal with various personality types (see Appendix 4.1.2 – Dealing With Unacceptable Behaviour in the Workplace). Discuss results of the activity as a class.

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

Formative

· Students assess the problem solving process using Appendix 4.1.3 – Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scale. This indicates to the student where they stand and what they must do to move up on the scale.

· Self- and peer assessment of Role Play using Appendix 4.1.4 – Role-Play Checklist or The Role-Play Assessment Chart found in BTX4E Public at www.curriculum.org.

· Teacher feedback on observations during lessons and discussions

Summative

Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication, Application

· Teacher evaluation of case studies, Appendix 4.1.3

· Teacher evaluation of role play, Appendix 4.1.4

· Teacher evaluation of teacher-prepared summative unit test at end of unit (See Resources.)

Resources

Brewner, Margaret M., William C. McMahon, and Michael P. Roche. Job Survival Skills. New York: Educational Design, Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-87694-223-0. Identifying Behaviours and Understanding Unpleasant Behaviours exercises

Interactive Curriculum. www.interactivecurriculum.com. Detailed lesson plans and sample tests.

Kearns, Tim, Carole Pickering, and John Twist. Managing Conflict: A Practical Guide to Conflict Resolution for Educators. Toronto: Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, 1992.

ISBN 0-920930-54-9 Fish diagram, blind men and elephant parable

Lions Quest. Exploring The Issues: Promoting Peace and Preventing Violence. OHIO. Quest International Headquarters, 537 Jones Road, P.O. Box 566, Granville, OH 43023-0566 Contains positive strategies of managing anger, communication techniques, empathetic listening and problem solving.

Optical illusions – www.optillusions.co. A website that has a variety of optical illusions.

Sadalla,G., Henrique, M., and M. Holmberg. Conflict Resolution: A Secondary School Curriculum. San Francisco, CA. 1987. Detailed lesson activities and background information on communication

Schermerhorn, John R. Management, 7th ed Toronto: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2002.

ISBN 0-471-43570-8 Contains material for lecture notes.

Stafford, J., Bowman, B., and T. Ewing et al. Building Cultural Bridges. Indiana: National Educational Service. ISBN 1-879630-47-5 Contains activities and strategies for teaching skills that will promote positive relationships, and has multicultural focus to communication and conflict resolution.

Appendix 4.1.1

Human Behaviour in the Workplace

Mini-Case: Jack’s Frustrations

Jack, after much thought, finally agreed to take a job with Company A —mostly because they promised him he would move up the ladder as quickly as possible. Jack had no opportunities for advancement with his previous employers. After six months with Acme Company, Jack was asked to transfer to another plant 300 miles away. He assumed this meant a big promotion, so he immediately accepted and moved his family. At the new plant, Jack realized he had little, if any more responsibility than he had had previously. As well, there was no pay increase. To top it off, his new living expenses were higher and the children’s missed their friends For three weeks, Jack let his frustrations brew; then he released them with an outburst in his supervisor’s office. Jack’s supervisor cut him off and told him to relax. The manager nonchalantly mentioned that he just pulled a memo off the fax machine and that Jack was to receive a big promotion.

Appendix 4.1.2

Dealing With Unacceptable Behaviour in the Workplace

With a partner, brainstorm how a manager would effectively deal with the following personality types in his/her workplace.

Behaviour	Approach
Antagonist—rude and unpleasant to co-workers, customers, and salespeople
Blameless—always has an excuse for everything
Whiner—complains all the time about what she/he is required to do
Thumb-Twiddler—lacks initiative and motivation
Insubordinate—challenges you in front of other workers and management
Tortoise—constantly late for work
Bad Attitude—always bringing everyone down with his/her negative attitude
Hand-Holder—requires constant supervision
Early Retiree—close to retirement; his/her level of productivity indicates he/she is already retired
Worrywart—personal problems take over this person and his/her work
Clock-Watcher—refuses to work even a minute beyond quitting time; wastes a lot of time wondering when the next break is

Appendix 4.1.3

Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scale for Problem Solving

*Assess your problem-solving skills.

Use the scale to decide where you stand and what you must do to get to level four.

Find and Define the Problem	Í Brings exceptional clarity and insight to the issue, topic or problem Ì Clear focus and accurate wording of the problem or issue Ë Identifies the problem but has trouble clarifying or describing Ê Fuzzy, confused, or inaccurate definition of the problem, issue, or topic
Alternatives	Í Generates alternatives that demonstrate unusual possible answer or an exceptional range of strategies Ì Generates several alternatives or strategies Ë Identifies one or two possible choices Ê Little evidence of possible answer or strategies for the inquiry question
Data	Í Collection of information from a wide variety of sources demonstrating both breadth and depth of interpretation of the issue, or problem Ì Complete collection with enough information to evaluate the alternatives Ë Some data collection on the identified areas of investigation Ê Inadequate or unfocused collection of information with disorganized notes or no notes at all
Synthesis	Í Exceptional or unusual solution to the problem or description of the best answer to the question Ì Solution to the problem or answer to the question clearly organized based on the data collected Ë Solution appropriate and useful Ê No clear structure or organizational pattern
Evaluation	Í High-level criteria applied to the evaluation of the conclusion, the group clearly judges whether the decisions or conclusions will continue to be acceptable in the future Ì Evaluation includes the suitability of the conclusion and whether the conclusion leads to the solution of the problem Ë Evaluation of the conclusion based on the data and the original question Ê No evaluation of the information
Expressing The Conclusion	Í Unusually clear presentation of the conclusion with predictions Ì Clear organization and presentation of the conclusion Ë The solution to the problem is not always clear Ê Inadequate or misleading conclusions
Comments
Assessed by

Appendix 4.1.4

Role-Play Checklist (Formative Assessment only: cannot contribute to final mark)

Role Play:
Names:	Assessed by:
Exceeds Expectations · Convincing performance · Enters the role fully · Masterful interpretation of all elements of the role
Meets Expectations · Assumes the role and maintains consistency · Responds appropriately · Uses problem-solving approach to make choices on how to play the role
Meets Minimum Expectations · Assumes the role · Inconsistent focus · Starts to use problem-solving approach to make choices on how to play the role
Does Not Meet Expectations · Does not enter or stay in the role throughout · No focus or concentration · Does not use the problem-solving approach to make choices
Suggestions:

Activity 4.2: Group Dynamics

Time: 5 hours

Description

In this activity students are introduced to group dynamics and experience group dynamics in various settings. They determine how group dynamics impact the workplace and what contributes to the success or failure of a group.

Strand(s) & Learning Expectations

Strand(s): Organizational Leadership

Overall Expectations

OLV.02 - apply teamwork and group dynamics to carry out projects and solve problems;

OLV.04 - demonstrate the use of appropriate communication techniques related to business management.

Specific Expectations

OL2.01 - demonstrate an understanding of the roles individuals assume within a group structure and of the stages of group development;

OL2.02 - explain the nature and types of groups within an organization (e.g., formal/informal, committees/departments, electronic work groups);

OL2.03 - analyse the factors that contribute to the success or failure of a team (e.g., shared norms, cohesiveness);

OL4.01 - demonstrate an understanding of the key elements of the communication process and the barriers to effective communication (e.g., semantics, cultural differences);

OL4.03 - demonstrate appropriate presentation techniques for both groups and individuals.

Prior Knowledge & Skills

· Communication model and process from Unit 1

Planning Notes

The teacher:

· prepares overheads, lecture notes, handouts, and assessment tools;

· provides students with assessment tools before the activity begins;

· familiarizes him/herself with all character roles in the Widco simulation;

· provides students with case studies;

· makes necessary arrangements for any field trips.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. Begin with an activity such as the Heart Surgery Exercise (see Resources). This exercise presents a problem statement with several alternatives. Instruct students to individually read through the problem statement and come to their own conclusion concerning the best alternative. Divide students into groups of five or six. In the groups, students discuss which alternative is best. Give them 15 minutes and tell them they must reach a consensus. When each group has decided on one alternative, appoint one spokesperson from each group to present their case to the class (who is now taking on the role of the hospital board of directors). After each spokesperson presents his/her case, have an open discussion; following that, the hospital board (the class) will vote on the best alternative. Discuss the group dynamics that took place during their breakout groups. Have students identify who the natural leader was (if one emerged) and why they think this was so. Discuss what processes the groups used to reach consensus. Discuss the nature of problems that arose and how they were handled.

2. Follow the activity with formal lecture notes on the roles individuals assume within a group structure and the stages of group development. Further discuss the nature and types of groups within an organization (formal/informal, committees/departments, electronic work groups). Students apply these concepts to the results of the above activity for reinforcement. The concepts can be further illustrated by descriptions of workgroups in actual companies, where such information can be made available.

3. Now that students have more knowledge on groups within organizations, have them participate in another activity. In this activity, students solve a production problem in a fictitious company, Widco. See Appendix 4.2.1 for instructions and role descriptions. Following the activity, each group will develop a report analysing the nature and workings of their groups.

4. One way for students to experience group dynamics is to have them work on case-study teams. Present each team with a different business case, which they solve using proper case methodology. Each group presents their case report to the class. Students should be encouraged to communicate with their team members electronically to facilitate group work outside of school time.
Appendix 4.1.3 – Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scale for Problem Solving provides opportunities for both formative and summative assessment.

5. To complete this activity, any one of a number of trust exercises can be used. Students learn the importance of trust and effective communication within a team. Follow this with a discussion analysing the factors that contribute to the success or failure of a team. A lesson with group dynamics games could replace this field trip.

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

Formative

· Self- and peer assessment using Role-Play Evaluation Checklist, Appendix 4.1.4, Team Evaluation Chart, and Written Report Rubric found in BTX4E Public

Summative

Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication, Application

· Teacher evaluation using the Written Report Rubric found in BTX4E Public at www.curriculum.org.

· Teacher-prepared summative test administered at the end of the unit (See Resources.)

Accommodations

· The teacher should take into consideration students’ IEPs for specific accommodations and suggestions that address students’ learning needs.

· Extensive suggestions for accommodations can be found in Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner, K-12, Special Education Companion.

· ESL students may not be familiar with the use of rubrics and should be given practice before using them as assessment tools. They could be allowed more time to prepare presentations and pre-tape spoken segments. Provide ESL students with a glossary of difficult English vocabulary used in the Appendices.

Resources

Bendaly, Leslie. More Games Teams Play: Activities and Games for Powering Up Your team’s Potential. Toronto: McGraw Hill Ryerson, 2000. ISBN 0-07-560939-8. (Group dynamics exercises).

Interactive Curriculum – www.interactivecurriculum.com
Contains complete lesson plans, course notes, and tests.

Kearns, Tim, Carole Pickering, and John Twist. Managing Conflict: A Practical Guide to Conflict Resolution for Educators. Toronto: Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, 1992.
ISBN: 0-920930-54-9 (Heart Surgery Exercise)

Schermerhorn, John R. Management, 7th ed. Toronto: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2002.
ISBN 0-471-43570-8 (material for lecture notes)

Appendix 4.2.1

Widco Manufacturing Activity

In this role-play exercise, the president of a small manufacturing company, Widco, meets with four of his/her subordinates. Each of the characters is assigned a specific role to create the reality of a business meeting. Each character comes to the meeting with his/her unique perspective on a major problem facing Widco. Each person also has personal impressions of the other characters, which have developed over several years of business and social associations.

Teacher’s Notes

· Read the Introduction, Cast of Characters, and description of Today’s Meeting to the class. Develop as a class, based on the cast of characters, an Organizational Chart. Also, develop a Production Flow Diagram based on the description below (you may have this prepared ahead of time).

· Divide the class into five equal-sized groups. In these preliminary groups, students prepare their character roles—give them their Individual Character Role sheets to prepare. Each group is assigned one of the characters. All members of that group will be playing that character. The purpose of this preliminary session is to get to know the character and how he/she reacts with the others.

· After the character prep period (10 minutes), students form Operation Committees – each committee is made up of one of each character. Instruct students to stay in role until they are explicitly asked to stop role-playing. Do not show the other characters on the committee your role instructions or planning notes. The Operations Committees meets for exactly 20 minutes. In this time, the Committee must come up with a solution to their current production problem.

· After the 20-minute meeting, instruct students to prepare a report (one per Operations Committee) that details their solution to the problem, and addresses the following: What factors operated to create the kind of communication you saw in Widco? Can anything be done to improve these communications? What might Patrick Wahl do by way of a long-term solution if he begins to experience the typical difficulties so often found at Widco?

· Reports are handed in for assessment. Tools are listed in Assessment.

The Characters

· Patrick Wahl, the President, is the owner of Widco – a small manufacturer of widgets. The company employs 600 people, and has enjoyed better profits than its competitors over the years because of a reputation for high-quality products at a modest cost. Recently, however, declining profits have resulted as competitors take over some of Widco’s long-standing market share. Patrick is expending every possible effort to keep his company comfortably at the top of the widget market.

· Lorie Smith is the Manager of Quality Control and reports directly to Patrick. Lorie has been in this position since she helped Patrick develop Widco 10 years ago.

· Susie McTavish is the Production Manager; she also reports directly to Patrick. She has worked for Widco for the past seven years; before that, she worked for one of the larger companies that use widgets in their production.

· Marcellus Campbell is the Supervisor of Final Assembly; he reports to Susie. Marcellus worked with Susie previously at the larger widget-using company and came to Widco at the request of Susie.

· Marion Kent is the Supervisor of Subassembly and reports to Susie McTavish. Marion was promoted to this position two years ago. Before that promotion, Marion had gone through one year of management training after she received her MBA from a large, urban university.

Appendix 4.2.1 (Continued)

Production Flow – Widco Manufacturing

The parts flow begins in two places (internal fabrication and suppliers), and comes together at subassembly. Parts from the Internal Fabrication Departments flow to In-process Inspection. From there, they go to Subassembly, Subassembly Inspection, then Final Assembly, Final Inspection and finally to the Warehouse or a Customer. Parts not manufactured in-house begin with Suppliers. From there, they go to Receiving Inspection and then flow to Subassembly. From this point, they follow the same flow as the in-house parts.

Today’s Meeting

Patrick Wahl has called a meeting with these four managers—this is the Operations Committee at Widco. Problems have developed at Widco in meeting production schedules; Wahl wishes to attempt to solve these problems at this meeting. Wahl must catch a plane to Springfield in exactly half an hour; he has a meeting with a major Widget-using company to negotiate a deal, which could mean a great deal to the future of Widco. Patrick has only 20 minutes to meet with the Operations Committee.

Individual Character Roles

Role of Patrick Wahl, President

As you enter the meeting, you are thoroughly annoyed that delivery dates are not being met consistently. Even when they are being met, there have been increasing customer complaints about defective widgets. These problems are relatively new to Widco, but you want to resolve them finally. A slip in the company’s reputation could jeopardize current negotiations for contracts. You have not determined what conditions have led to the problem, or who is responsible. In order to try to find out, you have called the Operations Committee together for a meeting. You are determined to solve the problem before you leave for Springfield. The following are private feelings about the other members of the committee that you have developed over the years:

· Lorie Smith, the Manager of Quality Control, is an old, personal friend and long-time business associate. Lorie has served Widco faithfully since its founding. Lately, though, she seems preoccupied with something that seems to be bothering her; this is taking her mind off her work. About four years ago, she pushed Susie McTavish to hire her son but McTavish decided to hire Marion Kent instead. Marion was obviously better qualified with an MBA. Lorie and Susie still work well together, so there do not seem to be any hard feelings.

· Susie McTavish, Production Manager, is probably your most valuable employee. Much of Widco’s success can be attributed to her. She knows production, keeps costs down, maintains quality, and trains new people. If Widco ever expands, you plan to make Susie a vice-president.

· Marcellus Campbell, Supervisor of Final Assembly, has been slipping lately. In the past, quality problems were always caught; the defective parts would be reworked, or at the very least, bad parts would be identified and pulled out before they were shipped. Now, bad parts are getting through, and on top of this, deliveries are running behind schedule. The people in Marcellus’s department are not working overtime to keep production up; in fact, as you observed on their regular shifts, they do not even look busy. Workers ‘horse around’ as though they do not have work to do. You wonder how long McTavish will wait before she talks to Campbell.

Appendix 4.2.1 (Continued)

· Marion Kent, Supervisor of Subassembly, looks like a bright young supervisor with a great future at Widco. McTavish has brought Marion along well, and although Marion occasionally makes mistakes, you are willing to put up with a few bad decisions as Marion continues to learn from each one.

The maximum meeting time is 20 minutes. Begin by presenting the problem to your subordinates. Be sure to get this situation straightened out before you leave for Springfield. Find out what information other committee members may have that is relevant to solving the problem before making any decisions or issuing any instructions.

Role of Lorie Smith, Manager of Quality Control

· That Marion Kent is the problem! She is a smart aleck, whiz kid who is ambitious and sneaky to boot. If Patrick had only listened to me a couple of years ago—my son would have been hired and would have done a much better job than this little sneak. McTavish was originally leaning toward hiring Smith’s son; but was afraid of what Patrick would say since Marion had an MBA and Smith’s son did not. McTavish is a good egg, capable in her work. She has earned a reputation for running a high-quality plant thanks to our exceptional quality-control process. Susie and I have gotten along well for several years, and I would like to maintain a good working relationship. Quality problems must be solved on our level, without involving Patrick —that will make both of us look good. I just wish that Susie would wake up to how Marion is trying to push all the sub-standard work through! I’d like to tell her right now, but I don’t want to embarrass her in front of Patrick. Susie thinks Marion can do no wrong. Every time Marion is criticized, Susie immediately flies to her defence.

Role of Susie McTavish, Production Manager

· What a fix we’re in! If Patrick finds out about that defective material, my head will be on a platter, and probably Marcellus’s and Marion’s too. A million units of junk got through receiving inspections somehow, and most of them are still in the warehouse, waiting to be used in production. I had a feeling when I changed the ordering procedure, problems would result; but I wanted to reduce inventory-carrying costs. I never should have tried to cover up the situation. However, what else could I do? Lorie is Patrick ’s buddy. If I blame Lorie, I might as well blame Patrick. They are ‘as thick as thieves’ at work and on the weekends too! Anyway, I did not have much choice. When the shipment of defective material came in, we were down to less than two days’ supply in subassembly. Marion would have had to shut down completely if we did not use the defective material in production. At first, it looked like Marion and Marcellus could adjust the assembly procedures easily to compensate for the bad material. A shutdown would have put Widco out of business for good. Customers will not wait for late deliveries. Things turned out worse than I thought. Subassembly inspection began to find defects and held up several lots of production before they could get to Marcellus for final rework. Normally I would work something out with Lorie but she hates Marion’s guts. It would be the perfect set-up to make her the scapegoat. Lorie never did get over the fact that I hired Marion over her son. Well, somehow I will keep the plant operating. It would sure help if Patrick would ease up the pressure for output and learn to rely on me the way he does on Lorie.

Appendix 4.2.1 (continued)

Role of Marcellus Campbell, Supervisor of Final Assembly

· Well, loyalty has always been my trademark. Maybe I have gone too far this time, though. Sure, I owe my job to Susie, and she has always been a good boss but she sure goofed on this one! Susie should have reordered production material months ago; but no, she wanted to keep inventory costs down. Therefore, she waited to the last minute and ended up with a bunch of defective material. The only sensible solution seemed to be to rework the material in assembly and subassembly; but the problem turned out to be tougher than anyone had expected—but better to try and work around it than let the company go under if we couldn’t fill orders. Too bad Susie and Lorie were in no position to tell Patrick what happened—they wanted to save their jobs. I can relate; it would be a terrible time for me to be out of work. My wife is going back into the hospital for another operation—I hope they find it this time! That combined with the kids’ college tuition—it is just not easy for a 50-year old guy to find a job like this one. Well, I guess I will continue to convince Quality Control to let the defective widgets through so at least we have some product to deliver. Boy, Patrick, looks mad—no telling what he will do next!

Marion Kent, Supervisor of Subassembly

· Well, well well! Widco has been living on luck for 10 years now, and they are about to find out what a bunch of amateur managers they really are! Not one of them knows the first thing about inventory management; so here we are, stuck with a ton of defective material, and nothing we can do but try to rework them to the point where they’ll get by. Susie made the first mistake by not ordering soon enough. Then, when the material got past Lorie’s inspectors, Susie made it worse by not telling Patrick what had happened. She asked Marcellus and me to rework them and try to slip them through inspection. Lorie sure will not give us any help—president’s little buddy! Man, in any other company, she would be pushing a broom instead of running Quality Control. However, here is different—Patrick surrounds himself with mediocre people—look at these other clowns! One of these days, Susie or Lorie is going to make such an obvious error that even Patrick will know the difference. When that happens, they just might be looking for a bright MBA with some new ideas to run this dog and pony show! Better play it cool and be ready for when the time comes. Meanwhile, it will be fun to watch Susie and Lorie try to talk their way out of this one!

Activity 4.3: Leadership Techniques

Time: 5 hours

Description

Students identify personal characteristics and traits related to leadership found in research. Students continue with examples of behaviours and skills that demonstrated effective leadership. The distinction between a leader and a manager is analysed, within the school or community environment. Leadership styles are explored and assessed with studies and surveys. In conclusion, an examination of the successful leadership style for a given situation and setting is applied and debated.

Strand(s) & Learning Expectations

Strand(s): Organizational Leadership

Overall Expectations

OLV.03 - demonstrate the use of proper leadership techniques in a variety of situations.

Specific Expectations

OL3.01 - analyse the factors that contribute to effective leadership (e.g., vision, power, personality traits, behaviour);

OL3.02 - differentiate between a leader and a manager (e.g., personality traits, behaviour, roles);

OL3.03 - compare a variety of leadership styles (e.g., task-oriented and relationship-oriented, authoritative and consultative, transformational);

OL3.04 - analyse the relationship between leadership styles and the settings in which they are applied.

Prior Knowledge & Skills

· Student experiences with community, school, and workplace leaders

· Management theory, problem solving, and planning previously covered in the course

· Observation and communication skills developed and practised from various courses

Planning Notes

The teacher:

· prepares overheads, lecture notes, handouts and assessment tools;

· provides students with assessment tools before the activity begins;

· researches and prepares a list of leadership traits and a list of leadership behaviours;

· investigates school administrative tasks and responsibilities;

· requests an in-class interview of the school principal or other administrator;

· collects leadership style surveys and leadership style profiles;

· researches and prepares summary notes on leadership theories.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. In the introductory activity students compare personal characteristics and traits intuitively related to leadership with leadership characteristics found in research. Students identify three people (friends, coaches, supervisors, relatives, or public figures) who they consider leaders. For each one of these individuals they make a list of descriptive traits.

2. As a class, the three lists are compared and the common traits are identified. The teacher leads the class in a discussion of leadership characteristics, based on research and the lists they developed. A master list is produced on the board. This list of traits should include ambition, power, vision, conviction, self-confidence, intelligence, sensitivity, enthusiasm, and so on. (See Resources for leadership traits.)

3. Students identify one leader from each of the following categories: business, military, politics, religion, sports, and education. For each person chosen they are to list, from knowledge or research, a specific example of a behaviour or skill that demonstrated effective leadership. This can be a homework assignment.

4. The teacher leads the class in a discussion of leadership behaviours and skills, based on research and the examples provided by the students. A master list is produced on the board. This list of behaviours should cover examples of administrative skills, adaptability, recoveries, challenges, agents of change, inspiration, bravery, motivation, and supportive behaviours, etc. (See Resources for leadership behaviours.)

5. At this point, it should be noted to students that leadership research had been based on both trait and behavioural theories. It would be optimistic to believe that there could be consistent and unique traits or behaviours that would apply across the board to all effective leaders. The research does however provide insight into cause and effect, and a correlation for situational factors that is practical for leadership selection and training. In addition, leadership can be granted by formal appointment (position power) or emerge from the individual’s traits and behaviours (personal power).

6. A number of case studies and videos can illustrate the aforementioned points. Historical leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Winston Churchill, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Lee Iacocca, Ted Turner, Herbert Kelleher, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela can be researched.
(See Resources for leadership profiles.)

7. Students next conduct a class interview of the school’s principal or other administrator. In preparation for the interview, students must identify the many areas of responsibility the principal has in the operation of the school. Administrative responsibilities may include curriculum, school council, parent liaison, staff and Heads’ meetings, teacher evaluation, staffing and timetable, emergency procedures and drills, facility, budget, extra-curricular programs, community communication, transportation, health and safety, student discipline, dress code, professional development, assessment, assemblies, supervision, trips, cafeteria, fundraising, student council, office operations, etc.

8. Questions are prepared on how these duties and responsibilities are performed. Upon completion of the interview, the students determine whether the areas are managerial tasks or leadership roles (if a distinction can be made). Students learn that good managers bring about order and consistency by drawing up formal plans, designing organization structures, and monitoring results against plans. Leadership, in contrast, is about coping with change. Leaders establish direction by developing a vision for the future, and then they align people by communicating this vision and inspiring them to overcome hurdles. A follow-up report and analysis could be given to the principal or administrator interviewed.

9. An alternative activity would be to select a community business leader to job shadow, and then interview. During observation, a log is kept of the activities and roles played by the business leader. Such an alternative would be subject to board and school policies for out of class activities

10. Students complete leadership style surveys. These self-assessment surveys can be found in many publications, on the Internet, or within the school’s guidance, career and student activity centres. (See Resources for leadership style surveys.)

11. Once completed, the teacher provides notes on the main leadership styles, their characteristics, and situations where each style is effective and ineffective. Numerous styles are identified and labelled by research, but most can be grouped under the following matrix, based on whether they are people-oriented or task-oriented: Autocratic or manipulative, Directive or command and control, Participative or people-oriented, Democratic or inclusive, and Laissez-faire or free rein.

12. Leadership theories the teacher can cover include the LPC (Contingency) Theory, the Lifestyle Theory, the Path-Goal Theory, the Leader-Member Exchange Model, the Vroom-Yetton-Jago Model, Transformational Leadership, Charismatic Leadership, Servant Leadership, and Drucker’s “Old-Fashioned” Leadership. Time constraints may require students to research and share summaries.
(See Resources for leadership theories.)

13. Final notes should point out that Shared Leadership is balancing concern for task and concern for people.

14. Students demonstrate three of the main leadership styles – Autocratic, Democratic and Laissez-faire. In student groups of six or seven, they are to create a short dramatization in which one member is the boss and the others are on an assembly line bottling pickles. Each assembly line member poses one question or concern to the boss who reacts and responds according to the leadership style assigned. The dramatizations are presented in front of the class. (See Appendix 4.1.4 for Role-Play Checklist, and BTX4E Public Role-Play Assessment Chart.

15. In the final task, entitled Who IS the Boss, students are told they have just been appointed the “person in charge” of various situations. Working in pairs, they identify the type of leadership style that would work best in each situation, and briefly outline what they would do while using that style of leadership. (See Appendix 4.3.1 for Who IS The Boss? Worksheet)

16. The task can conclude with a debate on whether a leader can effectively change styles, and whether or not it takes great followers to make a great leader. (See Debate Rubric in BBB4M Public found at www.curriculum.org.)

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

This cluster provides numerous and varied opportunities for students to demonstrate the full extent of their achievement of the expectations, across all four categories of the Achievement Chart.

Diagnostic

· The teacher provides students with informal feedback throughout all phases of each activity

Formative

· Teacher verbal feedback on student participation in lessons and class discussion, student research and group work.

· Self- and peer assessment of debate and role play using the Debate Rubric and Role-Play Checklist. Interview preparation and performance – focuses on thinking/inquiry and communication

· Written report or observation log – focuses on knowledge/understanding and communication

Summative

Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication, Application

· Teacher assessment of Who IS the Boss? Worksheet

· Teacher assessment of debate and role play sessions with the Debate Rubric and Role-Play Checklist

· Teacher evaluation of unit test administered at the end of the unit

Accommodations

· Students can be paired when conducting research and interviews.

· Students can be assigned to observe additional leaders and to conduct additional research.

Resources

Print

Adams, Bob, et al. Managing People. Holbrook, Massachusetts: Adams Media Corp., 1998.

Collins, Jim. Good to Great: why some companies make the leap…and others don’t. New York, New York: Harper Collins, 2001.

DuBrin, Andrew J. Essentials of Management. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western Publishing, 1990.
ISBN 0-536-80495-5 (Chapter 9 covers leadership of employees)

Gordon, Judith R. Organizational Behavior: A Diagnostic Approach. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996. ISBN 0-13-232562-4 (Chapter 8)

Griffin, Ricky W., et al. Business: first Canadian edition. Scarborough, Ontario: Prentice Hall
Canada, 1993. ISBN 0-13-144486-7 (Chapters 5 and 9)

Griffin, Ricky W. and Jang B. Singh. Management, Canadian edition. Scarborough, Ontario: Nelson Thomson Learning, 1999. ISBN 0-17-607400-7 (Chapter 17)

Hunter, Douglas. Molson: the birth of a business empire. Toronto, Ontario: Penguin Group, 2001.

Loeb, Marshall and Stephen Kindel. Leadership for Dummies. Foster City, California: IDG Books Worldwide, 1999.

MacDonald, Larry. The Bombardier Story: planes, trains and snowmobiles. Toronto, Ontario: John Wiley & Sons, 2001.

Moorhead, Gregory, et al. Organizational Behaviour: managing people and organizations. Scarborough, Ontario: Nelson Thomson Learning, 2000. ISBN 0-17-616662-9 (Chapter 11 covers leadership models and concepts)

Morrison, Emily Kitty. Leadership Skills: developing volunteers for organizational success. Tuscon, Arizona: Fisher Books, 1994.

O’Toole, James. Leadership A to Z: a guide for the appropriately ambitious. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 1999.

Robbins, Stephen P. Organizational Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, and Applications. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1993. ISBN 0-13-644683-3 (Chapter 11 covers leadership traits, behaviours, and theories)

Welch, Jack. Jack: straight from the gut. New York, New York: Warner Business Books, 2001.

Video

Biography of the Millennium: 100 People 1000 Years. (NR, 200 min.) Available from www.moviesunlimited.com

Catherine The Great. Director: Marvin J. Chomsky. Arts & Entertainment: 1995. (NR, 100 min.)

Gandhi. Director: Richard Attenborough. Columbia Tristar: 1982. (PG, 188 min.)

JFK. Director: Oliver Stone. Warner Brothers: 1991. (R, 206 min.)

MacArthur. Director: Joseph Sargent. Universal: 1977. (PG, 130 min.)

Nixon. Director: Oliver Stone. Hollywood Pictures: 1995. (R, 191 min.)

Electronic

Bill Gates – www.microsoft.com/Bill Gates

CNN – www.cnn.com

Fortune – www.fortune.com

Northwood University – www.northwood.edu/obl

Time – www.time.com

Appendix 4.3.1

Who IS the Boss? Worksheet

You have just been appointed the “person in charge” of the situations below.

Working with a partner, identify the type of leadership style that would work best in each situation and briefly outline what you would do while using that style of leadership. A rationale for your response must be provided.

1. You find yourself in a group at work that has to write and put together a presentation that will be filmed on video. There are people of all types of abilities in the group and most seem keen on doing the project.

2. You are a group coordinator assigned a group of rookie employees. You will be competing against other organizations in a corporate challenge held in half an hour. The other organizations have older and more experienced employees, but your group would like to show them up.

3. The boss is away in the hospital but everyone has done the job before and they like working at their jobs and tend to socialize after work as a group. A major crisis occurs that involves everyone, but you cannot call the boss.

4. You find yourself in a group doing an advertisement campaign that nobody wants to do, including yourself. Unfortunately, this campaign will decide whether you and only a few others get a promotion.

5. A committee is planning the annual holiday party for employees and their families. Last year was one of the better parties and all of the people who are working this year had a job on last year’s committee.

6. You have 30 minutes left to decorate your house for your best friend’s surprise birthday party. Other friends have started decorating, but they keep asking you what to do.

Activity 4.4: Communication Techniques

Time: 5 hours

Description

Students examine the communication process and its elements. In a series of activities, they discover potential barriers to effective communication and develop strategies to improve the communication process. Samples of various communication documents are then analysed and evaluated for effectiveness and appropriateness. Students research the use of Information Technology (IT) in organizations, prepare a written report, and deliver a presentation on their findings to the class.

Strand(s) & Learning Expectations

Strand(s): Organizational Leadership

Overall Expectations

OLV.04 - demonstrate the use of appropriate communication techniques related to business management.

Specific Expectations

OL4.01 - demonstrate an understanding of the key elements of the communication process and the barriers to effective communication (e.g., semantics, cultural differences);

OL4.02 - demonstrate the effective use of business communication documents (e.g., business reports, correspondence);

OL4.03 - demonstrate appropriate presentation techniques for both groups and individuals;

OL4.04 - demonstrate the effective use of information technology (e.g., word processing software,
e-mail, teleconferencing, electronic research tools) to attain organizational goals.

Prior Knowledge & Skills

· Research, communication, and computer skills developed and practised from various courses

· Creative thinking, problem solving, and planning previously covered in the course

Planning Notes

The teacher:

· prepares overheads, lecture notes, handouts, and assessment tools;

· provides students with assessment tools before the activity begins;

· prepares a communication model note and stories/statements on a convenience store robbery and a cafeteria food fight;

· researches and prepares a note on communication barriers;

· collects sketches for duplication in the communication demonstrations and samples of communication documents;

· arranges for computer access.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. Students are given a note depicting a model of the communication process that includes the source, encoding, the message, the channel, decoding, the receiver, and feedback.

2. The teacher reads the class a short story about a robbery that has occurred at a convenience store. The source of this story may be a newspaper. Students are then given a list of ten statements about the story which they individually answer as true, false, or unknown, without discussion. After a few minutes, small groups are formed. Group members have five minutes to discuss their answers and agree on correct answers to each of the statements. The teacher provides the actual correct answers and poses the questions: How many correct answers did you get individually, and how many did the group achieve? Did the group outperform the average individual? Class discussion follows concerning the implications of the results.

3. Students read a second longer story about a cafeteria food fight. The teacher creates this story. The story is recollected and students are once again given a list of statements with the same process – they answer individually, and as a group; then discuss correct answers and the analysis of results.

4. An additional step may include the verbal passage of a third story through many students.
(See Resources.)

5. Students brainstorm the possible barriers to effective communication. Barriers identified might include perceptions or biases, semantics, overload or message length, timing, interest, filtering, the channel or choice of medium. A “Barriers to Communication” worksheet is completed. (See Appendix 4.4.1 for Barriers to Communication – Examples Worksheet.) Notes are developed with suggestions for improvement at every step in the communication process. Both formal and informal (grapevine) communication networks are to be covered. (See Resources.)

6. An optional activity can demonstrate one-way versus two-way communication. Students are put into pairs where one acts as the sender, and the other is the receiver. The teacher provides two pictures to each pair. The first step has the sender describe the picture to the receiver who must reproduce it. The sender cannot ask if there are any questions, request information back, nor use non-verbal communication. The receiver is not to communicate with the sender in any manner. The next step has the receiver again attempting to draw a second picture, but allows for the free exchange of questions on the part of either student. The students then answer the following questions. Which trial was more satisfying and why? Which trial yielded more accurate results and why? Which trial costs more time? How can this experience be translated into improving communication in an organization? Why is effective communication important? (See Resources for examples.)

7. The teacher provides samples of various communication documents to the class. These include written notes and phone messages, interoffice memos, minutes of meetings, bulletins or announcements, proposals, appraisals, policy documents, news releases, newsletters, assembly instructions, advertisements, and formal reports. As a class, these documents are analysed and evaluated for effectiveness and appropriateness. Identified criteria are the source, intended audience, clarity of message, length, and use of language, span of distribution, and impact.

8. This final assignment has students research in small groups the use of IT in major or local organizations. The teacher can tailor the activity to fit the local community. Businesses from the communications or high tech, manufacturing, merchandising, travel, and financial sectors should be chosen. Students are to prepare a written report covering techniques used (devices, hardware, and software), impact on structures or process, impact on staff, impact on sales or service, further advantages and disadvantages, statistics, trends and recent advancements. This research report can be done using IT within the school. The students then deliver a formal twenty-minute presentation on their findings to the class. (See presentation checklist and rubric, previously referenced.)

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

Diagnostic

· The teacher provides students with informal feedback throughout all phases of each activity.

Formative

· The teacher provides verbal feedback on student participation in lessons and class discussion.

· The teacher provides feedback on time use for student research and group activity.

· Completion of the “barriers” worksheet focuses on thinking/inquiry and application.

· Production of IT report focuses on Knowledge/Understanding and Communication.

· Self- and peer assessment of class presentation using Oral Presentation Checklist, BBB4M Public at www.currriculum.org

Summative

Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication, Application

· Teacher evaluation of class presentation using, Oral Presentation Checklist, BBB4M Public at www.currriculum.org

· Unit test on Communication Techniques covers all four Achievement Chart categories.

Resources

Print

Adams, Bob, et al. Managing People. Holbrook, Massachusetts: Adams Media Corp., 1998.

Adams, Bob and Peter Veruki. Hiring Top Performers. Holbrook, Massachusetts: Adams Media
Corp., 1997.

Ben, David. Advantage Play: the managers’ guide to creative problem solving. Toronto, Ontario: Key Porter Books, 2001.

Bendaly, Leslie. Games Teams Play: dynamic activities for taping work team potential. Toronto, Ontario: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., 1996.

Collins, Jim. Good to Great: why some companies make the leap…and others don’t. New York, New York: Harper Collins, 2001.

DuBrin, Andrew J. Essentials of Management. Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western Publishing, 1990.
ISBN 0-536-80495-5

Gomez-Mejia, Luis R. et al. Managing Human Resources: Canadian edition. Scarborough, Ontario: Prentice Hall Canada, 1997. ISBN 0-13-228008-6

Gordon, Judith R. Organizational Behavior: A Diagnostic Approach. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996. ISBN 0-13-232562-4

Greenwald, Gerald. Lessons from the Heart of American Business: a roadmap for managers in the 21st century. New York, New York: Warner Books, 2001.

Griffin, Ricky W., et al. Business: first Canadian edition. Scarborough, Ontario: Prentice Hall
Canada, 1993. ISBN 0-13-144486-7

Griffin, Ricky W. and Jang B. Singh. Management, Canadian Edition. Scarborough, Ontario: Nelson Thomson Learning, 1999. ISBN 0-17-607400-7

Gross Stein, Janice. The Cult of Efficiency. Toronto, Ontario: House of Anansi Press Ltd., 2001.

Hodge, Billy J. Organization Theory: A Strategic Approach. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1996. ISBN 0-205-15274-0

Hunter, Douglas. Molson: the birth of a business empire. Toronto, Ontario: Penguin Group, 2001.

Lawrence, Paul R. and Nitin Nohria. Driven: how human nature shapes our choices. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 2002.

Levesque, Lynne C. Breakthrough Creativity: achieving top performance using the eight creative talents. Palo Alto, California: Davies-Black Publishing, 2001.

Loeb, Marshall and Stephen Kindel. Leadership for Dummies. Foster City, California: IDG Books Worldwide, 1999.

MacDonald, Larry. The Bombardier Story: planes, trains and snowmobiles. Toronto, Ontario: John Wiley & Sons, 2001.

McClure, Lynne. Anger and Conflict in the Workplace: spot the signs, avoid the trauma. Manassas Park, Virginia: Impact Publications, 2000.

McQuaig, Linda. All You Can Eat: greed, lust and the new capitalism. Toronto, Ontario: Penguin Books Ltd., 2001.

Messmer, Max. Motivating Employees for Dummies. New York, New York: Hungry Minds Inc., 2001.

Moorhead, Gregory, et al. Organizational Behaviour: managing people and organizations. Scarborough, Ontario: Nelson Thomson Learning, 2000. ISBN 0-17-616662-9

Morrison, Emily Kitty. Leadership Skills: developing volunteers for organizational success. Tuscon, Arizona: Fisher Books, 1994.

Nelson, Bob. 1001 Ways to Energize Employees. New York, New York: Workman Publishing, 1997.

O’Toole, James. Leadership A to Z: a guide for the appropriately ambitious. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 1999.

Power, Thomas. E-Business to the Power of 12: the principles of competition. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education, 2001.

Quick, James Aaron and Cheryl Carter New. Grant Winner’s Toolkit: project management and evaluation. Toronto, Ontario: John Wiley & Sons, 2000.

Robbins, Stephen P. Organizational Behavior: Concepts, Controversies, and Applications. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersy: Prentice Hall, 1993. ISBN 0-13-644683-3

Roddick, Anita. Take it Personally. Berkley, California: Conari Press, 2001.

Simpson, Jeffrey. The Friendly Dictatorship. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart Ltd., 2001.

Strathern, Paul. Dr. Strangelove’s Game: a brief history of economic genius. Toronto, Ontario: Knopf Canada, 2001.

Welch, Jack. Jack: straight from the gut. New York, New York: Warner Business Books, 2001.

Websites

AT&T: Leadership Styles – http://www.att.com/rnb/members/starterkit/manage/leadstyle.html

Bill Gates website – www.microsoft.com/BillGates

Canadian Business magazine on line – www.canadianbusiness.com

CNN website – www.cnn.com

Fortune magazine – www.fortune.com

Entrepreneurs – www.PROFITguide.com

Hersey, Paul - Situational Leader Presentation-paper discusses the situational leadership theory, the difference between leadership and management, and various leadership styles.
– http://albie.wcupa.edu/ttreadwell/group4/99spring/mar-may/messages/155.html

House, Robert - Path-Goal Theory - Summarizes the theory, which argues that a worker’s motivation, satisfaction and performance are dependent on the superior’s leadership style.
– http://www.css.edu/users/dswenson/web/LEAD/path-goal.html

Fiedler, Fred - Contingency Theory of Leadership - Learn about the elements in Fiedler’s theory, such as leadership style, the Least Preferred Coworker Scale and situational favourableness
– http://www.stfrancis.edu/ba/ghkickul/stuwebs/btopics/works/fied.htm

Leadership and Behaviour Styles - Behavioural Styles - Matrix of behavioural styles – http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/BehavSty.html

Leadership Styles Activity - Instructions Objective: To recognize that a good leader uses all three styles of leadership: authoritarian (autocratic), participative (democratic), and delegative (free reign). Time: 60 Minutes. – http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/styles.html

Leadership Styles - Trainer module – http://p2001.health.org/ctw10/module.htm

Leadership Styles - Each person has a leadership style with which they feel comfortable. What students must realize is that there are different styles of leadership that are required for different situations
– http://www.sentex.net/~casaa/resources/sourcebook/student-leadership/leadership-styles.html

Leadership Styles handouts – http://p2001.health.org/ctw10/handoutS.htm

Leadership styles and problem solving - de Bono’s ‘Six Hats’ © 1997 Stuart Palmer, Deakin University, Australia – http://www.deakin.edu.au/~spalm/srp70733.html

Leadership Style Survey - This questionnaire contains statements about leadership style beliefs.
– http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/survstyl.html

Management Today - The Great and the Merely Good - Discusses the conformist and eccentric styles of leadership for managers and provides examples.
– http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m1179/1999_April/54422840/p1/article.jhtml

McGraw-Hill Ryerson - Index of McShane Websites - McGraw-Hill Ryerson The following websites are available for editions of Canadian Organizational Behaviour by Steven L. McShane. Busi 2301: Organizational Behaviour--Table of Contents – http://www.ce.mun.ca/dcs/courses/bus2301/toc.htm

Motivation and Leadership Styles
– http://home.att.net/~elements.of.motivation/eom-leadership_styles.htm

Northwood University: Outstanding Business Leaders – www.northwood.edu/obl

Poynter.org - Descriptions of Four Leadership Styles – http://poynter.org/dj/tips/leadership/styles.htm

Big Dog’s Leadership Page - Leadership Styles Managers are people who do things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing. - Warren Bennis, Ph.D. “On Becoming a Leader” Styles of Leadership – http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadstl.html

Sex Roles - Gender and Leadership Behaviours - Describes the differences in leadership styles between men and women. Posts results of self- and supervisor comparisons.

Time magazine – www.time.com
– http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m2294/n5-6_v39/21227884/p1/article.jhtml

The Achieving Styles Institute - Connective Leadership home page – http://www.achievingstyles.com/

Trends and Issues, Role of the School Leader - Leadership Skills, Styles, and Prerequisites
– http://eric.uoregon.edu/trends_issues/rolelead/selected_abstracts/skills.html

The Keirsey Temperament Sorter by David Keirsey, a four factor model
– http://www.ascd.org/pdi/demo/el2.html

Appendix 4.4.1

Barriers to Communication – Examples Worksheet

Barriers exist at every stage in the communication process. They are considered noise or interference, and can sometimes lead to miscommunication. Awareness of the potential pitfalls is essential for effective communication, an important component to the successful organization.

Briefly explain the following barriers to communication. Include examples.

1) Inappropriate Language	9) Low Motivation and Interest
2) Improper Timing	10) Defensive Communication
3) Filtering	11) Preconceived Ideas
4) Complex Channels	12) Translation
5) Hostile Organization Culture	13) Insufficient Nonverbal Behaviour
6) Cultural Misunderstanding	14) Communication Overload
7) Poor Communication Skills	15) Inappropriate Source
8) High Tech Problems	16) Lack of Empathy

Activity 4.5: Stress and Conflict

Time: 5 hours

Description

Students learn the impact of stress and conflict on employees and organizations. The teacher explains the methods of dealing with these issues.

Strand(s) & Learning Expectations

Strand(s): Organizational Leadership

Overall Expectations

OLV.05 - evaluate the strategies used by individuals and organizations to manage stress and conflict.

Specific Expectations

OL5.01 - evaluate the impact on performance of personal and work-related stress;

OL5.02 - demonstrate an understanding of organizational factors that affect stress in the workplace (e.g., organizational conditions, negotiation and intervention techniques);

OL5.03 - evaluate individual conflict-management styles and their impact on a situation (e.g., avoidance, accommodation, compromise).

Prior Knowledge & Skills

· Students may have studied stress management in the Grade 10 Career Studies course.

· Students may have encountered stress and conflict situations in their personal and work lives.

Planning Notes

The teacher:

· prepares overheads, lecture notes, handouts and assessment tools;

· provides students with assessment tools before the activity begins.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. The teacher should start the lesson by asking the students about times that they have experienced stress and have them complete a self stress test. The students could also read about a stressful situation in the workplace. See Resources for examples.

2. The teacher should provide a note on the sources of stress—work factors (e.g., interpersonal relationships, work demands that are too high or low, career progress, over work, downsized companies, job burnout, job rage), non-work factors (e.g., family, economics, outside interests) and personal factors (e.g., Type A personality, hardiness). Students and the teacher can provide examples to demonstrate each of these situations.

3. The teacher should explain the differences and physical symptoms of constructive and destructive stress.

4. The teacher should make a note on the methods of coping with stress. Methods would include flex time, laughter, exercise, taking control, time management, wellness programs, doing things for others, balancing work and family, and getting eight hours of sleep. The teacher demonstrates these methods by having students watch a funny video, teaching relaxation exercises, reading stories of people coping with extraordinary circumstances, having someone from the community speak about wellness programs, etc. (see Resources for examples.)

5. The teacher introduces the topic of conflict by having the students role-play a conflict situation. (See Appendix 4.5.1 – Initial Conflict Role Play.) Put the students in pairs. Provide each one with one side of the scenario (McDonald or Jones). Allow them five minutes to read and prepare for the role play. Have the students try to solve the conflict situation. This problem can be solved easily by listening to each other’s needs—one side needs the Yerpa plant’s roots and the other the leaves. Most groups will not achieve this solution quickly or at all. Discuss with the class what occurred in the role play.

6. The teacher explains how conflict can be positive and negative for individuals and organizations.

7. Using a handout, the teacher explains the five conflict management styles (avoidance, accommodating, authoritative, compromising, and collaboration) with respect to cooperativeness and assertiveness. Emphasis should be placed on when each style is appropriate.

8. Students role-play another situation and demonstrate an ability to collaborate. (See Appendix 4.5.2.)

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

Formative

· Teacher observation during lessons and role plays with verbal feedback

· Self- and peer assessment of role play using Role-Play Assessment Chart, BBB4E Public and Appendix 4.1.4 – Role-Play Checklist

Summative

Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication, Application

· Teacher evaluation of role play using Appendix 4.1.4, Role-Play Checklist

· Unit test administered at the end of the unit

Accommodations

· Students could role-play with two students on each side of the conflict situation.

· Gifted students could research more information about stress in the workplace.

Resources

Print

Canfield, Jack, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte, and Tim Clauss. Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work. Florida: Heath Communications, 1996. ISBN 1-55874-424-X This resource has stories about dealing with conflict and stress in the workplace.

Carlson, Richard. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff at Work. New York: Hyperion, 1998.
ISBN 0-7868-8336-7

Griffin, Ricky W. and Jang Singh. Management, Canadian Edition. Toronto: Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
ISBN 0-17-607400-7
This resource has theoretical information on conflict and stress - Chapters 15 and 19.

OSSTF. Managing Conflict. Toronto: OSSTF, 1992. ISBN 0-920930-54-9
This resource has case studies and activities on conflict management.

Moorhead, Gregory, Ricky Griffin, Gregory Irving, and Daniel Coleman. Organizational Behaviour: Managing People and Organizations, Canadian Edition. Scarborough: Nelson Thomson Learning, 2000.
ISBN 0-17-616662-9 This resource has theoretical information on conflict and stress - Chapters 6 and 10.

Schermerhorn, John R. Management, 7th ed. Toronto: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2002.
ISBN 0-471-43570-8
This resource has theoretical information on conflict and stress - Chapters 15 and 17.

Video

“The Best of Abbot and Costello Live.” Warner Home Video Communications, 1987. 56 minutes.

This video could be used for stress management or communication.

Appendix 4.5.1

Initial Conflict Role Play

D. McDonald

You are the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of the Aqua Corporation that provides safe drinking water technology and chemicals for many countries. Without your assistance, many of these countries would have unsafe drinking water.

You are on your way to an extremely important and critical business meeting with the ACME Wildlife Corporation. In order for you to provide safe drinking water, you need to purchase one million yerpa plants. The leaves of the yerpa plant are the main chemical base for your product. The problem is that the yerpa plant is an endangered species and ACME only has one million plants in inventory for the next five years.

As well, if you cannot obtain the necessary amount of yerpa plants, your company will go out of business. Two thousand people will lose their jobs. You know that the main competition for the purchase of yerpa plants is the Safefood Fertilizer Company. It also needs the one million plants. Sitting across from you in the airport on your way to the meeting with ACME is B. Jones the COO for Safefood. You are certain that he is going to meet with ACME to bid for the yerpa plant. You are going to try to convince Jones that it is more important for you to get the yerpa plants. This is a very critical conversation; those plants will save millions of lives if you are able to obtain them. Your task is to get as many of the yerpa plants as possible; to convince Jones that the plants should be sold to Aqua—YOU MUST HELP THESE PEOPLE!

B. Jones

You are the COO of the Safefood Fertilizer Company that provides low cost technology and farming products to many countries. Without your help, millions of people would not get the necessary food they need in order to survive.

You are on your way to an extremely important and critical business meeting with the ACME Wildlife Corporation. In order for you to provide fertilizer to help grow food, you need to purchase one million yerpa plants. The roots of the yerpa plant are the main chemical base for your product. The problem is that the yerpa plant is an endangered species and ACME only has one million plants in inventory for the next five years.

As well, if you cannot get the necessary amount of yerpa plants, your company will go out of business. Five thousand people will lose their jobs.

You know that the main competition for the purchase of yerpa plants is the Aqua Corporation. It also needs the one million plants. Sitting across from you in the airport on your way to the meeting with ACME is D. McDonald the COO for Aqua. You are certain that he is going to meet with ACME to bid for the yerpa plant. You are going to try to convince McDonald that it is more important for you to get the yerpa plants.

This is a very critical conversation; those plants will save millions of lives if you are able to obtain them. Your task is to get as many of the yerpa plants as possible; to convince McDonald that the plants should be sold to Safefood—YOU MUST SAVE THE LIVES OF THESE PEOPLE!

Appendix 4.5.2

Second Role Play Situations

Manager Profile

You are a manager for the Household Appliances Company. Your responsibilities are to ensure that all production in your division is completed on time and is of superior quality. You work as the Manager of the Toaster Division and report to the Plant Manager. You have worked in this job for five years and are expecting a promotion to the Refrigerator Division, the largest one in the company. You feel that this would be an excellent stepping-stone to becoming plant manager.

You are worried about your prospects for promotion because the Toaster Division has not been doing well lately. This affects not only your promotion but also your pay because your pay is partially based on the profits of your division.

Today the plant manger has come to you and insisted that the problems in your division be solved. He has stated that the latest figures show that production is down 10% in the division and costs have increased 7%. This has caused a substantial loss in profits. The workers have slowed their production because they are not motivated to work. They are extending their breaks, and employee absenteeism and tardiness have increased. Product quality is down. Last year two out of every 100 toasters was rejected. Many times in the past three months, work has not been completed on schedule. This has caused late deliveries and angry customers. Finally, accidents on the assembly line have increased. Two major accidents happened last month causing one worker to be hospitalized and costing the company $10 000.

It is your responsibility to get productivity back to its previous level. You must determine a way to correct the problems. You have a meeting in 10 minutes with the supervisor of the assembly line to inform him/her of the changes you want made.

Supervisor Profile

You are the supervisor of the assembly line in the Toaster Division of the Household Appliances Company. You have worked in this job for eight years. It is your responsibility to make certain that all the employees are working to potential, production schedules are met, and quality is excellent.

You know that there is trouble on the assembly line because production has decreased 10% in the last year and costs have increased 7%. In 10 minutes, you have a meeting with your boss the Manager of the Toaster Division. You know that he/she is going to blame the problems on you. You do not believe that this is fair because management has been the cause of many of the problems. There has been no increase in pay for the workers in two years. At the current inflation rate of 6% a year, the workers’ purchasing power has decreased by approximately 12.36%. This has caused a motivation problem among the workers.

The machines and equipment have been breaking down because the maintenance on them is done infrequently. This causes the workers to be idle much of the time. The Manager was upset last week because the workers took a long lunch; however, the equipment was being fixed at the time so they could not work anyway. Last month two major accidents happened which you feel were the fault of broken equipment.

Another problem is the scheduling of orders. Orders are not given with enough advanced notice to complete them. This, coupled with machine breakdowns, has caused an increase in overtime with little advanced warning.

The final problem is poor working conditions. The assembly line is not well lit. The furnace does not always work in the winter and the air conditioning has not worked in the last three months causing the temperature to rise to 38 degrees in the afternoon.

You refuse to take all of the responsibility for the decrease in production.

Activity 4.6: Motivation

Time: 5 hours

Description

Students learn how a manager can motivate a staff to peak performance. A variety of motivational theories is taught. Students apply the knowledge by creating rewards for employees in a variety of situations.

Strand(s) & Learning Expectations

Overall Expectations

MEV.03 - compare a variety of theories about how to motivate individuals and teams in a productive work environment.

Specific Expectations

ME3.01 - explain the relationships between motivation, rewards, and job performance;

ME3.02 - demonstrate an understanding of individual needs as identified by various theories of motivation (e.g., the theories of Maslow, Herzberg, Alderfer);

ME3.03 - evaluate various theories of motivation in terms of their views on productivity and performance;

ME3.04 - analyse the various motivational strategies used by particular organizations.

Prior Knowledge & Skills

· Student experience from part-time jobs may be a source of examples.

Planning Notes

The teacher:

· prepares overheads, lecture notes, class handouts on motivational theories, and assessment tools;

· provides students with assessment tools before the activity begins;

· prepares/collects examples of companies’ current motivational practices.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. Start the activity by asking the students what motivates them to work harder on a sports team, at a part-time job, or in school.

2. Define intrinsic and extrinsic rewards. Ask the students for examples.

3. Through a variety of teaching techniques (board notes, overheads, handouts, readings) the teacher presents a variety of motivational theories. These could include the psychological contract, Maslow, Herzberg, Alderfer, goal setting, and compensation systems.

4. In groups, have the students brainstorm ways that employees could be rewarded. See Appendix 4.6.1. Have the students share their ideas with the rest of the class. The teacher provides examples from actual companies.

Assessment & Evaluation of Student Achievement

Formative

· Teacher observation of group work with verbal feedback

Summative

Knowledge/Understanding, Thinking/Inquiry, Communication, Application

· Teacher evaluation of the unit test

Accommodations

· Group students of varying abilities.

· Gifted students could research actual companies.

Resources

Print

Canfield, Jack, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte, and Tim Clauss. Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work. Florida: Heath Communications, 1996. ISBN 1-55874-424-X
This resource has stories about motivation in the workplace.

Lundin, Stephen, Harry Paul, and John Christensen. Fish. New York: Hyperion, 2000.
ISBN 0-7868-6602-0
This resource is a wonderful written example of the fish philosophy. A video is also available.
(See website below.)

Nelson, Rob. 1001 Ways to Energize Employees. New York: Workman Publishing, 1997.
ISBN 0-7611-0160-8
This resource has examples of how companies motivate employees.

Nelson, Rob. 1001 Ways to Reward Employees. New York: Workman Publishing, 1994.
ISBN 1-5605-339-X

Yerema, Richard. Canada’s Top 100 Employers 2001 Edition. Toronto: Mediacorp Canada Inc., 2000. ISBN 0-9681447-9-9.
This resource has examples of how companies motivate employees. A new version is published each year.

Website

Fish – www.fishphilosophy.com
This website allows you to order the books and videos.

Appendix 4.6.1

Employee Reward Systems

On a separate sheet of paper, brainstorm reward systems for the following situations:

1. Think of ten no-cost rewards for your employees.

2. Think of ten rewards under $200 for your employees.

3. Think of ten fun things you could do as a team.

4. Provide rewards for perfect attendance for:

a) one year

b) two years

c) five years

d) ten years

e) 15 years

5. How will you acknowledge employees on their birthdays?

6. Think of ten ways a principal could reward teachers.

Teacher notes/possible answers

1. Think of ten no-cost rewards for your employees.

· The employees at a computer firm who designed a computer had their signatures placed on the inside of the product.

· Cell phone service names cell sites after top employees.

· Thank you letters

· Personal phone calls from manager or upper management

· Parking spot

· E-mail acknowledgement

· Open praise

· ‘Plum’ assignment

· Increased territory

· Bulletin board notice

· Presentation of honouree to visiting executives

· Exposure to top management through task force or committee

2. Think of ten rewards under $200 for your employees.

· During Secretaries Week secretaries receive flowers.

· District managers reward store managers by working in the store for them on a Saturday.

· Employees offering outstanding service receive a scratch and win card which can be redeemed for rewards.

· Reward pin

· Magazine subscriptions

· Recognition lunch

· Dinner or movie tickets for employee and spouse

· Round of golf

· Upgrade of computer

· Massage therapy

Appendix 4.6.1 (Continued)

3. Think of ten fun things you could do as a team.

· Management hosts an ice cream social.

· A company that provides management training sessions, hosts a barbecue in the
parking lot.

· An airline has Halloween costume contests, a Thanksgiving poem contest, and a chilli cook-off

· Mountain climbing

· Order pizza or a huge submarine sandwich for a communal lunch.

· At a pizza chain, every employee at headquarters (including the president) must wear the red, blue and white uniform once a week.

· A hospital in Norfolk offers a stress release carnival with dunk tanks, dartboards, massage therapy, etc.

· A Guelph company, rewarded its employees by holding a huge party. It chartered
three 727 jets to get the employees to the party that had dinner and live music.

· Retreat at a group training facility

· Dinner and a movie for the whole team.

4. Provide rewards for perfect attendance for:

a) year – a gold engraved watch

b) one two years – video game system, flatware set, or cookware set

c) five years – 35 mm camera

d) ten years – two-week all expense paid trip to Hawaii for two

e) 15 years – two-week all expense paid trip to anywhere in the world for two

5. How will you acknowledge employees on their birthdays?

· Two movie passes

· Manager takes you out for lunch

· Post pictures on a big calendar of the people that have birthdays that month

· Company chef bakes a birthday cake

· Co-workers deliver a flower every 15 minutes

· Card from the CEO

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