- The Role of the Leader
Purpose:
In the past weeks, students have learned about leaders and their
role in the organization. They have been exposed to the idea that a leader is
the social architect of the organization. Definitively, leaders are
those members of the organization who create the flow of decision making and
environment from which organizational goals and values are set forth.
Social architects create vision, strategic direction, shape culture and
values, and lead change. Leaders align the people’s behavior with the
goals and direction of the organization.
This assessment is designed for students to demonstrate knowledge
of the material covered in weeks 1 – 4. Students are asked to not only show an
understanding of the role of the leader within an organization but to apply
leadership concepts and ideas to a real-world situation. Students will
delve into the details of the case study and the course readings but must also
look at the situation from a strategic point of view since Dunn wants a
sustainable business.
Outcomes Met:
·
use leadership theories,
assessment tools, and an understanding of the role of ethics, values, and
attitudes to evaluate and enhance personal leadership skills
·
evaluate the culture and
policies of an organization to recommend and implement improvements that
support its vision, success, and sustainability
Perspective:
In this assessment, students will act as Joseph Dunn, the leader
of Dunn’s Ski Emporium. Dunn want to purchase The Deli, so there is a lot
of work to do before entering into the possible addition of a business that
little is known about. Write from a leader’s perspective. So, you
ask, “What it means to write from a leader’s perspective?”
Writing from the leader’s perspective means approach Dunn’s vision
through a people centric viewpoint. Focus on how the two businesses will meet
the vision through the decision making flow and grouping of people within the
organizations. How does a leader best use the people to meet the vision?
Even though it is tempting to write in the first person, a plan is
written in the third person for which a story will unfold. Dunn is
essentially telling a story of how he is going to purchase the Deli and bring
George and the business in as part of the Dunn Ski Emporium. Dunn will
need to figure out how he is going to combine these two businesses and use his
leadership skills to do so. Remember, write from the leader’s perspective
but do not attempt to solve problems but create and develop an environment in
which problems will be resolved by those who make the business run.
Dunn plans on designing an organizational structure that fulfills
his vision, one that he believes George has for The Deli, and one that will
fulfill its mission. The organization must be open to change and possess
a culture that empowers its employees to follow the vision created. Like
all good social architects, the building must start with a design that suites
the purpose of the business and seeks to make it the best building for the
job. Students are expected to be creative but realistic in completing the
assignment. For example, feel free to assign names and roles to the
people in the business. In being creative, students may not change the
facts in the plan. Dunn will present his ideas to George Atkins once Dunn
sits down with him to begin negotiations, so be sure that the final product is
polished. Also to make sure questions can easily be addressed, write in the
active voice and support the reasoning behind the ideas using the material from
the course. Dunn wants to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the
leadership material, so a wide range of the readings will be used.
Instructions:
This assignment is the first of three assignments. In
completing this assignment, students will analyze a case study scenario and
apply the concepts learned in weeks 1-4 using the format described below.
In completing the assignment, students will answer the questions in narrative
form and will follow the steps provided below:
Step 1: Review “How to Analyze a Case Study” under
Week 4 Content.
Step 2: Create a Word or Rich Text Format (RTF) document that is
double-spaced, 12-point font. The final product will be between 3-5 pages
in length excluding the title page and reference page.
Step 3: Review the assignment grading rubric.
Step 4: Follow this format:
·
Title page with title,
your name, the course, the instructor’s name;
·
Introduction paragraph
·
Body, in paragraph
form using section headings
·
Summary paragraph
Step 5: In writing a case study, the writing is in the third
person. What this means is that there are no words such as “I, me, my,
we, or us” (first person writing), nor is there use of “you or your” (second
person writing). If uncertain how to write in the third person, view this
link: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/first-second-and-third-person
Step 6: In writing this assignment, students are asked to support
the reasoning using in-text citations and a reference list. A reference
within a reference list cannot exist without an associated in-text citation and
vice versa. View the sample APA paper under Week 1 content
Step 7: In writing this assignment, students are expected to
paraphrase and not use direct quotes. Learn to paraphrase by reviewing
this link: https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/QPA_paraphrase2.html
Step 8: Read critically and analyze the scenario provided under
Week 4 Content.
Step 9: Jot down or highlight key facts from the scenario.
Consider making an outline to capture key points in the paper.
Step 10: In your paper, respond to the following elements of
leadership and plan design:
·
Evaluate the business
status, purpose and goals as well as its requirements to be successful in the
new venture. For example, what do the businesses do to make money? What
is required in terms of the type of people who need to run the day-to-day
operations? Discuss the critical elements that must be in place for Dunn to be
successful in this new venture
·
Joseph Dunn as a social
architect. Discuss the elements Dunn must evaluate to successfully accomplish
the alignment of people and business.
·
Dunn selects and designs
a business structure that will align people with business purpose, vision, and
mission. Explain the reasons behind the choices made. Chart the structure and
address the role of George Aitkin.
·
Dunn selects and designs
a culture for the new venture. Discuss reasons for selection and how it can
aligned with structure after applying the OCAI.
·
Joseph Dunn is change
agent for the business environment. What steps should Dunn take for
short-term change? For long-term change? How does the culture and
structure provide for change?
Step 11: Create the introductory paragraph. The introductory
paragraph is the first paragraph of the paper but is typically written after
writing the body of the paper (Questions students responded to above).
View this website to learn how to write an introductory paragraph: http://www.writing.ucsb.edu/faculty/donelan/intro.html
Step 12: Write a summary paragraph. A summary paragraph
restates the main idea(s) of the paper. Make sure to leave a reader with
a sense that the paper is complete. The summary paragraph is the last
paragraph of a paper.
Step 13: Using the grading rubric as a comparison, read
through the paper to ensure all required elements are presented.
Step 14: Proofread the paper for spelling and grammatical issues,
and third person writing.
·
Use the spell and
grammar check in Word as a first measure;
·
Have someone who has
excellent English skills to proof the paper;
·
Consider submitting
the paper to the Effective Writing Center (EWC). The EWC will provide 4-6
areas that may need improvement.
Step 15: Submit the paper in the Assignment Folder.
