Organizational Behavior: Lisa Benton Case Study and Management Advice

This case study analyzes the challenges faced by Lisa Benton, an assistant product manager at Houseworld, focusing on her problematic relationships with her boss, Deborah Linton, and colleague Ron Scoville. The analysis examines how Lisa's leadership style, decision-making, and lack of clear goals contributed to her dissatisfaction and lack of motivation. It explores the importance of effective communication, managerial intervention, and a supportive work environment for employee success. The case study also offers potential solutions, including managing upwards, improving communication, and seeking clarity on job expectations, drawing upon the insights of Gabarro and Kotter's 'Managing Your Boss.' The study highlights the importance of understanding the boss's goals, taking initiative, and developing a proactive approach to career management. It also considers alternative actions Lisa could have taken to improve her situation, and the lessons learned from the case study regarding leadership, employee-manager relationships, and organizational behavior.

RUNNING HEAD: CASE STUDY
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1. The Lisa Benton case study primarily focuses on a series of management and leadership issues
the concerns the work life of Lisa. The main problem concerns with the problematic and stiff
relationship between Lisa Benton and her boss Deborah Linton and the associate product
manager Ron Scoville. Lisa’s first meet with her boss hinted at an initiation of a bitter
relationship since at the first day itself, Linton remarked negatively about MBAs. This however,
clearly marks a lack in the leadership style of Linton. A leader is generally assumed to be helpful
and act as a guide towards his team without any kind of biasness or prejudice (Amanchukwu,
Stanley & Ololube, 2015).. The showing of the negative feeling, that too, a result of a pre
conceived notion made Lisa quite hesitant to become comfortable in her job. The showing of this
hatred was also on the opposite side of the current company policies about promotions and
hiring.
Lisa got into the mess more because Linton did not set any goal for her. While this also
points towards an ineffective leadership, it also makes clear the fact the Linton was not interested
in the establishment of any kind of relationship with her. A good leader’s target is to persuade an
employee and align the goal of the individual with that of the organization’s (Bush, Bell &
Middlewood, 2019). Failing in doing so will gradually make a loss of motivation on the part of
the employee who will tend to become disengaged in her work. Lisa was a sincere employee
who tried to work even in the adverse situations. However, from the case study it can be pointed
out that the mess that she is in now was a result of her inability of sound decision making. She
had been a happy employee in her previous workplace. There she had also enough prospect of
rising in the hierarchy. But, she lacked the confidence of holding so much responsibility at an
early sage and moved towards the present company. Lisa had been acquainted with a
transformational leader who would use to coach and mentor her for her growth. The sudden

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differences in the attitude between the leadership styles she is known to and what she is facing
now has put her in trouble. The problem with Ron Scoville was also another issue bothering her.
Her sudden outburst against her was a result of loss of temper that resulted in a breach of a
professional attitude. Moreover her job relationship with Scoville did not promise any better
future as her responsibilities came down to merely a clerical one. This made her more frustrated.
The recognition in the job is considered as one of the most crucial motivational approach
(Ejimabo, 2015). For an efficient candidate like Lisa, she must have the need of achievement
which could be fulfilled by putting her in more responsible and challenging tasks. As she had to
manage her task all by her own and no goal in front of her, this created a lack of motivation
within Lisa Benton.
2. According to John Gabarro and John Kotter, “if the relationship between you and your boss is
rocky, then it is you who must begin to manage it (Gabarro & Kotter, 2005).” Lisa being an
intelligent employee must focus on the understanding of the goals of her boss and realize
whether her actions meet the goals. It has also been pointed out I the case study that in her
previous workplace she had a rolling of the sleeve attitude which means that she had in her an
inherent leadership and managerial qualities. Thus, instead of depending upon her boss and the
co workers in order to get recognized in her career, Lisa Benton must focus on leadership and
assumption of responsibilities all by herself. She must also develop her own crafted ways of
understanding Linton as her manager and must also focus on developing her own preferred
management as well as working style. In order to avoid the total mess, the first and the most
primary thing she could have done was not to leave her previous job. Though her lack of self
confidence prohibited her from assuming huge responsibilities, there are high chances that with
the coaching of a good leader she would have developed the required readiness and

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competencies. Even when, she had joined the Houseworld Company, she could have invested her
time in creating an effective relationship with her boss by maintaining a proper reporting
schedule.
3. there are two options available in front of Lisa Benton at present. The first option is returning
to her previous job and the second option is to stay at the Houseword and trying to fix her
problem. The second option seems to be the most viable one. In staying back in her position, she
has the scope of proving her loyalty towards the organization and develop a good reputation as
an employee and in future as a leader. She will also learn the art of managing the work
legislation with the manager as well as the co workers. Once if she understand that her manager
is not caring about her workand developments, she can now start on fixing his target and work
accordingly (Longenecker & Fink, 2016). This will help her in remaining motivated and focused.
At first she needs to take a document of what her job description will require and what are the
expectations of the company from her. Once she gets these facts clear, this will further help her
in developing herself better by comparing her responsibilities and performances.
4. From the case study there are a few things that can be learnt:
a. the role of leader is of quintessential importance for an employee to flourish. (Bârgău, 2015).
b. it is essential to have an effective and communicative relationship between the employee and
the manager for better understanding of goals and duties.
c. the managerial intervention is required to keep up the motivation and confidence of an
employee. (Drucker, 2017).

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Reference List:
Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. J., & Ololube, N. P. (2015). A review of leadership theories,
principles and styles and their relevance to educational management. Management, 5(1),
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Bârgău, M. A. (2015). Leadership versus management. Romanian Economic and Business
Review, 10(2), 112135.
Bush, T., Bell, L., & Middlewood, D. (Eds.). (2019). Principles of Educational Leadership &
Management. SAGE Publications Limited.
Drucker, P. F. (2017). Managing oneself: The key to success. Harvard Business Review Press.
Ejimabo, N. O. (2015). The influence of decision making in organizational leadership and
management activities. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Organization
Management, 4(2), 1-13
Gabarro, J. & Kotter, J. 2005. Managing Your Boss. Harvard Business Review. 83(1):92-99.
Longenecker, C. O., & Fink, L. S. (2016). Managing your boss in the 21st century. Industrial
Management, 58(3).