Leadership and Management Assignment: Case Study and Climate Analysis

This assignment delves into leadership principles through a case study analysis of 'The Clean Slate' and an organizational climate questionnaire. The student examines Nick Gibbons' vision, its alignment with the owners' vision, and the challenges leaders face when implementing their superiors' visions. The analysis explores Nick's motivations for transparency, the desired changes in values, and his articulation of the vision. The assignment also includes an assessment of the student's leadership style based on the organizational climate questionnaire, evaluating scores on providing structure, clarifying norms, building cohesiveness, and promoting excellence. The paper provides a comprehensive reflection on the student's leadership strengths and weaknesses, as well as recommendations for improvement. The student concludes that the newspaper would thrive under Nick's leadership due to his hard work, passion, and commitment. The student also emphasizes the importance of digitalization in the modern media landscape.

Running head: MANAGEMENT
LEADERSHIP ASSIGNMENT (WEEK 4)
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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Analysis
Chapter 7
The case study, ‘The Clean Slate’
1. Nick’s vision is to expose hard work for enhancing his image in the eyes of the seniors.
This hardwork is the agent, which helped him to become the city editor. Upon the declaration
of electronic edition of the newspaper, he went into shock and dismay, which aligns with the
traits of leader wen his efforts go in vain. According to Amanchukwu, Stanley and Ololube,
(2015), realization towards inevitability of change is also relevant in terms of upgrading the
skills, abilities and competencies to that of a leader. In spite of not liking the idea, he
supported digitalization, which reflects high adaptability to the surrounding situation. This
adaptability blurs the difference in the vision of Nick and owners.
Informing the staffs about the impending threat of losing the job makes Nick stick to
the vision of emerging as a people’s leader. Shifting of the office location is an initiative
towards altering the workplace scenario. Mention can be made of ‘high forgiveness factor’,
which helped him to realize the mistakes, which he would encounter. This was followed by
customer complaints and cancellation orders. As per the arguments of Fischer et al., (2016),
these situations act as an agent for the leaders to enhance their skills, abilities and
competencies through the exposure of appropriate traits. Hardwork, dedication, passion and
commitment towards the allocated duties and responsibilities is a means for overcoming the
challenges.
As a matter of specification, the unique challenge, which the leaders face during
implementation of a vision are differentiation of opinions, deviations and external challenge
among others. Differentiation of opinions aggravates the complexities for leaders like Nike to
exercise strategic thinking for undertaking decisions in an efficient and effective manner. In

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such a situation, repulsion towards adopting change from the team members is also a
challenge in terms of altering the standards and quality of the newspaper production.
2. Opening the workings of the paper to public can be considered as an initiative of Nick to
popularize his work. A leader envisions through the means of well-developed goals and
purpose. Nick, through his initiatives, tried to inspire the seniors. Typical evidence of this lies
in his consciousness towards community wellbeing. Specific evidence can be cited of the
intentions towards shifting the location of the office building to a location, where the
passersby can take notice of the operations. As argued by Durkin and Gunn, (2016), Nick’s
intentions related with the provision of transparent services to the clients and the customers
for earning their respect, loyalty, dependence and trust. This transparency aligns with the
visions of a leader in terms of enhancing the aspect of unity and coordination. Rationality and
consciousness are the two elements, which gain prime position in the vision, which Nike
followed through the consideration of the mistakes.
3. One of the primary change in the case study is the format of the newspaper production.
Related with this issue is the change in culture and belief system. As a matter of specification,
it was a change, which Nick had to apply even in the managerial approach. Specifically, he
intended to ‘start from the ground up”, which reflects the intentions to implement the top
down managerial structure. According to Bird and Mendenhall, (2016), managers and the
supervisors are on the top of the hierarchies, which assists in exercising the strategic thinking.
In this context, the change in the thought process of the team members is also depicted in
terms of the perception towards executing the duties and responsibilities.
Change is also seen in the revision of the selection and recruitment policies. This
change reflects the intention towards the creation of strong and flexible team, which would
enhance the standards and quality of the operations. Community wellbeing was also changed,

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which indicates the intentions towards expanding the scope and arena of the cultural
diversity.
4. Nick’s efforts towards articulation of his vision is praiseworthy. This is in terms of the
strategic thinking, which he exposed towards adding innovation into the operations. If I were
in place of Nick, I would have developed goals, which would have improved my focus into
the approach. I would have implemented Gibbs Reflective Cycle for reflecting on my
performance at every stage of my performance. Considering the arguments of Kok and
McDonald, (2017), I would also acquire checklists and templates for measuring the extent to
which my performance aligns with the benchmark level of performance, which I am
supposed to display for enhancing the personality.
5. According to my observations, newspaper would certainly thrive under Nick’s leadership.
This is because of his hard work, passion and commitment towards the allocated duties and
responsibilities. Digitalization is one of the means for generating the interest within the
clients and the customers regarding availing the services. If the nature of the business is
customer oriented, the sales revenue and the profit margin would increase. Four years have
been successful, restoring normalcy from a situation when the customers cancelled the
subscriptions and the number of advertisers encountered turnover. Ghasabeh, Soosay and
Reaiche, (2015) is of the view that collaboration with the members of research and
development would be an effective step for Nike in terms of adding innovation into the
digital version of the newspapers.
Chapter 8
Organizational Climate Questionnaire
In this context, scores are provided in the parameters of providing structure, clarifying
norms, building cohesiveness and promotion for the standards of excellence.

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I achieved the score of 22 in providing structure, which depicts high range for the
sense of security, direction and stability. Synergic approach is reflected from identifying the
strengths of the team members, which I think is apt for conducting the division of labour in
an efficient and effective manner. According to my observation, implementation of reward
systems is assistance in terms of motivating the people to accomplish the goals. I feel that
assigning tasks to the member according to the competencies I also think that regular
updating the mission boosts up the morale among the employees for exposing better
performance.
In case of the clarifying norms, my score is 18, which indicates adequacy, although
improvements are needed for enhancing the effectiveness of the group. According to me,
norms helps in creating a constructive climate, acting as an agent in terms of demarcating the
right and the wrong actions. Clarifying and modifying the norms is necessary for enhancing
the awareness about the roles and responsibilities of the personnel (Mumford & Higgs, 2019).
Meetings on the developed agenda is also beneficial for gaining an insight into the necessary
actions, which would help in enhancing the standards and quality of the operations.
My score for building cohesiveness is 21, which relates to the capabilities of ensuring
the wellness within the group. I have gained an insight into the fact that cohesiveness is an
agent in terms of enhancing the unity and coordination within the group. One of the other
aspects in this context is that of the feedbacks, which acts as an agent in terms of gaining an
insight into the issues, which the team members are facing. Interpersonal communication
skills is apt for upgrading the standards of team building, design thinking, competition and
viewpoints.
I can also make mention of the promotion for the standards of excellence, where my
score is 20. This indicates the high range of my capability towards establishment of a

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contrastive climate, where the team members can gain an understanding about the
accountability issues towards fulfilling the goals. In this case, need analysis is needed for
assessing the capability of the team members. Feedbacks are important for maintaining the
issues of compatibility (Ghasabeh, Soosay & Reaiche, 2015). According to my observation,
high score in this context reflects my competencies towards recognizing good performances
through the means of rewards. I think creating a council of excellence is a means for
engaging the team members into the operations. In this stage, review of the performance
standards and goals is needed for enhancing the clarity into the roles, which needs to be
performed. Creating slogans generates an urge within the team members for displaying better
performance, so that the group is at its best. The high range score indicates inspiring the team
members through the means of clear and well defined vision and goals.
Summary
Ability to create a constructive climate requires the skills of structural norms, which
helps in enhancing the cultural cohesiveness within the team members. Rationality towards
preserving the culture and tradition is the true identification of a leader. This rationality is the
main agent, which enhances the excellence and operational standards. Understanding
approach and trust are the main aspects, which the leader needs to cater for averting the
instances of conflicts, discriminations and harassments. Feedbacks helps in gaining an insight
into the issues, which the team members are facing. Acquisition of feedbacks is also a means
for enhancing the interpersonal communication skills. Maintaining consistency in collecting
feedbacks improves the stability in the relationship between the team members and the
leaders. This consistency, further, is assistance for improving the operational excellence.

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References
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), 6-14.
Bird, A., & Mendenhall, M. E. (2016). From cross-cultural management to global leadership:
Evolution and adaptation. Journal of World Business, 51(1), 115-126.
Durkin, C., & Gunn, R. (Eds.). (2016). Social entrepreneurship: A skills approach. Policy
Press.
Fischer, M. D., Dopson, S., Fitzgerald, L., Bennett, C., Ferlie, E., Ledger, J., & McGivern, G.
(2016). Knowledge leadership: Mobilizing management research by becoming the
knowledge object. Human Relations, 69(7), 1563-1585.
Ghasabeh, M. S., Soosay, C., & Reaiche, C. (2015). The emerging role of transformational
leadership. The Journal of Developing Areas, 49(6), 459-467.
Kok, S. K., & McDonald, C. (2017). Underpinning excellence in higher education–an
investigation into the leadership, governance and management behaviours of high-
performing academic departments. Studies in Higher Education, 42(2), 210-231.
Mumford, M. D., & Higgs, C. A. (Eds.). (2019). Leader Thinking Skills: Capacities for
Contemporary Leadership. Routledge.