leading Organizations 1

Northouse Chapter 2 Case Study

Student Name

School of Business and Economics, Fayetteville State University

MGMT 615: Leading Organizations

Dr. Darrell Bratton

Date

Case 2.1 Question 1: Based on the information provided about the trait approach in tables

2.1 and 2.2, if you were Sandra, whom would you select?

If I were Sandra, I would elect Thomas Santiago to fill the role as new director of

research. In my opinion Thomas’ ability to gain the confidence of upper management to be

consulted on topics pertaining to strategy and corporate direction setting, along with the trust he

has gained throughout the company makes him the most suitable candidate. This indicates that

he is intelligent, insightful, confident, responsible, and determined; all of which are leadership

traits defined by Stogdill (Northouse, 2021).

It is evident that he is capable of influencing others which would be pertinent as the

director of research. Thomas trustworthiness could have positive impacts on Great Lake Foods,

as studies have indicated employees, leadership and business are all effect by high trust. High

trust influences increase in team unity, career satisfaction, and productivity by sixty-six percent,

sixty percent, and fifty percent respectively (Reddington, 2022).

Case 2.1 Question 3: In what ways are the weaknesses of the trait approach highlighted in

this case?

The trait approach inability to solidify the list of specific leadership traits (Northouse,

2021) is highlighted by this case as each of the eligible candidates exemplify numerous traits

listed across Table 2.1, while they may have lacked other traits. The case highlights the

candidates’ success in their previous and current roles, yet the trait approach does not incorporate

situational aspects into the equation.

So, it is premature to determine definitively if these leaders with thrive in a new role as

director of research. It also fails to measure the effect of different degrees of the same trait’s

effects on leadership performance (Lindberg, 2022). It would have been extremely helpful to

have a measurement of each candidate’s traits and research to compare their results with to

determine the most effective candidate.

Case 2.2 Question 2: Could it be that the retention problem raised by upper

management is unrelated to Pat’s recruitment criteria?

It is possible that Pat’s recruiting criteria is not the root cause of the retention problem,

instead it may be the company’s culture i.e., lack of diversity, leadership development, etc. Many

employees decide to leave organizations for career development because they are lack awareness

of roles in their organization and believe management also lacks adequate support (Tupper; Ellis,

2022). It could be situational factors, in which the trait approach fails to consider (Northouse,

2022), that are affecting the retention problem.

Case 2.3 Question 3: If you were Pat, would you change your approach to

recruiting?

I would change my approach if I were Pat; I would follow Premier and ensure that I

recommend candidates who share the company values (Premier, 2022). I would also learn what

traits or characteristics university recruits that have stayed with the company share to find out if

that affects retention rate and ask the departing employees if they are comfortable sharing their

reason for leaving to find ways to increase candidates’ retention rate among the university

recruits. I would also look for determination as a characteristic since it includes persistence,

drive, and initiative (Northouse, 2021).

Case 2.3 Question 3: Describe how Musk has exhibited each of the big five personality

factors. Which of these do you think has the most correlation with Musk’s success as a

leader?

Elon Musk displayed neuroticism in the call with the investors and analyst by refusing to

answer their question he could be viewed as hostile (Northouse, 2022). Musk’s introverted

personality reflects his extraversion skills. His openness and conscientiousness traits were

displayed in his decision to head the engineering department of Tesla resulting improvements in

production and is tweeting habit. I believe Elon Musk’s conscientiousness as led to his success,

in which a study found conscientiousness is related to resilience (Khosbayar; Andrade; Mellado,

2022). He was resilient during the challenges of Tesla and SpaceX.

References

How Company Culture Can Help Attract and Retain Top Talent. (2022). Fortune, 186(1), 15.

Khosbayar, A., Andrade, M. S., & Mellado Miller, R. (2022). The Relationship Between Psychological

Resilience and the Big Five Personality Traits. International Management Review, 18(1), 5–11.

Lindberg, C. (2022). The trait theory of leadership explained with examples, Pros, and cons. Leadership

Ahoy! https://www.leadershipahoy.com/the-trait-theory-of-leadership-explained-with-examples-

pros-and-cons/

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and Practice. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from

https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781071834473/

Reddington, R. (2022). Trust in leadership: How building trust supports high-performing teams. Trust in

Leadership: How Building Trust Supports High-Performing Teams.

https://www.betterup.com/blog/leadership-trust

Tupper, H., & Ellis, S. (2022). It’s Time to Reimagine Employee Retention. Harvard Business Review

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