Write executive summary and conclusion

  

PURPOSE

Provide a consulting report to the mayor of Wilmington, North Carolina, Bill Saffo, who has a similar issue with Confederate Monuments as Mitch Landrieu by presenting advice and action steps in order to solve the issue. We will use what we have learned from the Mitch Landrieu case study as well as other relevant outside sources to bolster the consulting report.

 

I. Executive Summary (TRICIA)

II. Background Analysis Wilmington (HAEJI)

Demographics and history impact and reveal a city’s identity and culture.  In the case of Wilmington, North Carolina, it has a complex dynamic in its demographics and history. Thus, such factors act as important elements and influence upon the movement of removing Confederate monuments. Wilmington is a city where approximately 72 percent of the residents are white. Some of them are even relatives of those erected as Confederate monuments. For such a population, they have shown their desire to keep what their ancestors have left behind. They believe there is a better way to solve the problem than to remove all the monuments. For these people that wish to preserve the monuments, it is hard for them to resonate with those that oppose since they identify the monuments as heroes and success rather than a sorrowful past.

History is also another important factor that contributes to the discrepancy. Wilmington was a major port for the Confederacy during the American Civil War, where there were many floating populations. The city was also one of the most important points of entry for supplies such as clothing and food that needed to be distributed throughout the entire Confederate States (Andrews, 2018). The role that Wilmington played in the Civil War was irreplaceable, and such importance increased after the fall of Norfolk. During the Civil War, Fort Fisher, a fort that was close to the south of Downtown Wilmington, was regarded as a massive defense for the Cape Fear River. Battles that occurred at the location were one of largest land-sea battles of the Civil War. Countless people lost their lives during these wars. Most of the monuments in Wilmington were built, honoring the ancestors of the Wilmington residents. Such background is one of the reasons why the removal of Confederate monuments received so much resistance. Fraction of Wilmington residents believe that all the monuments should be relocated instead of being removed. Some think the monuments should be used explicitly for educational purposes as monuments can be recollections of what happened in the past. These people disagree with the fact that people should retain the heroic view of the Confederate soldiers but hold the view that it is important to remind people of what was wrong in the past to make sure it does not happen again.

Currently, Wilmington is quite divided on how they see the Confederate monuments and what they should do about it. According to CBS News, a poll in 2019 demonstrated that most citizens in Wilmington believe Confederate monuments should stay as it is (WECT, 2019). Most citizens support equality but recognize the monuments as soldiers’ sacrifices rather than a representation of support for racism. There is also a petition to move the Confederate monuments in some of the busiest areas in Wilmington. Disparities between the black and the white people are still evident in Wilmington when looked upon different areas such as education, economic advancement, crime arrests, etc. A report released by Prosperity Now in 2019 shows that the “median income for white households in Wilmington is $60,772, while that of the black households make half of it with $30,034” (Singh & White, 2019, p. 3).

         The community has tried to gather and discuss the Confederate monuments and the impact it has had on the community as various issues related to the monument continue through means such as vandalism. There have been multiple attempts in vandalizing Confederate monuments. For instance, Williams reported in WECT 6 News, “a woman tried to destroy two of the monuments in downtown Wilmington with orange paint” (Williams, 2019). Similar situation happened two years ago, where the same monuments were vandalized after the white nationalist rally. Currently, the state law is protecting the monuments. Thus, an approval from the North Carolina historical commission is required for the removal to take place. However, the community has been questioning whether the monuments are conveying the appropriate message for the current generation and those to come. In one of the meetings held in the public forum, the National Black Leadership Caucus Director has articulated, “we think the statues should be in a museum, where their history can be preserved for their relatives” (McGee, 2019). As such, part of the community has shown interest in organizing plans and petitions to move them out of the crowded areas of Wilmington. 

 III. Comparison and Insights from Mitch Landrieu’s Case (Done per EE#1-3) (Eric)

· History

· Demographics

· Current situation

· Insights

IV. Theoretical Frame  (Katheryn & Lexie)

(Katheryn)

Our consulting group structured the following theoretical frame surrounding business ethics and ethical leadership concepts with the objective of providing a solid frame and bases to support our analysis and further recommendations in this case. Some of the principles we will point out in this theoretical frame will include, the principle of trust, active participation and transformational leadership as important considerations to mitigate the resistance to change. In addition,this theoretical frame will also include the concept of management by objective and learning narrative as other concepts that could provide support to this consulting case.   

Cognition-Based Trust:

 Analysing the effect of trust in relationships is especially important within an ethical leadership perspective. According to Holtz (2017), “Cognition-based trust is based on the notion that people will logically withhold trust unless a target entity demonstrates a clear pattern of reliability and competence in performing their organizational duties” (p,121). This cognition-based trust relation is key in the case of mayors like Bill Saffo as he represents this target entity with a necessity to gain and maintain trust in the community.

According to Schaubroeck et. al (2011), cognitive and affective trust in the leader mediates the relationship between the leader and team or group of followers and in that sense correlates with their emotional states which drives team performance towards the achievement of a desired outcome, “Specifically, cognition-based trust can be defined as trust that is based on performance-relevant cognitions such as competence, responsibility, reliability, and dependability” (p. 864). 

All those relevant perceptions are important aspects that shape the frame for our recommendations in this consulting report, as they all will lead to a more trustworthy and ethical leadership from the Mayor of Wilmington. In this particular situation, the sense of justice also plays an important role within this idea of cognition-based trust concept. For Holtz (2015), “pre-event trust helped shape post-event perceptions of justice” (p.122). This is especially relevant when addressing the challenge and division in Willigminton, as per the background analysis of the situation in the city, it was found that the black community is clearly affected by a sense of injustice, which could be mitigated be having a leader like Bill Saffo exemplifying notions of competence, responsibility and reliability as crucial approaches to support to a cognition-based trust leadership. 

As stated by Hartman et al. (2015), communication is also a key component when establishing a trustworthy relationship, as sometimes the lack of trust might be a reflection of a lack of understanding or miscommunication. Specific communication recommendations will be provided in this consulting report to support this principle within the cognition-based trust frame, as this all becomes crucial when supporting the recommendations presented to Mayor Bill Saffo in order to navigate the challenges proper of the debate and divided opinions in his city.

Active Participation / Transformational Leadership:

In addition to the concept of cognition-based trust as an essential principle to mitigate the challenges in Bill Saffo’s leadership, Active participation becomes another important tool to alleviate the resistance to change in the community of Wilmington. According to Levasseur (2001) “A fundamental principle of effective change management is that people support what they help to create. Active participation by the affected parties in the change process is the most important element of effective change" (p.71).

 

In that same direction of active participation, the concept of Transformational leadership becomes useful for this specific case study. As defined by Robertson (2017), “transformational leadership is a positive and active style of leadership” (p.961). This style includes four related behaviours that 

Transformational leadership is a positive and active style of leadership that is comprised of four related behaviors: (a) idealized influence (i.e., focusing on and encouraging ethical behavior), (b) inspirational motivation (i.e., elevating motivation and optimism), (c) intellectual stimulation (i.e., encouraging to think for themselves in novel ways) and (d) individualized.  (Robertson, 2017, p.961)

(Lexie - Concept/theory 2 & research) 

Management by Objectives: 

Leadership is the process that transforms a set of individual wills that are not inherently consistent into a set of aligned wills, serving the common objective. Compared with the autocratic management style, Management by Objectives is the system that includes participation in decision making, goal setting, and objective feedback (Rodgers& Hunter, 1992). Especially with the scenario of persuading a voluntary organization where the members don’t need to follow their superiors and can’t be fired, there needs to be a narrative that appeals to all of them.

 

The Learning Narrative:

Lewin (1940) developed the model that describes how people change and proposed that for people to change they need to move from their current state to one where they accept new knowledge and opinions. This theory is significant in that it positions the change, whether it’s for individual or organization, taking into consideration the psychological processes where prior learning needs to be rejected and a new foundation needs to be established, which Edgar Schein calls cognitive redefinition (Wirth, 2004).

In the first stage of unfreezing, there comes a compelling narrative that analyzes the readiness and motivation to change. Depending on the gap between old belief and new knowledge, there’s a varying degree of possibility that the new information may be disregarded, but for any new learning to take place, the need to unlearn is essential. Schein contributes to Lewin’s change model and asserts that the compelling narrative eases people in the learning process. During this process changes need to occur by building a compelling vision of the changed future and reducing the resistance where people see changes as a threat to their existing values and interests (Wirth, 2004). 

The learning narrative accompanies the second stage of moving where the consensus that a change is needed transitions to the identification of what needs to be changed, including what people should stop doing and start doing. The learning narrative helps aid the smooth introduction of the change so that accepting new opinions, learning new skills, and even making errors during the change is a natural part of the learning process and no one is morally responsible (Schein, 1969). Wirth (2004) observes that imitation of role models and scanning, which means using personalized solutions through trial-and-error learning, can help with the change.

The third stage of maintaining the change, which is also called refreezing[,] is the stage where new behaviors become habitual through the development of a new identity and new interpersonal relationships. Building on the theory, Maxwell (2002) suggests that effective leadership means a vision big enough to be absorbent of other visions. 

 

V. Insights from Landrieu’s speech (CC)

          Mitch Landrieu’s speech showed people how to communicate with others. Landrieu spoke “not with a forked tongue” (Myatt, 2018). Instead, he spoke with an open mind and tried to be transparent and honest, which helped him gain the trust of the audience. Landrieu tried to have a conversation with the audience and treat the audience as individuals, which got them engaged in the conversation. Landrieu encouraged the audience to think from the perspective of the African-Americans through sharing his personal experience. What should be mentioned is that Landrieu was able to clearly communicate with the audience his feelings, his understanding of the current situation, and his willingness to achieve “out of many we are one.”  Landrieu’s characteristics also helped with his ethical leadership. Landrieu was full of empathy and humanity. He communicated that he understood the painful feeling of the slaves back in history and the current generation of Black people. He understood how African-American parents would struggle with explaining the monuments to their children. He cared about the feelings of the future generations, especially those of Black people. Landrieu was determined and responsible for the city and even the future of the United States (Seijts, Grandz, Crossman, & Reno, 2015). He clearly stated that people should make a difference and should not wait anymore. From the above analysis, it’s obvious that Landrieu is a good communicator as a leader.  

          In addition to the above communication tactics, there are some language skills that Landrieu used to deliver his speech. Landrieu referenced Martin Luther King, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama to ground his speech in historical context. Landrieu used vivid and metaphorical language. He described the slavery market by stating “hundreds of thousands of souls were bought, sold, and shipped up the Mississippi River to lives of forced labor, of misery, of rape, of torture” (Landrieu, 2017).  Contrast is a good method Landrieu used to have the audience understand the historical facts. He compared the monuments to remember the lost cause of the Confederacy with no markers to remember the dark slavery market. Landrieu reinforced his points through repetition. He emphasized the willingness of “out of many we are one,” which matched the situation of New Orleans which moved forward with a culture of diversity and indivisibility.   

VI. Recommendations (ALL THE TEAM)

· Based on the background analysis of Wilmington (history facts, demographics, and impacts of different decisions on all the residents) we make recommendations on the removal of the monuments in Wilmington (maybe move the monuments to museums) (HAEJI)

Wilmington throughout history has been a key supportive city of the Confederate movement and therefore is supportive of honoring its soldiers by keeping the statues and other monuments throughout the city. Other citizens support equality and want to show such support through removal or relocation of the monuments. Considering the divided opinions, it is important to find the middle ground to satisfy the population. Removing all monuments can be regarded as dishonoring those that sacrificed to fight against the opponents. However, keeping the monuments as it is can mean showing support for racism to those that have experienced discrimination and want equality. As such, by relocating the monuments to historical sites such as museums can help both parties to come to a common ground in being able to respect both the sacrifice of the Confederate leaders and the effort for equality. 

Through the relocation of the monuments to historical sites, the community can move a step further to cultivating equality within the city. Also, people can visit the historic places to view the monuments and remind themselves of the horrific past that should not happen again. It sets as evidence for the younger ones to learn from as well. Those that are thankful for those that fought in the past can express their appreciation in the relocated sites. Although most of the people in the city are white and there are some that are descendants of the Confederate leaders, it is important for Bill Saffo to show people that change can be made. Only by changing the current state can the city develop to another level. Keeping what was once unethical and ignoring the minorities do no good for the current environment of the city as well as for those to come. 

· Based on insights from Mitch Landrieu’s case applied to Willmington - (Based on the background analysis, including historical facts, demographics, current situation, and impacts of different decisions on all the residents) (ERIC)

 

· Active Participation & Trust Gain Strategy (Based on Theoretical Frame Leadership concepts) (KATHERYN) 

Based on some of the concepts and principles presented in our theoretical frame, one recommendation that will support Bill Saffo in his attempt to unify and present a solution to the situation in the city of Wilmington include a wellground strategy that involves the active participation of the people of Wilmington. This means that in order to mitigate the resistance to change in the community one of the strategies as supported by Levasseur’s principle (2001),  include having people actively participating and involved in the proposed initiative as this will result in more commitment, reception and higher chance of effective change. 

In particular to support our previous stated recommendation of relocating the monuments to a historical site, this recommendation makes emphasis in including both sides of the conflict in the process of relocation of the statues. In that way, this could help mitigate the resistance of those that are opposed to moving the statues and increase the participation of those in favor. 

In Addition to that and as supported by the Cognition-Based Trust principle explored in the theoretical frame, a second part of this particular recommendation includes making sure that the Mayor Bill Saffo earns the trust of all the community of Wilmington. 

Lasty, by having a strategy that includes a more transformational leadership style...WORK IN PROGRESS 

-(Based on Theoretical Frame Leadership concepts) (LEXIE) 

Based on the theories of The Learning Narrative and the Management by Objectives, which instruct how to communicate with the audience to serve the purpose of uniting the group to change their thinking and work towards the same goal, I recommend Bill Saffo to conduct a survey before he addresses the situation. The motivation to change is largely dependent on the resistance that the citizens of Wilmington might have toward accepting new ideas and the fact that they might be wrong or that someone else is also correct. By conducting a survey to find contrary views, one can address the resistance before trying to persuade others. In his speech, Saffo needs to take the result of the investigation and properly address those concerns, making sure that he’s taking into consideration everyone’s needs and respecting everyone’s history. To serve the goal of uniting the community, Saffo should follow the processes essential in MBO, which include decision making, goal setting, and objective feedback (Rodgers and Hunter, 1992). Incorporating people in decision making can be accomplished by a survey or vote, goal setting could be carried out by deciding on the option that serves interests of most people, and objective feedback could be accomplished by tracking how the sentiment changes over time. 

Also, the learning narrative might only be applied to the part where people change their minds about what to do about the monuments, but to achieve the objective of uniting the citizens in a city, learning and unlearning each other’s culture and history should never stop. For the people of Wilmington, North Carolina to really begin the process of uniting and working for a better future, Bill Saffo could make learning an on-going initiative by launching projects like reading campaigns, building new museums, and creating history documentaries that help with the education of the citizens.

 

-Based on Landrieu’s speech, we give some recommendations on delivering a speech (strategies of using language during communication like analogy, citation, comparison, asking questions)     (CC)

          Based on Landrieu’s speech, some recommendations are given to Bill Saffo, mayor of Wilmington, North Carolina, regarding communication with the citizens and the language skills for speeches. While communicating with the audience, the most important aspect is being honest and genuine. Be honest about the facts or the history and be genuine about what he wants to achieve in the end regarding the current situation in Wilmington and the future of Wilmington. Bill Saffo will gain the audience’s trust if he communicates with his people in this way. Besides, to gain the audience’s trust, Bill Saffo also needs to speak with an open mind. To encourage the audience to listen to him and follow his advice, Bill Saffo has to open the audience’s mind and encourage the audience to be open to his thoughts and ideas. To get closer to the audience, Bill Saffo should establish a closer conversation with the audience. He should treat the audience as individuals and get them involved in the conversation. The more they get engaged in the process of making a decision, the more effectively they will take actions to execute the decision. Saffo should encourage the audience to think from each other’s perspectives and raise sympathy among them. Thinking from others’ perspectives is the first step to understanding them. Understanding is the key to reach an agreement to a shared decision. Last but not least, Bill Saffo needs to communicate all the information he wants to deliver to the audience in a clear way. The information includes the facts related to the current situation in Wilmington, like the historical facts and the meaning of these monuments, the goals of Wilmington as a unified community, and the actions Bill Saffo wants the audience to do. This will help the audience understand what is happening in their city, what alternatives are available, and what they need to do to execute the decision.

          In addition to the above recommendations, some suggestions regarding how to deliver a speech by using some language skills are also given. Bill Saffo can invoke famous and great people to make his speech credible and compelling. It’s recommended that Bill Saffo try to make his language vivid by using analogy and some attribute words to accurately express his thoughts. In this way, the audience can understand his points with a picture in front of them. Bill Saffo can use contrast to sharpen the ideas. For example, he can contrast the monuments in Wilmington with those in other cities that were determined to be removed in order to have the audience, especially the Black community, understand the meaning of these monuments. Repetition is a good way to reinforce the key points. Bill Saffo can use this technique to emphasize the points he wants to communicate with the audience. The audience will understand if he keeps repeating certain points. With the above techniques, Bill Saffo will communicate with his audience in a better way.

 

VII. Conclusions (TRICIA)

 

 

 

References

 

Andrews, E. (2018, August 22). The Fall of Fort Fisher, 150 Years Ago. History. https://www.history.com/news/the-fall-of-fort-fisher-150-years-ago

Hartman, L. P., DesJardins, J. R., & Macdonald, C. K. (2015). Business ethics: Decision making for personal integrity and social responsibility (4th ed.). McGaw Hill Educ

Holtz, B. C., & Hu, B. (2017). Passive leadership: Relationships with trust and justice perceptions. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 32(1), 119-130. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JMP-02-2016-0029

Levasseur, R. E. (2001). People skills: Change management tools - Lewin's change model. Interfaces, 31(4), 71-73. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/217124358?accountid=150887

Lewin, Kurt (1940). Formalization and Progress in Psychology. University of Iowa Studies in Child Welfare 16.3: 9-42.  Reproduced in Lewin (1951 1-29).

McGee, K. (2019, August 21). Wilmington community leaders discuss continued impact of the Confederacy. WECT 6 News. https://www.wect.com/2019/08/22/wilmington-leaders-discuss-continued-impact-confederacy/

Robertson, J. L. (2018). The nature, measurement and nomological network of environmentally specific transformational leadership: JBE JBE. Journal of Business Ethics, 151(4), 961-975. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-017-3569-4

Rodgers, R., & Hunter, J. E. (1992). A foundation of good management practice in government: Management by objectives. Public Administration Review, 52(1), 27. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/197164570?accountid=150887

Schaubroeck, J., Lam, S.S. and Peng, A.C. (2011), “Cognition-based and affect-based trust as mediators of leader behavior influences on team performance”, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 96 No. 4, pp. 863-871. 

Schein, Edgar (1969). Process consultation: Its role in organizational development. Reading,     Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley.

Singh, L., & White, E. (2019, March). Racial Wealth Divide in Wilmington. Prosperity Now, 2-16.

WECT. (2019, November 27). Descendants Divided on Confederate Monument in Downtown Wilmington. CBS17.com. https://www.cbs17.com/news/north-carolina-news/descendants-divided-on-confederate-monument-in-downtown-wilmington/

Williams, G. (2019, July 4). Police Seek ID of Woman Accused of Vandalizing Two Downtown Wilmington Confederate Statues. WECT 6 News. https://www.wect.com/2019/07/04/two-downtown-wilmington-confederate-statues-vandalized-early-thursday-morning/

Wirth, R. A. (2004). Lewin/Schein’s change theory. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237112705_LewinSchein's_Change_Theory