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Industry Interview Paper
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Industry Interview Paper
School of Business: Liberty University
Professor Kristin Boyce
BUSI 240
By: Zyaiah Harvey
March 21, 2022
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Industry Interview Paper
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After reviewing the articles, common themes seemed to arise between the authority of
leadership figures and employee motivation. To begin, the Management and Organization review
at Oxford showed that leaders who practiced and incorporated aspects of ethical values, saw
higher success in the collaboration and efficiency of employees (Babalola, Stouten, Euwema,
Ovadje, 2016). There is also the added benefit of workplace spirituality, which means that
employees who value the same goals within the workplace tend to work better together to solve
conflict or reach a compromise (Prabhu, Rodrigus, Kumar, Pai, 2019). However, the Industrial
and Commercial Training company showed the harm of authoritarian leadership when it comes
to motivation driven by fear (Zheng, Yuyan; Huang, Xu; Graham, Les; Redman, Tom; Hu,
Saiquan, 2020). Although the work may be completed, there is little collaboration in the
workplace and causes more harm to outside factors that may contribute heavily to the company
like customers and partnering organizations.
To gain a better understanding of the actual leadership positions that may come with a
career, it is important that individuals evaluate certain job aspects with fellow co-workers or
acquaintances. After talking with Professor Mark Merry, he described a few aspects of leadership
in his experience at GE or General Electric. Phrases that embodied his perception of the impact
of leadership style on himself are, “I just didn’t like how regimented that job was” and “I did not
feel like I could be as creative as I wanted to be, so I left that position.” After being asked what
advice, he would personally give to a future leader, he said “I would say it’s important to know
what your niche is, what you excel at and to try to do that as much as possible even if it means
modifying your job description while you're working at it.” He stated that he would prefer an
“independent work ethic because in teaching there’s so many different styles of learning but if a
department chair treats every student as if open size fits all, it tends not to go very well; I try to
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give the students the opportunity to find things on their own because that’s a lifelong skill,
knowing how to find what you’re looking for online. You’re going to have a boss or a colleague
that’s superior who doesn’t explain things well and you’re going to have to find your way.” He
said this leadership style was “very common especially at GE because not a lot of things were
written out, a lot of the directions were verbal and there was no Google to go to.” In his case,
many of the employees had their own independent positions and it called for little collaboration
and little conflict. However, it caused some employees to be at a disadvantage because of the
different learning styles and the miscommunication that occurred when information was relayed
between coworkers.
The main way the interview compares to the previously analyzed articles is the specific
authority styles of the individuals within leadership positions. Without effective communication
and common unity between work practices being regulated by leadership personnel, there is no
true room for growth within the company, soon causing employees to abandon their current
position, or quit altogether. He also talks about how hands-on all the training is for the position
and how important it is to know how to find information on your own. This is stressed heavily in
the workplace because there are other employees who must work, making it easier to find
information of your own accord rather than constantly slowing down production. Finally, the
variety of leadership is extenuated in both sources because of the diverse ways that people learn
and process the way the information is given to them. With the correct balance of authority and
relationship nurturing, this leads to a more stable and productive work environment as well as
more room for creativity to soar.
Tying this information in with biblical worldview could seem almost impossible, but the
Bible describes multiple instances of leadership, both good and bad. An example of effective
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leadership comes from the book of Esther in chapter 4 when Mordecai is put in danger, yet
Esther is still concerned with his well-being. When Esther learns about the troubling condition of
Mordecai, she soon sends Mordecai with a list of instructions to gather the Jews and fast for a
period until she faces the king, even though it is against the law for any male or female to the
approach the king without authority, resulting in immediate execution. This example of
leadership shows the need of the leader to put themselves behind the needs of others to save the
greater good or those who need to be rescued in this case. Unfit leadership can be found
described in Proverbs 29: 2 and 4, “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the
wicked rule, the people groan.” and “By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who
are greedy for bribes tear it down.”. This not only shows that leaders who put their employees
first reap greater benefits but also that leaders who are rebelled against by the public, cause their
entire kingdom to fall. Good leaders focus on justice within the problem for the sake of the
people rather than focusing on their own selfish desires within their position of authority. They
also earn respect rather than demand it and provide a role model for other upcoming leaders in
practices of ethical and logical reasoning in conflict.
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References
*Reed, & Signorelli, P. (2011). Workplace learning & leadership a handbook for library and
nonprofit trainers. American Library Association.
* Babalola, M. T., Stouten, J., Euwema, M. C., & Ovadje, F. (2018). The relation between ethical
leadership and workplace conflicts: The mediating role of employee resolution efficacy.
Journal of Management, 44(5), 2037-2063. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316638163
* Zheng, Y., Huang, X., Graham, L., Redman, T., & Hu, S. (2020). Deterrence Effects: The Role
of Authoritarian Leadership in Controlling Employee Workplace Deviance. Management
and Organization Review, 16(2), 377-404.
http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1017/mor.2019.50
