Chapter 4, Problem 4.1.1CS

Summary Introduction

Case summary:

A Drill sergeant at first, now Mark is the head of the painting department in the hospital.

Characters in the case:

Mark Young

Adequate Information:

Mark is the head of the painting department in a hospital and now he has divided the work amongst his employee’s.

To determine:

Mark’s leadership from the behavioral perspective.

Explanation of Solution

Given Information:

Mark Young is a head of the painting department of a hospital and how he acts with his employees and how successful his department is.

The behavioral approach emphasizes on the behavior of the leader and his capabilities, rather than focus on his traits. There are mainly two types of behaviors a leader would demonstrate; task behavior and relationship behavior.Task behaviors facilitate goal accomplishment: They help group members to achieve their objectives. Relationship behaviors help followers feel comfortable with themselves, with each other, and with the situation in which they find themselves.

It is clear that Mark initially used a task behavior where he was focused on completion of jobs and efficiency. Clear instructions were given and strict monitoring of activities was carried out constantly. Which are typical of a leader with task behavior. However over time we see Mark shifting his leadership style towards a relation behavior. This is evident when he delegated more of the work to other supervisors and started casually hanging out with workers.

An effective leader will demonstrate a blend of task and relationship behaviors. Based on the type of work, environment and type of subordinates involved the leader may change behaviors. However a combination of both behaviors is crucial to maintain effective leadership.

Conclusion

Mark young is a good leader who demonstrates a combination of both task behavior and relationship behavior of leadership. This is evident in the results Mark’s team has achieved.