Publication database

This is a set of six vignettes (presented in a paper version and in a video version) designed to help undergraduate and graduate students, as well as participants in executive education programs recognize the differences between six leadership styles identified by the work of Litwin & Stringer (1971) and further popularized by Goleman (2000), Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee (2013), and Korn & Ferry (2017). The vignettes present employee descriptions of their superior’s behaviors that are indicative of one of the six leadership styles: directive, visionary, affiliative, participative, pacesetting, and coaching. The vignettes, each describing a typical application of a particular style, can be used in class for the purpose of developing students’ leadership style diagnostic skills, as a group discussion material, or as test material for post-class examination.

This case study contains a video that is available with English, Chinese and Russian subtitles.

The case tells a story of young European female manager joining a start-up operating in South-East Asia and facing challenges in adjusting to the work and life in a new environment. The protagonist finds it difficult to cope with a work situation where self-imposed expectations of excellence are difficult to achieve and with a life situation where social support is missing. The case culminates in the protagonist’s breakdown in an office meeting due to perceived failure to deliver on work tasks and to meet the expectations of the boss she respects and admires.

When managers are confronted with a corporate crisis, such as the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil exploration platform, they have to operate under conditions that differ fundamentally from those experienced during normal management processes. Among other things, they may have to work with specialized teams and understand their priorities and decision-making processes, without giving up their own responsibilities. The following case simulation confronts participants with an escalating crisis situation in an unfamiliar environment and requires a series of team decisions to be taken under time pressure. The case is based on real experiences of the German Air Force during its ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) mission in Afghanistan.
The participants are divided into groups of four, each group being responsible for a large military transport aircraft and its mission. Within the groups, each participant assumes the role of a specified flight crew member. Each participant receives individual instructions on their roles and duties as well as background information on the other crew members. Based on this information, the teams must prepare and execute their flight missions. The main objective of the simulation is to highlight the challenges of sharing information within a team and of decision-making under time pressure in an unfamiliar environment.

The case simulation may be used in a leadership course in MBA programs. It may also be used in executive-education programs to support sessions on both group decision-making and crisis management. On the whole, the case may be used to learn:
1. how to cooperate in teams
2. how team decisions may effectively be made
3. how to prioritize tasks under time pressure in a crisis situation
4. how to examine the impact of framing in decision-making processes

On the surface, this case study deals with a straightforward sales management issue: The protagonist, Andreas Keller, needs to increase the company’s revenue to get the Chinese business unit out of the red. However, as students dig deeper into the case study, they detect the following underlying, intriguing issues:

• Setting priorities and making decisions in sales management, especially in times of distress.
• Understanding intercultural and leadership challenges for a foreign “airborne manager” (空降) in a foreign subsidiary.
• Comprehending the suitability of premium, service-based business models in China.
• Understanding the limitations of applying business models from mature markets in Western countries to China.
• Preparing for expatriate positions in China and elsewhere.

The case study can be taught in both executive education and degree courses. More specifically, the case study is ideally suited for international MBA students with some working experience and international career ambitions. It can be used in both the general management courses and specialized courses on sales, business development, or marketing.

In March 2016, Google machine AlphaGo won against Lee Sedol, arguably the best human Go player of the last decades. This was the first time a Go grandmaster succumbed to a machine. Go was arguably the most complex board game ever invented, and to play the game, Go grandmasters exploited exceptional levels of intuition built through years of practice. Yet, AlphaGo’s victory over human intuition was total.

The case depicts the first few weeks of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and describes how two organizations, the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders, assessed the seriousness of the outbreak. Both organizations have expertise and experience in containing epidemics, and past Ebola outbreaks in particular. These organizations nonetheless reached radically opposite conclusions. The case explores the possible reasons for these differences in predicting the outbreak’s evolution.

James Reid, the newly appointed GM of Troubled Spain, has been given a mandate by the CEO of Troubled Inc. to turn the subsidiary around within six months. Troubled Spain has experienced several years of poor performance that cannot be explained by either sluggish demand or lagging technology. The case provides information about interviews that James had with several employees, describing the role of the employee and giving insights into the issues that they see the company facing. These interviews are complemented by three charts prepared by consultants that James hired to conduct an internal audit of collaboration, communication and informal leadership in the organization. James needs to transform the organization within six months; however, this implies changing relationships that have been developed over decades and clarifying roles and boundaries that have been blurred over many years. The case challenges students to take James' position and identify the issues of Troubled Spain to develop an action plan in order to address the challenges facing the company. James needs to address: 1) issues concerning Troubled Spain's formal structure, 2) issues regarding its informal structure, including leadership issues, and 3) issues stemming from the combination of both formal and informal features. Case B provides information about what happened next and may be distributed at the end of the session.

Los Andes University Case Collection

James Reid, the newly appointed GM of Troubled Spain, has been given a mandate by the CEO of Troubled Inc. to turn the subsidiary around within six months. Troubled Spain has experienced several years of poor performance that cannot be explained by either sluggish demand or lagging technology. The case provides information about interviews that James had with several employees, describing the role of the employee and giving insights into the issues that they see the company facing. These interviews are complemented by three charts prepared by consultants that James hired to conduct an internal audit of collaboration, communication and informal leadership in the organization. James needs to transform the organization within six months; however, this implies changing relationships that have been developed over decades and clarifying roles and boundaries that have been blurred over many years. The case challenges students to take James' position and identify the issues of Troubled Spain to develop an action plan in order to address the challenges facing the company. James needs to address: 1) issues concerning Troubled Spain's formal structure, 2) issues regarding its informal structure, including leadership issues, and 3) issues stemming from the combination of both formal and informal features.

Los Andes University Case Collection

The two-part case study describes two attempts to empower the crews of two nuclear submarines of the US Navy. The case highlights the challenges as well as the weaknesses and strengths of the empowering process. While not against the operational principle of command and control on board a submarine, empowerment is in contrast to the traditional leadership doctrine of the US Navy which relies on the leader-follower principle. The case is based on the personal account of co-author L. David Marquet, Captain, US Navy (Ret.) and former commander of the USS Santa Fe. He authored the bestselling book Turn the Ship Around! that provides a more detailed account of the events described in the A and B cases.

The case may be used in the leadership courses in MBA and executive education programs. Apart from the main objective of highlighting the principle of empowerment, instructors may also explore how to motivate individuals and groups in critical settings. The instructor may ask executives to reflect on their own leadership experiences. On the whole, the case may be used to address the following subjects: (1) empowerment, (2) inquiry, (3) leadership styles, (4) motivation, (5) followership, (6) team management, and (7) situational leadership.

The two-part case study describes two attempts to empower the crews of two nuclear submarines of the US Navy. The case highlights the challenges as well as the weaknesses and strengths of the empowering process. While not against the operational principle of command and control on board a submarine, empowerment is in contrast to the traditional leadership doctrine of the US Navy which relies on the leader-follower principle. The case is based on the personal account of co-author L. David Marquet, Captain, US Navy (Ret.) and former commander of the USS Santa Fe. He authored the bestselling book Turn the Ship Around! that provides a more detailed account of the events described in the A and B cases.

The case may be used in the leadership courses in MBA and executive education programs. Apart from the main objective of highlighting the principle of empowerment, instructors may also explore how to motivate individuals and groups in critical settings. The instructor may ask executives to reflect on their own leadership experiences. On the whole, the case may be used to address the following subjects: (1) empowerment, (2) inquiry, (3) leadership styles, (4) motivation, (5) followership, (6) team management, and (7) situational leadership.