Case Notes
Case 1.1: Leadership at Research in Motion
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Teaching Notes
Case Summary
Two people with opposing skills—business management and marketing on the one hand and
technological know-how on the other—are joint chief executive officers of a market-leading
smartphone manufacturer. Their leadership styles, decision-making and relationship with each
other are paramount from the company’s inception, through its rise, its response to mounting
competition and the period of declining performance that followed. Conflicting points of view
provide the basis for debate about what led to the company’s decline and to what extent top
management leadership (vs. insurmountable market forces) was responsible for its loss of market
share and brand loyalty.
Case Objectives
• To examine the roles of leaders.
Instructor Resource
Rowe, Cases in Leadership 5e
SAGE Publications, Inc., 2019
• To understand the role of environmental threats on leadership decisions.
• To enable discussions of cognitive bias, decision-making, organizational change and
adaptation, leadership of innovation and top management teams.
Assignment Questions and Answers
1. What are the roles of a leader in an organization?
2. What were some of the cognitive biases that the leadership at RIM had?
3. Do you think RIM faced problems because of poor leadership? Why or why not?
4. Do you think RIM faced problems because of bad luck? How would you handle the
situation differently if you were the CEO?
5. RIM’s threat came from a technological innovation. But other companies in other
industries also face outside threats. What are some examples of changes in the business
environment that have threatened the existence of other companies? How can leaders
anticipate and address these major changes?
Fast food restaurants have faced changes in consumer demand for healthier food choices. Energy
companies have faced a growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly sources of
Case Analysis
• Begin the class by talking about the case. Ask students to share what they think the
problem is (10–15 minutes).
• Explain and discuss the different roles of leaders (5–10 minutes). These roles are:
figurehead, leader, liaison, monitor, disseminator, spokesperson, entrepreneur,
disturbance handler, resource allocator and negotiator
2
.
• Go over the assignment questions.