Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may cite the example of Medical Center
Hospital in Odessa, Texas. Here, the physicians make hospital rounds wearing cowboy
boots and blue jeans under their white hospital clinic coats. They generally do not wear
4. Name one or two companies in the news that seem to have strong corporate cultures, and
describe whether the results have been positive or negative. Discuss how a strong culture
could have either positive or negative consequences for an organization.
Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may cite the example of the World Bank, which
has a strong bureaucratic culture based on rules and policies. The results of this culture
have been negative because power has remained at the top without open communication.
5. As a leader, how might you recognize a culture gap? What techniques might you use to
influence and change cultural values when necessary?
Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may say that as a leader they would look for the
difference between desired and actual values and behaviors, which is the definition of a
6. Compare and contrast the achievement culture with the involvement culture. What are
some possible disadvantages of having a strong involvement culture? A strong
achievement culture?
An achievement culture shows a clear vision of the organization’s goals. Leaders focus on
the achievement by specific targets such as sales growth. This culture values
competitiveness, aggressiveness, personal initiative, and the willingness to work. Emphasis
7. If you were the leader of a small technology firm, how might you imprint in people’s minds
the values shown in Exhibit 14.2 for responsive cultures in order to create a high
performance culture? Be specific with your ideas.
Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may say that as a leader of a small technology
firm, they would encourage values that support the organization’s ability to interpret
8. Discuss the meaning of calling and membership, as related to spiritual leadership. Identify
an organization or leader that uses these concepts. To what extent were these concepts
present where you have worked?
Spiritual leadership provides a sense of membership through a work community in which
9. If a leader directs her health-care company to reward hospital managers strictly on
hospital profits, what kind of values is she encouraging within the company culture?
Discuss.
A profit-driven rewards system could encourage employees to ignore ethical values such as
honesty, fairness, and personal integrity.
10. Some mortgage company leaders have said that providing subprime mortgages(earn a
commission by making loans to people at high interest rates who may have difficulty
making the payments) was based on the noble purpose of giving poor people a chance to
participate in the American dream of home ownership. Discuss your opinion of this
explanation.
Students’ answers will vary. Many of them may feel that this statement is true. Banks were
pressured to give poor people mortgages even when lenders felt that they did not qualify.
Powerful members of Congress like Barney Franks encouraged lending to unqualified
11. Some people believe that all good leadership is spiritual in nature. Others think spiritual
values have no place at work. Discuss these two opposing viewpoints.
Students’ answers will vary. Some of them may present the following arguments:
• Good leadership is spiritual. The spiritual leader addresses followers’ higher order
needs for membership and self-actualization. This is intrinsic motivation at its best
Teaching Tools and Exercises
1. Leaders’ Bookshelf: I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59
by Douglas Edwards
When Douglas Edwards took a pay cut to join a fledgling Internet startup as its first
director of marketing and brand management, he had no idea he had stumbled into one of
No Conventional Company
Founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page were excessively choosy in hiring, and they wanted
people who were Googley, meaning they were not too traditional or stuck in the ways of
other companies. Here are some of the tidbits Edwards shares that reflect the culture Brin
and Page built:
• Quality and innovation are top values.
• Hierarchy is dead.
• We’ll feed you to keep you working.
Then There Are the Fun and Games
In the early days of Google, there were frequently impromptu roller hockey matches, Super
2. Class Activity: Culture
If you are taking more than one course, assess the culture of the various classrooms in
which you are enrolled. How do the cultures differ? Which culture(s) do you prefer? Why?
3. Out-of-Class Assignment: Organizational Culture
4. Read and Discuss: Nitasha Tiku “The Way I Work: Dogfish Head’s Sam Calagione,” Inc.
5. Read and Discuss: James O’Toole, Warren G. Bennis, “What’s Needed Next: A Culture
of Candor,” Harvard Business Review (June 1, 2009) retrieved from
6. Leadership at Work: Walk the Talk
Often in an organization the culture is characterized both by what people say (talk) and by
what people actually do (walk). When this happens, there is a gap between organizational
leaders’ espoused values and the values in action within the company. One example would
be an espoused value of “a balanced life for employees,” whereas managers and employees
are actually expected to work nights and weekends to meet demanding performance goals.
This is the difference between the “walk” and the “talk” in an organization.
In class: Students can be organized into small groups in class and do this exercise all at
once. Each person in the circle can give examples from student or work experiences of an
organization’s walk not fitting its talk and explain why he or she thinks the gaps occurred.
Then students can identify the common themes from their discussion. The instructor can
Leadership Development: Cases for Analysis
I. Culture Clash
Synopsis
The current CEO of Jim Lionel’s heavy-duty construction equipment manufacturing company,
Jane Lionel has some hard decisions to make with regard to some of the company’s older hands,
and even on the eve of that decision, she is unable to sort things out and make a decision. She
starts writing down her thoughts. When Jim Lionel started manufacturing heavy-duty
construction equipment here in Alaska 40 years ago, his personal management style reflected the
Supervisors Curtis Willett and Morgan Elder were among the first people hired by Jim Lionel.
Their long service to the organization and their consistency in meeting all production goals and
deadlines is impressive. They take pride in their ability to push themselves and their crews
relentlessly. However, their management styles are a throw-back to the old culture. They succeed
Case questions and answers
1. What options do you think Jane and her management team should consider with regard to
these two long-time supervisors? Discuss the positives and negatives of each option.
Students’ answers may vary. Some may say that keeping these two employees might affect
the collaboration, teamwork, and mutual trust within the employees in the organization.
2. Do you think it is appropriate for Jane to remove two long-time, high-performing
managers in order to create a new culture for everyone else? Why? Consider the material
in Exhibit 14.3 in your answer.
Students’ answers may vary. Some may say that removing the two long-time, high-
performing managers would be appropriate for creating a new culture for everyone else.
The two long-time supervisors belong to quadrant A of the exhibit 14.3. This quadrant
3. What do you recommend that Jane do? Explain why.
Students’ answers may vary. Some may say that removing the two long-time supervisors
II. 5 Star and Amtech
Synopsis
5 Star and Amtech Electronics both manufacture integrated circuits and other electronic parts as
subcontractors for large manufacturers. Both 5 Star and Amtech are located in Ohio and often
bid on contracts as competitors. 5 Star has sales of $100 million and employs 950 people.
Amtech has annual sales of $80 million and employs 800 people. The president of 5 Star
Case questions and answers
1. Using the competing values model in Exhibit 14.4, what type of culture (adaptability,
achievement, involvement, consistency) would you say dominant at 5 Star? At Amtech?
What is your evidence?
The consistency culture is dominant at 5 Star with its focus on formality, order, obedience
and rationality. 5 Star runs according to an organizational chart, which delineates clear
responsibilities and narrowly defined jobs.
2. Is there a culture gap? Which type of culture do you think is most appropriate for the
newly merged company? Why?
Yes, there is a culture gap. The difference between desired and actual values and behaviors
is called a culture gap. There is a difference between the values and behaviors at 5 Star and
3. If you were John Tyler, what techniques would you use to integrate and shape the cultures
to overcome the culture gap?
Students’ answers may vary. Some of them may say that to change cultural values, John
Tyler could listen to employees and build trust by accepting employee ideas and initiative.
Digital Homework Grid
Case Assessment Questions
Topic
Category
Azure Inc. encourages a
culture of teamwork,
collaboration, and mutual trust
among its employees. The
company practices an open
door policy. Employees feel
free to share ideas with the
management. Employees are
given autonomy to make
decisions about new needs.
The culture has helped
employees develop a
collective identity and they
know how to work together
effectively. This is an example
of:
a. cultural diversity.
Leadership Challenge #1
Perform
Crimson Corp., a leading
software firm, places great
emphasis on customer
Leadership Challenge #1
Perform
relationship. It aims to meet
customer requirements within
deadlines. The employees are
periodically trained on new
technologies and taught
project management skills.
The company believes in the
philosophy “customer is the
king.” Crimson is most likely
focusing on:
a. customer grievance
handling.
As the CEO of TinSoft Inc.,
George enters into a contract
with TechWiz Corp. George
chose TechWiz Corp. because
he was promised a substantial
amount of money in return for
his approval of the deal. This
scenario best illustrates a
violation of:
Leadership Challenge #6
Perform
Homework Questions
Topic
Category
Which of the following
statements best defines
culture?
a. It is a set of key values,
assumptions, understandings,
and norms that is shared by
members of an organization.
b. It is a code of principles and
values that governs the
Leadership Challenge #1
Connect
The uniform of the employees
of an organization represents
a(n) _____ of its culture.
Leadership Challenge #1
Engage
When asked about the culture
of her organization, Samantha
replied, “People in my
company care about one
another like a family.” In the
context of the levels of
corporate culture, Samantha’s
statement denotes the _____
of her company’s culture.
a. visible artifact
Leadership Challenge #1
Perform
In a(n) _____ corporate
culture, the underlying
assumption is that leaders
serve the whole organization
and trust other people.
a. responsive
Leadership Challenge #2
Engage
An organization’s culture may
not always be in alignment
with the needs of the external
environment because of:
a. a culture gap.
b. culture shock.
Leadership Challenge #2
Engage
Pyramid Corp., an electronics
manufacturing company,
decides to acquire the less
profitable Itzalli Electronics
Leadership Challenge #2
Perform
Inc. to expand its customer
base. Which of the following
is the biggest challenge for the
management at Pyramid
Corp.?
a. Designing a new salary
package for employees of both
the companies after the
acquisition
A(n) _____ corporate culture
is based on a solid
organizational mission and
embodies shared responsive
values that guide decisions
and business practices.
a. resistant
Leadership Challenge #3
Engage
Apple Inc. used the motto,
“Think different” between the
years 1997 and 2002, as a part
of its advertising campaign.
This is an example of:
a. a ceremony.
Leadership Challenge #4
Perform
Microsoft Corporation’s
slogan, “Be what’s next”
between 2011 and 2012 is an
example of:
a. a visible artifact.
Leadership Challenge #4
Perform
As a part of the _____
process, a leader acts as a role
model for the values he wants
a new employee to adopt, as
well as implements formal
training programs, which may
include pairing the newcomer
with a key employee who
embodies the desired values.
a. socialization
Leadership Challenge #4
Connect
You are doing research on
cultural leadership. Illustrated
in the table below is a list of
mechanisms that leaders use to
enact cultural values. Match
each mechanism with its
corresponding description.
Mechanism
Story
Symbol
Leadership Challenge #4
Connect
Ceremony
Specialized
Language
Daily
actions
Socialization
Listed below are four
scenarios pertaining to
different organization cultures.
Drag and drop the options
below into the illustrated box
categorizing them into
scenarios or concepts.
Answer Options: Nebula Inc.
follows an organizational
Leadership Challenge #5
Perform
sales targets in time are
handsomely rewarded/
Oceanic Inc. encourages
employee participation in
meeting changing expectations
from the external
environment. The company
has introduced welfare
SCENARIOS
ORGANIZATI
ONAL
CULTURE
Cumulus Corp. has included a
code of moral principles as
part of its formal policies. This
Leadership Challenge #6
Perform
has helped the company to
decide what is right or wrong.
In the given scenario, the code
incorporated by Cumulus is
known as its:
a. philosophy.
b. specialized language.
c. underlying assumptions.
d. ethics.
As the CEO of Silvercon Inc.,
Gerald has introduced various
welfare schemes for the
betterment of his employees.
Employees trust and respect
each other. The company
focuses on fair treatment and
equal opportunities for all.
Cultural harmony exists
despite diversity of the
workforce. In the given
scenario, which of the
following types of leadership
does Gerald follow?
Leadership Challenge #6
Perform