Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Case Notes
Chapter 4: Attending to Tasks and Relationships
Case 4.1— From Two to One
Case Summary
In this brief case, Mark Schmidt is tasked with a common, yet complicated business decision,
determining which of his talented managers to let go from his business, Co-Ed Cleaners. Each of the
managers, Asher Roland and Dan Cali, have different strengths and different leadership styles which
make them valuable to Mark’s business.
Case Analysis
This case is a comparison and contrast case between concern for people and concern for production.
One manager, Dan Cali, operates on task-oriented leadership focused around production orientation,
and the other manager, Asher Roland, operates on relationship-oriented leadership. Because Mark
Schmidt is forced to let a manager go, he is faced with the task of determining whether or not he can
sacrifice a manager concerned with production, or a manager concerned with relationship building. Each
have their own strengths and leadership style that is beneficial to the company.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Sample Answers to Case Questions
1. Using ideas from the chapter, describe Dan’s and Asher’s styles of leadership.
Dan initiates structure through task leadership. He organizes work, defines role responsibilities, and
schedules work activities. He is production focused, and stressed the production and technical aspects
2. How will Asher’s employees, who are used to being able to manage themselves in their own way,
respond to Dan’s task-oriented style?
Asher’s employees will probably not respond to switching over to a task-oriented style well at all.
3. How will Dan’s employees, who are used to being given clear direction and procedures, respond to
Asher’s more relationship-oriented style?
Dan’s employees may respond better to a relationship-oriented style, as they might feel less pressure
4. If you were an employee at Co-Ed Cleaners, would you want Mark to let Dan or Asher go? Explain
your choice.
There are two different perspectives for this question. By letting Dan go, Asher acquires employees that
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Case 4.2 —Day and Night
Case Summary
Alice and Heather are human resources colleagues at a community college that run a local non-profit
organization over the weekend called Operation D.O.G. (ODOG). ODOG is an organization that works
with dog owners and rescue organizations to provide financial assistance and case management for dogs
suffering from treatable medical conditions in order to either keep them in or find them loving homes.
Case Analysis
The point of this particular case study is not to provide a particular problem, but to show how two
leaders in different roles in their professional careers are working together to utilize their skill set to
improve their non-profit organization. Alice is presented as being responsible for task-oriented types of
roles in her human resources role, whereas Heather is presented as being the relationship-oriented
individual, and focusing more on culture and communication.
Sample Answers to Case Questions
1. In their roles for the college, how would you categorize Alice and Heather’s task and relational
leadership behavior? Using the format in the following grid, rate each woman’s predisposition toward
each behavior type (on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being high). In the explanation column, support your
rating with examples.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Behavior
Type
Rank
(1-10)
Explanation
Task
Alice
10
Alice’s HR position appears to be very task-oriented. She is
responsible for negotiating, recruiting, regulations,
compliance and reporting, salary and benefit plan
administration, counseling and advising, and personnel
issues.
responsibilities in her position, however, her task-oriented
responsibilities are not explicitly stated in the case study like
her relationship-oriented responsibilities.
Relationship
communication skills. She also believes that her relational
skills and her compassion are utilized in her daily
interactions with her staff and the college community.
2. Looking at your rankings in question 1, do you feel the two women’s leadership styles complement
each other? Why or why not?
The focus of this chapter is to recognize that all leaders have a natural inclination to be either task-
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
3. How would you rate the importance of task behaviors vs. relationship behaviors in their leadership
of Operation D.O.G.? Is one behavior more important in these roles than the other? Will Alice and
Heather be equally as effective in running the non-profit as they appear to be at the college? Explain
your answer?
Students responding to this question should be able to understand that while both Alice and Heather