Instructor Resource
Rowe, Cases in Leadership 5e
SAGE Publications, Inc., 2019
Case Notes
Case 7.2: Transforming ICRISAT: The Leadership of Dr. William Dar
Professor Sunita Mehta and Surya Kant Sharma wrote this teaching note as an aid to instructors
in the classroom use of the case Transforming ICRISAT: The Leadership of Dr. William Dar, No.
9B12C016. This teaching note should not be used in any way that would prejudice the future use
of the case.
Teaching Note
Case Synopsis
The case focuses on the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
(ICRISAT), a major agricultural research institution located in the South Indian city of
Hyderabad. This case provides a vehicle for analyzing a once-successful organization that is
currently besieged by a plethora of problems such as low employee morale, high turnover,
financial distress and a call to uproot the established centre and move to Africa. In addition to
Suggested Reading
Supplementary Readings
Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York: Free Press.
Bass, B. M. (1990). Bass and Stogdill’s handbook of leadership (3rd ed.). New York: Free Press.
Learning Objectives
This case is aimed at helping students understand the issues related to leadership and change in
an ailing organization based on the set of problems provided. The first objective of the case is to
get an understanding of the situation as it would be viewed from Dar’s point of view. The second
After discussion and analysis of this case, students will be able to:
1. Explore the difficulties faced by ICRISAT’s incoming DG
Suggested Topics
The following topics can be discussed using this case, although instructors may use the case for
other purposes as well:
1. Leadership
Course Positioning
The case can be used for multiple purposes in a variety of courses including leadership, general
management, organizational behavior and change management. Though the case is based on an
international agricultural institute, these concepts are applicable to multiple industries across the
Instructor Resource
Rowe, Cases in Leadership 5e
SAGE Publications, Inc., 2019
Depending on course design, the instructor may wish to emphasize one or more of the following
managerial, organizational and/or strategic change themes:
Teaching Plan
Pre-class preparation: Two hours of pre-class reading and analysis based on assignment
questions is recommended. Most importantly, students must read the case before coming to class.
Total time for class discussion could be up to two hours. Breakdown could include:
20 minutes: Understanding the genesis and formation of ICRISAT.
20 minutes: Discussion of Dar’s background and leadership style.
Discussion Questions
1. What expectations did the ICRISAT employees have regarding Dar’s appointment as
DG?
2. What issues must Dar address over the next year or two? If you were in Dar’s
Analysis
1. What expectations did the ICRISAT employees have regarding Dar’s appointment as
DG?
The institute had recently been through four DGs in quick succession. Whatever anticipation the
employees might have had regarding another new DG would have been based on these negative
experience, in which their expectations were not met. It is therefore unlikely that they would
2. What issues must Dar address over the next year or two? If you were in Dar’s situation,
what would be the first task you would undertake before making any recommendations on
possible courses of action?
Dar’s profile demonstrates that he is not likely to bow to the pressures facing him as the DG of
ICRISAT. He was willing to take up the challenges of the position despite all the problems
Instructor Resource
Rowe, Cases in Leadership 5e
SAGE Publications, Inc., 2019
he was prepared to face difficulties head-on. The issues that Dar must address at ICRISAT
include:
a. Personnel challenges; low staff morale
b. Declining financial support; plummeting core funding
Any organization must address any human relations issues before any other difficulties are
tackled. This is to ensure that all the employees embrace change wholeheartedly rather than
3. What factors are critical to the success of Dar’s efforts to revive ICRISAT?
The case notes important aspects about Dar’s style of leadership. It suggests that the
transformational leadership that Dar exemplifies could be a critical factor in reviving ICRISAT.
Based on his previous influential positions in the Philippines, it is clear that Dar has a strong
4. What are the four components of transformational leadership? How can their
application help Dar transform ICRISAT?
Bernard M. Bass suggests that there are four different components of transformational
leadership.
1
Intellectual stimulation: Transformational leaders challenge the status quo and actively
encourage creativity among followers, including fostering new ways of doing things and new
opportunities to learn.
Instructor Resource
Rowe, Cases in Leadership 5e
SAGE Publications, Inc., 2019
share their ideas and suggestions. Additionally, his passion to achieve goals inspires and
motivates his followers to help.
Conclusion
Discussion can be concluded by outlining the route that Dar is likely to take by exploiting his
transformational leadership style and ability to manage and sustain change. However, the
concluding comments should depend on the audience. If the case is being discussed in an MBA
class, the instructor will have to provide more input in terms of conceptual knowledge of
What Happened
Dar’s first action upon his arrival at ICRISAT was to change the prevailing atmosphere at the
institute. Each employee was provided with a clear idea of what was expected of him, and soon
the organization’s focus improved overall. The quality of research was also addressed and
projects such as upstream biotechnology and genetic enhancement programs were revitalized.
Dar’s vision and foresight helped ICRISAT achieve excellence in agricultural research and led to
Instructor Resource
Rowe, Cases in Leadership 5e
SAGE Publications, Inc., 2019
was primarily a roadmap to empowering the poor in the world’s SAT areas.
3
Programs were
streamlined and a decentralized setup was established. The restructuring of ICRISAT resulted in
a flatter, more responsive organization. The various regional hubs were empowered to make
decisions independently. This decentralized structure resulted in improved commitment and
involvement of staff. The strategies of ICRISAT were aligned with the United Nations’
Millennium Development Goals and the institute’s assets and capabilities were exploited in
achieving this vision.
Dar formulated and advocated the concept of “TEAM ICRISAT” in order to pursue the
organization’s new vision and mission.
4
“TEAM ICRISAT” centred on developing empowered
teams in order to encourage communication at all levels and, in turn, increase participation and
commitment from staff members. The transformation of ICRISAT established “Science with a
