MGT-525-BN Assignment 5

Case Studies – The Superintendent’s Directive and Decision Time

Pim Janssens - 0573037

The Superintendent’s Directive

Evaluate the e-mail communications of Mr. Porter and Mr. Weigand. To what extent
are they communicating effectively about the new performance objectives? Explain. If
you were a teacher, how would you have felt after receiving the e-mail? Why?
I think that both Mr. Porter and Mr. Weigand are not communicating effectively about the
new performance objectives. Firstly, I want to mention that e-mail communication in general
can be very misleading. When you speak to someone face-to-face, you have immediate
feedback and you can see the emotions involved when bringing the message (Daft, 2018).
But, when sending an e-mail, you don’t see the emotions, you cannot get immediate feedback
and the receiver of the message cannot get a true feeling of the correct interpretation of the
message sent. When employees interpret the message in the wrong way, this can cause
tension in the workplace. Secondly, employees must be equipped with all modes of
communication so that they can choose the appropriate mode for each situation (Wells, 2018).
Some conversations simply need to be held in real life. An important message like this, should
not be communicated towards their employees by a simple e-mail. It needs a proper
explanation of why it needs to be done and what you expect from the teachers.

Effective communication and maintaining good interpersonal relationships are an essential

element of leadership (Daft, 2018). A good leader inspires his followers and gives them a
purpose in their work. Because of their simple e-mail communication, I think that neither Mr.
Porter nor Mr. Weigand represents effective leadership. Mr. Porter’s email to Mr. Weigand
simply says that the teachers at Earsworth Elementary School have to develop performance
objectives. As discussed above, the message needs a good explanation, and that is lacking.
Mr. Porter does not communicate any reasons and why this request is so important at the
moment. When he would have linked it to his vision and why he thinks this needs to be done
to achieve strategic objectives, then it would have been better. Furthermore, Mr. Weigand
makes the same mistake as Mr. Porter. He simply forwards Mr. Porter’s e-mail and did not
provide any explanation on the matter. He just mentioned the deadline and told the teacher’s
somebody will help with writing the performance objectives. But still, I think these kinds of
messages should be communicated in real life, from person to person, instead of
electronically.

I think that I would have a similar response as the talented teacher had. When it comes to
communication, especially if a teacher is respected and talented, I think they deserve better
than just receiving an e-mail about an issue like this. It is a changing request and teachers are
most likely to come out of their comfort zone by doing something new. I think it is very
important that you arrange a meeting with teachers to bring the message, and immediately
give reasons why it is important and how we are going to do it. This e-mail makes teachers
feel as if they are executing the request without any idea why it is important. If they have the
feeling they contribute to the overall mission of the school, the teachers would have reacted in
a different way for sure.
If you were Mr. Weigand, how would you respond to the angry teacher? Be specific
about how you would communicate with her and what you would say. How could he
have communicated differently about the performance objectives to influence the
teachers more positively?
I would call the angry teacher and depending on how she reacts on the phone maybe even
arrange an appointment in real life so we can discuss everything and clear the air. I will make
sure that I explain why the performance objectives are important and how the process will
look like. I can imagine that new things can cause people to feel uncomfortable, so I will try
to give her an overview of how the performance objectives will look like and that the teacher
will get all the help she needs. Teachers, and employees in general, need a purpose in their job
to stay motivated (Daft, 2018). When the teachers receive an e-mail without explanation, they
do not know the positive side and outcomes of setting these performance objectives, which
makes them feel it has no purpose at all. With calling them personal and explaining
everything, I will make sure they have the feeling they are contributing to the overall mission
of the company and therefore have a purpose. I will never e-mail such important information
to the teachers again, but it would be wise to have a meeting and invite all other teachers to
explain the whole issue and ask for their opinions about the performance objectives. Letting
them speak makes them feel you care about them and they will feel more important in the
company, which can also lead to higher job satisfaction (Daft, 2018).

As already discussed, Mr. Porter’s way of communicating was not effective at all. He left out
important information on a very important message, and he sent it by e-mail. In my opinion,
you cannot make these mistakes as a leader. Mr. Weigand makes the same mistake as his
leader, by just forwarding the message and reiterating the deadline, without giving any
explanation. Therefore, I think it was better if Mr. Weigand had asked for more information
regarding the performance objectives Mr. Porter communicated to him. After that, when he
actually understands why the performance objectives are important and how it is linked to the
vision of the school, he could communicate it to the teachers. Since it is an important
message, I would prefer if he would arrange a meeting with all the affected teacher. This can
be in real life or through an application like Zoom, so you are able to see each other, and you
see the emotions involved when bringing the message. If he really wants to do it by e-mail, I
would suggest sending a very detailed e-mail, so the teachers understand what is happening.
At the end of the e-mail, I would reach out to them by telling they can always call me to gain
some more information or to just discuss the request from Mr. Porter. Effective
communication is very important with these kinds of messages, so it should be detailed and
give the teachers a purpose to actually to it. If Mr. Weigand explains it will provide more
focus for, for example, classroom progress, teachers will understand the request and will be
motivated to set up performance objectives. In this way, he acts like a communication
champion, where he thinks and acts like communication is essential to building trust and
gaining commitment to a vision. He needs to be sense giving and make sure everyone
understands and accepts the vision and strategy of the school (Daft, 2018).
Identify the mistakes that the teacher made when composing and sending her e-mail
message.
Although it is clear that the teacher is upset and that the emotions got the upper hand, you can
never respond like this. You should always double-check an e-mail on content, but also on
where you are sending it to. An e-mail to a wrong person can be a very simple, but fatal
mistake. That is why you never send sensitive information by e-mail, in case something like
this happens. She simply states that she has the intention to resign and is going to start looking
for another school. This is information you should never send in an e-mail, and you can see
she was not able to control her emotions. None of the respondents benefits from the e-mail
and it just escalates the issue. In fact, it has the potential to invite others to express their
thoughts in the same manner. An in-person meeting with Mr. Weigand would have been the
best option for her. She also could have chosen to allow herself a cooling period before
replying to the e-mail, so she can get control of her emotions again and provide a more
objective e-mail.
Decision Time

What styles for handling conflict appear among the board members? Explain.
There are five different styles when it comes to handling conflicts:
1. The dominating style reflects assertiveness to get one’s own way and should be used
when quick action is needed on important issues (Daft, 2018).
2. The avoiding style reflects neither assertiveness nor cooperativeness (Daft, 2018).
3. The compromising style reflects a moderate amount of both assertiveness and
cooperativeness. This style is appropriate when, for example, the goals on both sides
are equally important (Daft, 2018).
4. The accommodating style reflects a high degree of cooperativeness, which works best
when people realize that they are wrong or if there is really needed to maintain
harmony within a team or organization (Daft, 2018).
5. The collaborating style reflects a high degree of both assertiveness and
cooperativeness and enables both parties to win, but it may require negotiating and
bargaining (Daft, 2018).

Now all the different styles of handling conflict are discussed, I will discuss for every board
member which style suits them best. Firstly, we have Joanna and Robert, the two ‘giants’.
They both stated their position and they want it to go their way, which makes it clear that they
have a dominating style of handling conflict. Secondly, we have the ‘august’ board. Casey
mentions she knows already two people of that board who are going to back off and let Jonna
have her way without a careful analysis. They are supporting Jonna and are very cooperative,
which means they have an accommodating style of handling conflict. Thirdly, there is Frank,
who is always agreeable, especially towards Jonna. He is described as a people pleaser, which
means he reflects a high degree of cooperativeness and also has an accommodating style
when it comes to handling conflicts. Then, there is Martha, who does not really have an
opinion. She does not speak up and is very quiet when the going gets heavy. Therefore, we
can state she has an avoiding style of handling conflict, where she reflects neither
assertiveness nor cooperativeness. Lastly, we have to discuss Ben and Casey. They are talking
about the fact they would love to see a compromise, so they both could get something they
want. For them, the collaborating style suits best, since they want both Robert and Jonna to
win, although it requires some bargaining. I chose for the collaborating style instead of the
compromising style because both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised (Daft,
2018).

What options do Ben and Casey have for helping resolve the conflict between Johnna
and Robert? What conflict styles might they adopt for this meeting?
The option Ben and Casey have for resolving the conflict is negotiation. There are two ways
to negotiate: integrative negotiation and distributive negotiation. An integrative negotiation is
a cooperative approach in which conflicting parties try to reach a win-win solution (Daft,
2018). Distributive negotiation assumes that the ‘size of the pie’ is fixed, and each party tries
to get as much of it as possible (Daft, 2018). Whereas integrative negotiation seeks a win-win
solution, distributive negotiation leads to a win-lose solution.
With integrative negotiation, conflicts are managed through cooperation and compromise,
which in my opinion is better for the long run. It leads to positive relationships which are very
beneficial for an organization. That is why I think Ben and Casey need to negotiate with an
integrative style, so the team is going to collaborate, and it will foster positive relationships.
Both parties have to collaborate so they can come up with a win-win solution which is best for
the company. To reach a win-win solution, people need to be separated from the problem and
there must be a focus on underlying interests instead of demands (Daft, 2018).

The conflict style they can adopt for this meeting is a collaborative style. This style enables
both parties to win after they have negotiated as we discussed above. The insights of Robert
and Jonna, which are both very important and useful, need to be merged into an overall
solution which is best for the company. If this is really impossible, and they cannot come to a
win-win solution quick enough, I suggest that they have to meet each other half-way and use a
more compromising style. At some point, if you are under time pressure, there is no time for
discussion, and you need to make decisions quickly.

What suggestions would you make to help board members arrive at a good team
decision?
After discussing and analyzing all the pros and cons of both ideas, some suggestions need to
be made and presented to the team. After using an integrative style of negotiating, I would
consider some trade-offs and try to combine both Jonna’s and Robert’s ideas to come to the
best solution and ‘expand the pie’ instead of dividing it. Since Jonna and Robert have equal
power, they will not give in easy and it will need a good negotiation to convince both of them.
What they have in common is that they both want the best for the organization, so if a good
solution is found and a win-win situation is reached, I am sure they will agree. Good leaders
are open for suggestions and viewpoints of others. They are good at both communicating
down and up (Daft, 2018). Another suggestion is to come to a compromise. This is
appropriate when the goals on both sides are equally important, which is the case here, and
when opponents have equal power (Daft, 2018). Especially when there is time pressure, a
compromise can be a very good solution. Perhaps it is possible to manufacture in China but to
assemble it in the USA. When everything is manufactured in China, they can ship it to the
USA so there are more jobs available again for the American people. In this way, both Robert
and Jonna have what they want. It is about giving and taking, where you meet each other half-
way.

References
Daft, R. L. (2018). The Leadership Experience. New York: Cengage learning.

Wells, K. (2018). 8 Reasons Email is Ineffective in the Workplace. Retrieved September 27th
2020 from https://fsd.servicemax.com/2018/01/09/8-reasons-email-is-ineffective-in-
workplace/