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Management Assignment-Case Study

Name

Institution

Course Name and Code

Professor

Due Date
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How would you characterize or describe Brenda’s management style?

Brenda's management style can be described as delegating, hands-off, and direct. She delegated

the task of creating the new nutritional database to her new employee, Bill Stanley, and expected

him to figure it out on his own. She was also hands-off in that she did not provide him with much

guidance or direction, and only checked in on him occasionally. She does not seem to be very

interested in nurturing her employees or developing close relationships with them. Instead, she

expects them to be self-starters and to take responsibility for their own learning and

development. Finally, her communication style was direct and to the point, which may have

come across as harsh or impatient.

Brenda’s delegating and hands-off approach is similar to the laissez-faire style of management,

which is characterized by minimal involvement in decision-making and a focus on individual

responsibility1. Laissez-faire leaders typically provide employees with general goals and allow

them to figure out the best way to achieve those goals on their own1. This style can be effective

in situations where employees are highly skilled and motivated and can be given more

autonomy2. However, it can also lead to problems when employees are not given enough

guidance or direction, as seen in this case2. Brenda does not take the time to explain the task in

detail or answer any of Bill’s questions. As a result, Bill completes the task incorrectly and the

entire database has to be redone.

This management style is effective in some situations, but it may not be the best approach for all

projects. In the case of the nutritional database project, Brenda's style may have contributed to

the problems that arose. Bill Stanley was not given enough guidance or support throughout the

project, and as a result, the entire database ended up being incorrect.

What is the problem with her management style?

One downside of Brenda’s management style is that it can lead to employees feeling

unsupported. This can lead to employees feeling stressed and overwhelmed, which can lead to

them making mistakes1,2. In this case, it appears that Bill felt unsupported, as he needed to ask

Brenda for clarification on the assignment multiple times. Another downside of Brenda’s

management style is that it can lead to employees feeling like their work is not valued. This is

because they are not given the opportunity to receive feedback or ask questions about their

work3. In this case, it appears that Bill felt like his work was not valued, as Brenda became

impatient with him when he asked questions about the assignment.

One of the main reasons for the success of businesses is effective communication between

managers and employees3. When managers fail to provide adequate guidance and support, it can

lead to problems such as those experienced by Brenda. If employees do not understand what is

expected of them, or if they are not given the tools and resources they need to complete their

tasks, they will likely produce poor quality work1. In addition, they may become frustrated and

demotivated, which can lead to high turnover rates and low morale4. It is therefore evident that

Brenda's management style is not effective.

What could she have done differently?

Leadership style is the way in which a leader exerts influence over subordinates. Brenda could

have used a different leadership style other than direct style that would have provided more

support and guidance to Bill. One leadership style that Brenda could have used is the coaching

style. This style is characterized by a leader who provides guidance and support to subordinates

while still allowing them to take initiative and make decisions3. This style would have been more
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effective in this situation because it would have allowed Bill to ask questions and get

clarification on the assignment. It would also have allowed Brenda to provide more support and

guidance to Bill as he worked on the project.

Another leadership style that Brenda could have used is the participative style. This style is

characterized by a leader who involves subordinates in the decision-making process3,4. This

would have been effective in this situation because it would have allowed Bill to have a say in

how the project was completed. It would also have allowed Brenda to get input from Bill on the

project and to ensure that he understood what was expected of him.

Overall, there are many different ways that Brenda could have handled this situation. Each

leadership style has its own advantages and disadvantages, and Brenda would have had to choose

the style that she felt was best for the situation. Ultimately, the style that she chose did not

provide enough support and guidance to Bill, and this led to him completing the assignment

incorrectly.

What should she do about the audit and the database?

There are several options that Brenda could consider in order to address the situation. First, she

could decide to do the work herself or delegate it to another staff member. This would likely be

the quickest way to get the job done correctly, but it would also be very time-consuming and

could take away from other important duties that Brenda is responsible for. Second, Brenda

could give Bill another chance to complete the task, but this time she could provide him with

more specific instructions and guidance. This option would take more time than doing the work

herself, but it would allow Bill to learn and grow in his role as the new assistant director. Third,

Brenda could decide to cancel the database project altogether and focus solely on preparing for
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the upcoming audit. This would likely be the most stressful option, but it would ensure that the

district is in compliance with the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

Ultimately, the decision of what to do about the database and the audit rests with Brenda.

However, based on the information provided, it seems that the best course of action would be to

give Bill another chance to complete the task with more specific instructions and guidance. This

option would allow Brenda to focus on her other responsibilities, while still giving Bill the

opportunity to learn and grow in his new role.

How should she have supervised Bill on this database update?

Brenda Galway should have supervised Bill Stanley more closely on the database update project.

In particular, she should have been more clear in her initial instructions to him, and she should

have provided more detailed feedback after he completed the first part of the project.

In terms of initial instructions, Brenda should have been more specific about what she wanted

Bill to do. She should have given him a clear set of instructions, with concrete examples of what

she expected him to do. Additionally, she should have provided him with more information

about the project, such as the deadline, the importance of the project, and what would happen if it

was not completed correctly.

After Bill completed the first part of the project, Brenda should have provided him with more

detailed feedback. She should have gone over the work with him, pointing out what he did well

and what needed to be improved. Additionally, she should have given him more guidance on

how to complete the project correctly.

By not following best practices in project management and supervision, Brenda caused the

project to be completed incorrectly. As a result, she now has to spend additional time and effort

to fix it.

Bibliography

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Performance. Journal of Human Resources Management Research. 2018;2018(2166-

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2. Huertas-Valdivia I, Gallego-Burín AR, Lloréns-Montes FJ. Effects of different leadership

styles on hospitality workers. Tourism Management. 2019;71:402-420.

doi:10.1016/j.tourman.2018.10.027

3. Akpoviroro KS, Kadiri B, Owotutu SO. Effect of participative leadership style on employees

productivity. Trendy v podnikání. 2018;8(2). doi:10.24132/jbt.2018.8.2.48_58

4. Roz K. JOB SATISFACTION AS A MEDIATION OF TRANSFORMATIONAL

LEADERSHIP STYLE ON EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY IN

MALANG CITY. International Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting Research

(IJEBAR). 2019;3(02). doi:10.29040/ijebar.v3i02.532