Li Chang: Task-Oriented Leadership at Foxconn Technology Group - Essay Sample

Introduction

Li Chang was a lower manager at Foxconn Technology Group, and the methods of leadership that Fiedler would say she uses in the case scenario given are as follows. First, Fiedler would say Chang uses the task-oriented leadership style – in this style of leadership, Li Chang keeps the employees on toes to ensure the production is on time as planned. The importance of this is that it helps in reducing the delays in the process of production, which are expensive in the long run for the organization (Hunt & Fitzgerald, 2018). In this leadership style, Li Chang also disciplines incompetent employees who cannot keep bargaining of time with the production by firing them. Secondly, Fiedler would say Li Chang prefers the leadership model contingency, where she believes in the working style of the employees. Furthermore, Li Chang believes that the relationship between her and the employees should act per the results irrespective of their relation; whether good or bad. Fiedler’s contingency leadership style helps Li Chang identify whether the output is repetitive or non-repetitive, either in good or bad condition.

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2. Using Exhibit 4.3 on page 115, Fiedler’s contingency leadership model, what situation and leadership style are appropriate for the production department and for the custom design department?

For the production department, using task-oriented leadership style would work best for them, as per the Fiedler contingency of leadership model. Here the leader would have the power to check the progress on the work being done by the employees in stages (Hunt & Fitzgerald, 2018). The leader would have the power to dismiss from employment, any incompetent worker, and the design is repetitive. But for the custom design department, things are different. Here, the customer is everything. All the worker needs to do is to follow the rules of marketing and submit results, even though the final word of release is still upon the leader and the design is not repetitive (Özbag, 2016).

3. Why isn’t Chang doing an effective job in the design department?

From the case, it is evident that Li Chang is not as effective as she was in the old department. There is no doubt that the two departments are different both in terms of skills required and the operations methods. It, therefore, calls for a leader who understands the dynamics within it, and who can fully cooperate and work with the workers in the department. There were some differences between the old and new department because of the leadership system shown by two different leaders there.

First, we have Jackie Lee, a retired manager who could advise her employees on ways on the production of iPad instruments regardless of the size. She would follow their work and procedures on the work whereby as per the guidelines she was doing great. Her only weakness was on the payout to employees and the monopoly system of governance, but she did well on the department.

Secondly, comes Li Chang, who was not supporting the Jackie Lee system of governance. She improved the workers’ salary, allowed them to work as per their rules because she believed all of them were qualified engineers who did not need any talk on what they should be doing. She gave them the freedom to work on the production of products as per the customers’ wish and demand, which did not work best. Even though the engineers in this department knew their work, the fact that they needed supervision cannot be denied at all costs, and this is where Chang got it wrong. The element of administration is very key in any organizational department, as it is fundamental in ensuring that the employees are working towards the achievement of the overall goal of the organization (Lussier, 2018).

Again, Li Chang barely had any experience on the design work because she had never worked in such department before, hence working with such engineers needed higher skills than Chang’s. To compensate for her lack of skills, Chang ought to have adopted a leadership style that brought her close to the workers here so that she could easily supervise them, and even delegate roles within the design team to ensure the workers here operate within their job descriptions.

4. What would Fiedler and Kerr and Jermier recommend that Chang do to improve performance.

To improve on her performance, the following recommendations would be made to Chang by Fiedler, Kerr and Jermier. First would be to research the designs and production. Secondly would be to come up with better solutions on the designs. Thirdly would be to master the department needs, involving the workers on understanding their work procedures and appreciating their work rather than firing them. Lastly, another recommendation that Fiedler, Kerr and Jermier would give to Chang Lee would be to aim at the profits at the only way she could improve her results.

5. Which of the two basic continuum leadership styles would Tannenbaum and Schmidt recommend for Chang and other managers of the design department?

Participative leadership and team leadership style would be the style both Tannenbaum and Schmidt would propose to Chang Lee and other design department managers. In a participative leadership style, the leader would involve himself or herself with the work on the product production. A participative leadership style is very important since the leader has the opportunity to engage in the processes of the design directly and correct any mistakes beforehand before they can become bottlenecks to the company (Hunt & Fitzgerald, 2018). The difference between this and teamwork method of leadership is that in the latter, the manager and worker get into a room on work, and the manager leads with guidelines and way forward. Tannenbaum and Schmidt would recommend the participative style of leadership to Chang as it would help her achieve the goals of the design department by identifying objectives, developing strategy, and decision-making in general.

6. Which path-goal leadership style would House recommend for Chang and other managers of the design department?

Path goal leadership style also is seen in act 2016 of Yang Lim, where the leader shows different ways on results achievement (Yang & Lim, 2016). First is the directive leadership style where he takes full responsibility for the layout of the results of the product. Secondly, is the achievement-oriented leadership style where, after providing the layout, he leaves the work to be done by the qualified experts. Lastly, House would recommend the supportive leadership style – the style in which the manager provides a conducive environment for the work to be done (Hunt & Fitzgerald, 2018). These three recommendations by House to Chang would perfectly work in ensuring that she achieves the departmental goal through incentives and cooperation.

References

Hunt, J., & Fitzgerald, M. (2018). STYLES OF LEADERSHIP. Leadership: Regional and Global Perspectives, 62.

Lussier, R, Achua, (2018). Leadership Theory, Application & Development Boston MA: Cengage Learning.

Özbag, G. K. (2016). The role of personality in leadership: five factor personality traits and ethical leadership. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 235, 235-242.

Yang, L. C., & Lim, V. (2016). Empirical investigation into the path-goal leadership theory in the central bank fraternity: leadership styles and job satisfaction (No. wp14).