A640.9.2.RB - Final Project Reflection

When I first started my service-learning project I went in with thoughts of moving in one direction and came out with a completely different perspective.  I originally chose the organization based on my past experience with one of the owners; I wanted to compare the way he led this organization, which is a for profit business, compared to my experience with him in a volunteering role.  In the end, I was more focused on how his partner and him functioned together as a team in the leadership role.  Their dynamic was interesting yet functional, they complemented each other’s personalities well.  I learned two important lessons through the course of the service-learning project, the first was just how beneficial having two leaders at the top can be, the second was that sometimes the vision you have when entering a project could change by the end.

As I stated in my paper, “Co-heading a company, after all, allows different leadership styles and competencies to be simultaneously available to the organization, something difficult to manage with a single individual” (Alvarez, Svejenova, and Vives, 2007, p. 10).  This is an idea that I did give much thought to, most due to the lack of companies that are run with this type of leadership style.  While this style seems to work for some, there needs to be a certain combination of personalities and leadership styles.  This setup will not work for everyone, as there are some situations where the leaders may not function well as a team.  As the trend starts to move towards a more flat leadership structure, as opposed to a hierarchical triangle, there will be more opportunities for team leadership to take place. 

The other lesson I learned was that often times the expectations we start a project with can change by the end.  The best way for me to describe my thinking is through the scientific method, which in simple terms is a process involving a question, hypothesis, experiment, and conclusion (Figure 1.1).   When I started my service-learning project I had one thought (question) and I had made my hypothesis.  Through the course of the project (experiment) I collected evidence (data) and from that data I was able to draw a conclusion.  In this case my conclusion was different from my hypothesis.  As a result of my conclusion I now have a new interest in the field of leadership, leadership in teams as opposed to an individual.  This is a topic I would like to research further. 

Figure 1.1 (Steps of the Scientific Method, n.d.)

For me this service-learning project gave me more than just an inside view of an organization in my community, it gave me a view into a different way to lead.  I plan to continue researching this style of running a company, maybe even in my PhD program, as I feel it has some merits.  While it may not be possible to have every company run by a team instead of a single person, it certainly is a theory that could be applied in other leadership situations throughout an organization.   

Alvarez, J. L., Svejenova, S., & Vives, L. (2007). Leading in pairs. MIT Sloan

Management Review, 48(4), 10-14. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/224958758?accountid=27203

Steps of the Scientific Method. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18, 2016, from

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_scientific_method.shtml

A640.8.2.RB - Women in Leadership

The gender gap is not a new topic in business; it has been studied since the 70’s but existed for years before that.  Rowe and Guerrero (2012) talked about how research about women in leadership has progressed from “Can women Led”, to “What are the differences in leadership style and effectiveness between men and women”, to “Why are women so under represented in executive leadership roles” (p. 411).  The mere fact that these questions around women leaders have changed is a good sign, but we still have a ways to go.

Sandberg (2010) laid out three messages to women regarding how they can make it further up the corporate ladder: sit at the table, make your partner a true partner, and don’t leave before you leave.  As women, we may have received messages telling us we are not worthy to sit at the table with the men.  These messages may have come from male counterparts, teacher, or even males in our own families; or it could have come any number for females we have encountered.  Either way, the message is that we are unworthy of equality, especially in business.  As Rowe and Guerrero (2012) pointed out research has not found evidence that women leaders are less effective or that their leadership style is a disadvantage for them (p. 414).  If this is truly the case then why shouldn’t women be allowed to sit at the table?  Unfortunately, in order to sit at the table, a woman is more likely to have to earn (advocate) her way than a man and until this changes the number of women in the “C-suite” will remain low.

Whether it is from society, family, or self-imposed the pressure for a woman to think about and start a family is high.  As Sandberg (2010) said in a story she was approached by a woman, who was not married nor had a male in her life, to talk about planning for a child.  This was an example of the weight having a child is placed on a woman.  I think women need to understand that they have the right to decide not have children and that is perfectly acceptable and that choosing a career is also acceptable.  As Sandberg’s (2010) stated if a woman does choose to have a child she often asks "how am I going to fit this into everything else I'm doing?"  I believe the question should be “how are WE going to fit it into everything?”

This brings me to Sandberg’s (2010) third message, which stood out the most to me; make your partner a real partner.  When I think of a partner, I think of someone who not just shares the workload but shares it evenly and this applies to life as well as business.  Rowe and Guerrero (2012) pointed out that woman may have to interrupt their careers to take care of child caring and domestic responsibly, which are distributed unequally between genders (p. 413).  The mere statement of this relieves what I believe to be the top reason for inequity in the workplace.  In order for women to be taken seriously, a cultural change has to be made in the home.  Northouse (2016) pointed out that at the societal level, structural changes regarding a more equitable distribution of childrearing and domestic duties are needed (p. 411). 

Given the current inequality in home life, I wonder if the reason women are not able to climb the ladder is a result of the men controlling it have a hard time accepting women as leaders.  In other words, would men who help out more at home more willing to follow a female leader?  I have been blessed with a husband who is always willing to step in and help with the household chores and raising our children, but I realize some of my friends are not as lucky.  I had a friend who was utterly amazed (and a bit frustrated) when I told her that my husband was the one who changed our baby’s diaper in the middle of the night before handing them to me to nurse.  Her husband lives by the school of thought that women raise babies and men earn the money, and it is this attitude that I believe may be keeping women out of executive positions.  It is these attitudes that need to change before the percentage of women at the top can increase.

While I enjoyed some of the points Sandberg (2010) raised I was taken aback by her statement “I don't have the right answer, I don't even have it for myself”  I feel that as a woman giving a talk about women in the workplace she should at least be able to give her opinion on what needs to change to achieve the issue she is talking about.

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. Los Angeles: SAGE

Publications.

Rowe, W. G., & Guerrero, L. (2012). Cases in Leadership (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications,

Inc.

Sandberg, S. (2010). Why we have too few women leaders. Retrieved December 11,

2016, from http://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders

A640.7.3.RB - How to Answer Case Study Questions

In the article How to Answer Case Study Questions? King (2011) describes the best practice way of answering questions in regards to case studies.  Her main points were: focus on the topic sentence, make sure to understand the meaning of the question, think about the different ways to answer the question, and visualize the scenario.  Before any of these can be used, one must read the case careful and most likely multiple times to make sure all the information is understood.

While I did not necessarily follow these steps in order or even consciously, my case study analysis was very similar.  I would start by reading through the case and paint a picture of the scenario in my head, or as King (2011) stated: “See it in your mind's eye as you review it” (para. 6).  I would make sure I understood whom the players were and what their role was in the situation.   Then I would re-read the case this time with the mental picture of what was going on just to make sure I understood all the information.

In terms of the topic sentence, it is often true that the first sentence of a story gives the reader an idea of what the story is about, however, I have found that this has not always been the case when it comes to case studies.  While the first sentence does describe who is involved in the case it does not always state what the major problem is.  “This sentence presents the problem and thus holds key information; it tells you what the problem is about” (King, 2011, para. 4).  The topic sentence is important in completely understanding the case itself.

According to King (2011), the next step in solving a case study is to find the meaning of the question.  Sometimes the question may be what are the underlines issues going on in this case, other times it could be something more specific.  Either way, the key is to understand what is being asked and understanding all the information that surrounds that question.  I often write a list of information I may find relevant as I read through the first time, I then edit this list as I read through the case a second time.  This helps me to fully understand the questions being asked and the information given.

One aspect of answering case study questions King (2011) brought up that I had not thought about was looking at different ways to answer the question.  “Think of different ways that you can answer the case study question and then determine the effects of each answer on your outcome” (para. 5).  This is a great idea, I had not thought about bringing my answer back to the question and making sure it made sense.  I know remember from my middle school days of learning how to edit papers that you should always complete the circle and make sure your writing answered the question asked.  This is definitely something I will apply for future case studies.

King’s (2011) article had many valid points, some that I had already been following and some that I will start to apply in the future.  Often times the amount of information a case study presents can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to weed through the information to determine which process are relevant to the question.  Following a set list of steps can help make answering case study questions less difficult.      

King, J. (2011). How to Answer Case Study Questions. Retrieved December 04, 2016,

from http://www.ehow.com/how_8342765_answer-case-study-questions.html