Organization Study :: Essays Papers

Organization Study Case Analysis #3 1.What type or types of power does Anita Rod*censored* appear to rely upon? Based on my observation, Mrs. Anita Rod*censored* heavily relies on Expert, Referent, and Information power. According to the textbook, Expert power is based on the possession of expertise that is invaluable to the company and its employees. From the case discussion, we could see that, due to her diligent work, Anita Rod*censored* is able to possess firsthand information about the company’s products and customers and integrate such information into the final value-added product package the company offers to its customer. For example, Anita is engaged in extensive traveling to potential markets to obtain firsthand information about the market and its customers. Referent power, on the other hand, results from being admired, personally identified with, or liked by others. Anita Rod*censored* is widely liked by her employees and managers. And many of the company’s employees even state that it will be difficult for them to work for other companies after being an employee of Body Shop International. There is no doubt that such kind of loyalty among its employees will enhance the company’s productivity and realization of Anita’s vision. Finally, Information power comes from the access to mission-critical information regarding the operation and growth of the company. As head of the company and possibly the largest stockholder, Anita Rod*censored* actually sets direction for the company’s operation for years to come. 2. Would you consider Anita Rod*censored* to be a transformational leader? Why, or why not? I definitely regard Mrs. Anita Rod*censored* as a transformational leader. Based on the textbook, transformational leaders are leaders who could motivate individuals to perform beyond normal expectations by inspiring subordinates to focus on broader missions that transcend their own immediate self-interestes, to concentrate on intrinsic higher-level goals rather than extrinsic lower-level goals, and to have confidence in their abilities to achieve the extraordinary missions articulated by the leader. In order to be a transformational leader, one has to be charismatic, which means that this leader is able to inspire others and gain respect from them; to recognize what is really significant for the company; and to articulate a clearly defined mission. As for Anita Rod*censored*, she set the vision for the company to be socially and environmentally responsible and to benefit the external environments and its employees as well. On one hand, this vision is strongly supported by the compan y’s employees and customers and represents the future trend, on the other hand, more interestingly, this vision has benefited the company’s business as shown by the strong market growth over the years.