Robert Mark is twenty-two years old and will be receiving his BS degree in mathematics from Concordia

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Robert Mark is twenty-two years old and will be receiving his BS degree in mathematics from Concordia University in Montreal at the end of this semester. He spent the past two summers working for Montreal Insurance Services (MIS), filling in on a number of different jobs while employees took their vacations. He’s received and accepted an offer to join MIS as a supervisor in the policy renewal department on a permanent basis upon graduation. Montreal Insurance Services is a large insurance company. In the headquarters office alone, where Robert will work, there are 11,000 employees. The company believes strongly in the personal development of its employees. This translates into a philosophy, flowing down from senior officials, of trust and respect for all MIS employees. The job Robert will be assuming requires him to work with and supervise the activities of eighteen policy renewal representatives. The unit’s job responsibility is to ensure that renewal notices are sent on current policies, to tabulate any changes in premiums from a standardized table, and to advise the sales division if a policy is to be canceled as a result of nonresponse to renewal notices. Robert’s department is composed of individuals ranging in age from nineteen to sixty-two years. The median age is thirty-eight. The salary range for policy renewal representatives is $2,480 to $3,000 per month (in U.S. dollars). Robert will be replacing a longtime MIS employee, Peter Finch. Peter is retiring after thirty-seven years with MIS, the last eleven spent as the policy renewal supervisor. Because Robert spent a few weeks in Peter’s department last summer, he’s familiar with Peter’s leadership style and knows most of the departmental employees. He anticipates no problems from any of his soon-to-be employees, except, possibly, for Uri Garavich. Uri is well into his forties, has been a policy renewal representative for more than sixteen years, and as one of the senior members of the department, and carries a lot of weight with other employees. It may be important to note that Uri didn’t apply for the supervisor’s job Robert got. He simply didn’t want the formal responsibility of being a supervisor—even though it would have meant about a 15 percent pay raise! He felt the job duties might interfere with his primary outside interest—coaching his son’s ice hockey team. Nonetheless, Robert has concluded that his job could prove very difficult Without Uri’s support. Robert is determined to get his leadership of the department off on the right foot. As a result, he’s been doing a lot of thinking about the qualities of an effective supervisor.

1. What critical factors will affect Robert’s success as a leader? do you believe these factors would be the same if success were defined as group satisfaction rather than group productivity? 2. Do you think that Robert can choose a leadership style? if so, describe the style you think would be most effective for him. if not, why?

3. What suggestions might you make to Robert to help him win the support of Uri Garavich? What factors may be important in determining the leadership style to use with Uri?