In Good Company Analysis

AOTEAROA TERTIARY INSTITUTE

NZIM DIPLOMA IN MANAGAMENT LEVEL 5

LEADERSHIP 630

ASSESSED TUTORIAL : FILM STUDY

IN GOOD COMPANY

1. Identify two leaders in the movie?

Dan Foreman and Carter Duryea

Dan Foreman

a) Leadership Style

Dan Foreman had charismatic leadership style. According to (Daft, 2008) “charismatic leaders are those who have the ability to encourage and motivate other people to do more than there would normally do”. Person with charismatic leadership styles has a great concern in scanning and reading their surrounding and are able to pick up the mood and concern of individual and big audience. According to the movie The Good Company Dan took the responsibility to inform the workers when there were fired from their job because he was really concerned about their feeling and he knew he would be able to comfort them since he was the old staff and the staff was hired by him. He also had responsibility towards his family.

b) Effectiveness of a leader

Dan was considered as a effective leader. He was loyal to his employee and motivate them. Workers respected and trusts him he was outspoken person and stand for his employees. He had a great responsibility towards his family. He love his wife and children lot. He was so effective as a father when he saw Alex and Carter working together at his birthday party he was really concerned about that but didn’t say anything. Instead he follow Carter next day to see where he goes and then he saw Carter and Alex having coffee together he got really angry that he punched Carter. He was really concerned about his daughter since she was still in college.

c) Type of Power

Dan held referent power which comes from leaders personality characteristics and where people respect and admire his ability. Carter who was the new boss for the company respected him lot he also had charisma power which mean it have positive influence on workers. Also has ability to create the chance for interpersonal pressure.

d) How the power was used

Dan used his power in a good way since he was very effective and when he speaks people would listen to him. People respect him due to his power and leadership style. He tries hard to save his job and company. Also he used his power in good way towards his family.

Carter Duryea

a) Leadership Style

Carter Duryea had transactional leadership style. According to (Daft, 2008)” transactional leadership is a exchange process between leaders and followers. Followers needs and desires are recognise and then clarifies is made on how to satisfy it.” According to the movie Carter was appointed as the head of marketing for the Sports America magazine so that he can increase the sales for his company. Transactional leader are also considered as task oriented. He didn’t have much experience as the head position since he was still young and was in the stage of learning.

b) Effectiveness of a Leader

Carter was not effective leader since he didn’t have experience in the work which he was located since he had experience in his field of work also he was outspoken and was very convincing. He was also facing lot of personal problem since he was so focussed in his professional life and as not able to give time to his wife. He just had a divorce after 7 moth of married.

c) Type of Power

Carter held legitimate power which means it is a authority that is granted from a well known position in the company. In the movie Carter had a position in the company he was the head of marketing. He held this power because he was very good in decision making, active, intelligent in his work and convinces people.

d) How he used his power

Carter also used his power in good and effective way. He power was used to motive people and identify common goal of the company. He also misuse his power to cost cut the expense for the company. He started firing the staff. Carter discuss this with Dan and he was really upset and that you can’t fire then because those staff are from my time I have hire them. Dan also mention that Iam paid more wages why not fire me instead. And Carter used his power in good way saying that I can fire you but think about responsibility you have.

2) Situation from movie identified that illustrates analysis for each leader. Leadership theories referred to support discussions above.

Situation that was chosen from the movie for both leaders were when Dan asked question to Teddy K when he was talking about put one section about computers in sports magazine suddenly Dan interpreted and asked Teddy K what he is trying to say which shows how effective he was while asking question and shows that he was listening to it. Leadership theories that Dan held was” influence theories which refers to leadership influence based not on position or formal authority but on the qualities and charismatic personality of the leader”( Daft, 2008). Dan didn’t held any formal position in the company but people respect him due to his qualities.

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Another situation was when Carter was discussing about sacking some workers from sales department. As he was a transactional leader he had to follow his companies rules and procedures. He had behaviour theories refers to what a leader actually do on the job and which relates to the content of managerial activities role and responsibilities. Since he was a head of department he had responsibility towards his job. Dan tried to save his old workers and suggested to Carter that his salary is more than workers why not sack him instead of others. But Carter can’t do much he had to listen to his boss and follow his orders.

3) Type of organisation, level of seniority and its effects on leader’s behaviour?

The movie Good Company is about a sports America magazine which is owned by Globecom, it is recognize as a national sports magazine where Dan had worked for 20 years as head of advertising sales department. But due to some problem company is bought by multimedia company and Carter is assign as a new boss. He had one of the most senior position in the company responsible for companies sales and managing staff. Also had power to rewards and punish anyone in the company. In the movie both the leaders are struggling to maintain their position and to get along with each other. Carter is half the age of Dan and he is still young learning the work. He thinks that he could to better for the work therefore he chose to replace Dan who is 51 years old and is a executive in his company. He feels uncomfortable to work with Carter. “Carter had highest level of seniority based due to his position in the company and becomes the boss of Dan and all workers has to his instructions and listen to his orders” (Uk essay,2014). This was due to legitimate power which Carter held. Dan didn’t have any legitimate authority after the company was taken over he just had a position on wingman in the company but still he had respect from his colleagues. He was given this position since he had lots of experience in his work.

4) Leadership theories referred to support discussions above.

Leadership theory that was illustrate to large extend in this movie was contingency theory. “The idea behind this theories is that leaders can analyse their situation and tailor their behaviour to improve leadership effectiveness” (Daft, 2008). Leader effectiveness in group is depend on two factors is change in situation and relation motivation or leader task. Leader who have high marks on scale are those people oriented than those who get less mark on scale is task oriented. According to the movie Dan had high mark in least preferred co workers because he was concern about his employees. Even he was ready to leave his job to save his co workers job. Carter had less mark on scale since he was only concern about his task. He hold a position in the company therefore he had to follows orders given by his boss and also be on management side. He doesn’t think about workers and fired some employees from the company.

5) Individual culture and its effect.

Culture played a very important role in Dan and Carter life. Dan is 51 year old with a very lovely family. He was happily married with two daughters he believed in honesty trustworthiness, charisma, reliability and has respect for everyone. Whereas Carter is 26 year old man newly married and is dumped by his wife just in 7 months of relationship as he had a promotion. Later he is having affair with Dan’s daughter. He had authority to reward and punish anyone in the company. He is always on management side and workers according to company policies and procedures. This happens in really life in many companies the management level workers are always on company side. Both leaders way of thinking was different Dan was more thinking about building and maintaining relationship. He had a good relationship with his co workers despite some workers been fired from work their still came to attend his birthday party. Dan also had better relationship with his daughter when he saw pregnancy kit in the dustbin he was so worried and thought that it is Alex. He goes and talk with Alex and tell her that if you have any problem always come and discuss with me. Whereas Carter way of thinking was a corporate world he was thinking about bottom dollar. He didn’t think about his personal life he just work hard to get promotion but as soon as he get this his wife leaves him. At the work he was just sacking the staff to reduce the cost and make profit. He was so money minded.

6) Other leadership concepts and ideologies that was identify in the movie ?

i) Other leadership concepts and ideologies that was identify in the movie were building and maintaining relationship both personal and professional. Dan was able to balance his relationship both personal and professional he takes out time for his wife and kids often go out and play tennis. Dan keeps his professional life at work and does not discuss anything at home during family time. Whereas Carter was not able to keep his personal and professional life balance. Due to his professional he was not able to give time to his wife which lead to separation after 7 month of relationship.

ii) Responsibility was the other concepts Dan had a great responsibility towards his family. He was the only breadwinner in the family he had to look after his wife, two teenage daughter who were in college. His older daughter Alex moved out to live on her own and Dan had to take second mortgage to meet all his expenses. On top of his wife was pregnant with their third child. He also had responsibility towards his work he tried hard to save his job and magazine towards the end of the movie he goes out and do door to door sale. Dan was so concerned towards his daughter when he saw Alex and Carter together he was so angry that he punched Carter he was so protective.

iii) Set Example is the other leadership concept that was identified in the movie. Dan set good example to Carter. In the end when Carter was out of job Dan offered him a position in the company. Carter was happy and he said that I will be grateful to get the job and since I have learn so many things from you but he was not sure what he want to do. Dan set good example to Carter in regards to professional life. iv) Respectful is other concept that was identified in the movie. Dan had worked for 20 years in the company and he had lot of respect from all his co workers. Dan had demotion from his position and Carter become the new boss but still all the workers listen to Dan. He was a senior staff and Carter also respected him and was eager to learn more from him. Carter also respected Dan’s family when the first time he went to visited them he said this the type of family and home Iam looking for. Also other concept can be believing in what you are doing Dan had believe that he can save his job and magazine. He goes out with Carter for door to door sale to save the magazine since he was give 24 hours time. He believe that he can do it and he was able to do it. From this concept we come to know that if you believe in something and works towards it you will be successful in your life.

References

Daft R L & Pirola-Merlo (2008). The leadership experience: Asia Pacific edition 1. Melbourne: Cengage Learning.

UK essay (2014) The Whale Rider Movie Theology Religion Essay http://www.ukessays.com/essays/theology/the-whale-rider-movie-theology-religion-essay.php

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