As a leader in a learning organization, you will have many chances to deal with different people and a variety of challenges. Take a look at the following case study for an example of a real-life challenge faced by a leader in the field.
Read“Case Study 7.1: Going Digital” on p. 385 in Ch. 7 of
Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership: Casting Light or Shadow.
Create
a 5- to 7-minute video in which you:
- Determine what initial steps Alicia Pia should take when arriving at
South Town.
- Explain how Alicia Pia should frame the change to employees at
South Town Press
(e.g., What ethical messages should she communicate? What alternative frames might be offered by workers and subscribers?).
- Explain the advantages Alicia Pia has, as well as obstacles Pia faces, in communicating high expectations to the entire staff.
- Explain how Alicia Pia can foster self-efficacy in her entire staff.
- Explain how Alicia Pia can use indirect channels to communicate high expectations to each individual member of her leadership team.
Note: You may use Screencast-o-matic®, Vimeo®, YouTube®, Microsoft® Stream, or any other resource approved by your instructorto create yourvideo.
Includea transcript of yourvideoin a Microsoft Word document.
Citeat least 3 peer-reviewed scholarly sourcesto support your response.
Format
your references page according to APA guidelines and add it to your transcript document.
1131486 - SAGE Publications, Inc. (US) © iber base for traditional newspapers is shrinking as more people access their news through phones, tablets, and computers. The chain’s owners believe that going to a digital format will ensure that its publications survive. Converting to a digital format is a major challenge, particularly for a newspaper with a long history like South Town. Every aspect of the operation will be impacted, including the news department, advertising, and circulation. The electronic version of the paper will be much shorter, requiring layoffs in the newsroom. At the same time, new technical support staff will be hired. Alicia Pia has been assigned as the new publisher at South Town Press to oversee the transition. Pia has a long history in the newspaper business. She believes that journalism is more important than ever given recent attacks on the media. Alicia recently led the move to digital publishing at another of the company’s papers in the Midwest. That transition succeeded but at a high cost. Employees didn’t think they could make the change, which slowed the process, and some quit. Salespeople struggled to sell digital ads and the number of online subscriptions was low at first, though circulation eventually rebounded. Some of the initial digital editions of the paper crashed due to technical problems. Alicia wants to learn from her prior experience to ensure a smoother switch over at South Town Press. She believes that South Town employees have the ability to make the change but, like the staff at her last post, lack confidence in their ability to do so. She also knows that layoffs will initially lower employee morale. Pia takes a couple of days before arriving at South Town to develop a strategy for the transition. In addition to all the technical details, she gives careful thought to whom she needs to influence and what she wants to communicate to each group and individual. She knows she wants to boost the confidence of both the entire staff of 40 while setting a high standard for her leadership team made up of the news editor, information systems manager, circulation manager, and advertising manager. She wants all employees to know that they are doing important work that supports a greater cause—a free press. However, she is not sure how he should go about conveying these messages to her staff and team. Discussion Probes 1. How should Alicia frame this change to employees at South Town Press? What ethical messages should she communicate? What alternative frames might be 1131486 - SAGE Publications, Inc. (US) © offered by workers and subscribers? How should she respond to these interpretations? 2. What obstacles does Pia face in communicating high expectations to the entire staff? What advantages does she have? 3. What initial steps should Alicia take when arrives at South Town? 4. How can the new publisher foster self-efficacy in her entire staff? Promote a learning orientation? 5. How can Pia use indirect channels to communicate high expectations to each individual member of her leadership team? CASE STUDY 7.2 DON’T MESS WITH THE MOUSE: LABOR NEGOTIATIONS AT DISNEY Disney employees were excited to learn that they would be getting a $1,000 bonus after the federal government lowered the tax rate for major corporations. The Disney company announced that it would give a portion of a $1.6 billion tax windfall to 125,000 nonmanagement workers. The excitement was short-lived, however, for the company’s union employees. Disney officials threatened to withhold the bonus unless members of the Service Trades Council Union representing housekeepers, kitchen staff, shop clerks, and other low-wage employees ratified the company’s latest contract offer. Ninety-three percent of the union membership had previously rejected the contract proposal, which called for a 50-cent an hour raise over two years with a $200 bonus. Union leaders cried foul, claiming that the company was engaged in “extortion,” punishing members who had vot