Jillian Rudzki

OGL200 Paper 7

Paper 7
Part 1: First view the video located under write in module 7 and then
drawing from the Cultural Dimensions of Leadership discussed on pages
365-368 answer the following questions:
1. What were some of the cultural misunderstandings that occurred at this
meeting?
Tom didnt understand the family values that Fernando had, He didnt
fulfil Tasleems need for getting to know each other. Sachiko is used to the
boss handling all of the important information and just tells others what to do
and Omar comes culture is to please people and to try and do whatever is
asked of them without question. Also, Toms greeting of each individual on
the team was not welcoming or inviting. He didnt take the time to learn how
each of these cultures handles greetings.

2. How did each of the participants view the interactions that took place?
1. Tom: (was trying to create a participative leadership team)
Came right into the meeting expecting everyone to know exactly
what he needed. He didnt seem to have any prior
communication with the team with what his expectations would
be. He was disappointed that they didnt understand what his
needs were.

2. Omar: (High Collectivistic value) Wanted to please Tom so was

very agreeable. He wasnt able to tell Tom he couldnt do the
task in the time frame. He wanted to talk to Tom and discuss it
together.

3. Sachiko: (High Power Distance Culture) She thought that

because Tom was in charge he would be giving them all the
necessary information. She didnt understand why she would
need to provide information that Tom should have.

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OGL200 Paper 7

4. Tasleem: (High Uncertainty Avoidance) She was hoping to be

a part of a team and get to know each other. She wanted to build
relationships not just get right to work. She wanted to be
prepared for what type of people she would be working with in
the future.

5. Fernando: (looking for a manager with humane orientation)

was disappointed that his family values meant nothing to Tom.
Wasnt planning on staying at this job because his values
seemed unimportant to Tom.

3. If you were Tom the team leader what would you have done differently to
ensure a healthy and productive meeting?
The first thing I would have done would to have explained my
expectations of the meeting before my arrival. I would have called
or emailed the team and explained exactly what would be needed
for this first meeting. I also would have asked for the opinion of the
team on how they might feel most comfortable at this first meeting.
I would not have chosen to meet at a restaurant if work was
planned. A restaurant meeting to me signifies that some
socialization will be going on. If I knew that we would not have time
for proper introductions I would have set up either a conference call
so everyone could get to know one another or maybe had a quick
introductory time included in the meeting to get to know the whole
team. It would also be useful to read more about my team and find
out why they were chosen for this specific project and see who
recommended them and why. Tom should have spoken to Fernando
early and try to understand the importance of rescheduling the
meeting, I would have maybe offered up that Fernando could leave
early to attend the party but they he maintain communication with
the team either through email, text, or a chatting option of some
kind. Tom didnt do any research regarding the people he was going
to work with. He assumed they worked just like he did and that
created tension in the team. It may actually be hard for Tom to
correct his action and there will probably be animosity and conflict
throughout the existence of this particular team.

Jillian Rudzki
OGL200 Paper 7

Part 2: Managers Workshop - Assessment and Reflection

Reflection:
Looking back at my self-assessments from the beginning of the class
and now I can see some changes. My job satisfaction survey numbers all
increased except for my pay satisfaction. When looking back I realized that
there is more to like with the company that I work for. I was able to look at
the company and see that I know value more things the company has to
offer than I did when starting this class. My highest areas are Supervision
and Career Future. My satisfactory with supervision was high in the
beginning of class also. I am lucky to have a manager who is understanding
and leads by example. She is also very focused on teaching and training and
is willing to help anyone on their career goals. She is an amazing manager
and I really work well with her management style. My career Future
satisfaction has gone up since the start of class. I believe know I have a
better understanding of how I can effectively move forward within the

Jillian Rudzki
OGL200 Paper 7

company. This class has helped me realize I have the ability to become a
good leader and I am now more motivated to continue my education and to
continue my growth within the company.
My Motivational Style results actual went up in all areas. At the
beginning of class I started with 3.1 in Theory Y vs. Theory X, 2.9 in
Employee Participation, and 5.0 in Employee importance. Taking the
assessment again I now have 3.9, 3.7, and 5.0. I believe I know have a better
understanding for the importance of employee participation. This class has
helped me understand that just because you are a leader doesnt mean that
you have to make all the decisions. It is actually often better to allow
employees to participate in making decisions. Their participation can
improve morale, enhance their needs and promote good communication. A
good leader learns when to take the reins and when to let others take the
lead.
I am truly impressed that my ideas and vision of good leadership has
changed since taking this class. I never really imagined that there was an
actual strategy to being a good leader. I always assumed you were either
born with it or not. I know understand that there might be certain
characteristics a person is born with but that those characteristics dont
necessarily make them a good leader. Learning to identify what your strong
characteristics are and utilizing the in a manner consistent with being a good
leader is something most people are capable of. Once you can learn to

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OGL200 Paper 7

identify your style of leadership you can start enhancing your skills and
educating yourself on become a better leader.
I have to say that at first I thought the managers workshop program
was not going to be very useful. After doing the first two scenarios I was
impressed. Having an opportunity to try out my management style is a great
way to fine tune your skills. For example with one of the employees I initially
thought maybe I should just fire them and be done with it, but after thinking
about it I took a different approach. I thought about how this could be
someone I work with know and what I would do if I was actually the person
deciding someones future with the company. Realizing that you have so
much control over another persons success was a valuable lesson. You dont
really understand how your decisions might affect another person but these
simulated scenarios really helped me put what I learned to work. When
should you put more effort into an employee and when do you cut your
losses. I found the Manger workshop scenarios very helpful.
There was so much to be learned in this class. One of the things I found
very interesting were the NY Times articles. I never realized how many
articles in the news can be used to help identify leadership issues and
concerns. So many articles were relevant to leadership. In the past I would
have read an article just for its basic information and move on. I have now
noticed that when I am reading a news article now I actually take a few
minutes to reflect. I look at the articles with different eyes. I sometimes

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OGL200 Paper 7

create questions about how this situation would or would not work in a
corporation, or how I would change the situation if I was the one being
discussed in the article. It has really been a great tool in learning to identify
that many things that are happening around us ca be used to help us
understand or practice our own leadership roles and skills.
I do have to admit that some of the information in the textbook was a
little dry. There were so many studies and statistics that sometimes I think
the information actually got lost in translation. I did find the summaries and
the case studies at the end of the chapters very helpful. They helped me to
process some of the information that I had just read and look at it in terms of
a real life situation. For me, being able to see it function in a real scenario is
helpful for retaining the information.
Finally, I have to say that I have changed as a person since taking this
class. I am working on building up my own personal leadership qualities. I
have started to identify what I see has my strengths and my weaknesses.
One weakness of mine is creating a solid plan and providing the information
to others. I have actually started to create a daily plan for myself at work. I
identify what I want to accomplish and why. I treat myself as a leader and a
subordinate. I tell myself the importance of my job and I try and motivate
myself to get the day started. Throughout the day I write down little updates
about what I have accomplished and what I have struggled with. By the end
of the week I have a mini meeting with myself and discuss how I might have

Jillian Rudzki
OGL200 Paper 7

done things differently or what I might need to do to be more productive next

week. It really has been a great tool in enhancing my own personal
leadership skills.
I am walking away with a new outlook on what it means to be a leader.
I now have tools to help me progress in my school, personal, and career
goals.