Aspects of Kirk's and Malcolm's Management Style that Contribute to Their Effectiveness - Essay Example

Aspects of Kirk's and Malcolm's Management Stylethat Contribute to Their Effectiveness1. What aspects of Kirk's (and Malcolm's) management style do you think contribute to their effectiveness or ineffectiveness?  Malcolm Frank’s management style sets Neverwire apart from its competition because he does business not just for profit, but rather to transform the industry. One may describe him a visionary (Price, 2008, p. 3) – he saw an opportunity that no one else did. From this vision, he made a big move by setting up his own business, despite the fact that he was already employed in a secure position, and receiving a good salary.

He understood that in order for people to work in the same condition, they must be engaged in a wider vision, one that is no longer about creating a huge bottom line, but rather, about creating a new way of handling business (Price, 2008, p. 2). He was concerned about the profit they can make, but it was not the sole driver of the business, but rather, the quality of results they can produce for their own clients. He made sure that everyone in his team knew where the business was headed, hence, in this way, he was able to coordinate their efforts, thereby allowing them to ride through the problems that the company was facing.

Like most of the managers of Neverwire, it is precisely the vision of Frank that led Kirk Arnold to join the company. Unlike Frank who wanted to have the right people in the company, Arnold focused on ensuring that their people knew what they need to do. By streamlining the operations and processes of the company, she was able to ensure teamwork and produce results that will guarantee the Neverwire’s sustainability. She became the model employee that she wants her team to be. Yet, aside from being a skilled manager, Arnold also had a personal approach, always commending effort, and coaching those who need improvement.

Frank and Arnold are the perfect partners for managing the company – one provided the “bigger picture” while the other provided the “inner work”. While one of them was busy ensuring that their people knew what they were trying to achieve, the other one was busy ensuring that their people had the right tools to get the work done right. Together, they make good complements.2. What are the key female gender stereotypes when it comes to leadership? Consider Kirk, do you find any evidence for or against these stereotypes?

What factors (including her personal attributes) do you think might have contributed to her success in the business world?  In a research conducted by Alice Eagly and Linda Carli (2003), they mentioned several female gender stereotypes in leadership. Some of them are: (a) Women are more communal, they are attributed with characteristics such as warmth and selflessness and they lack assertiveness and instrumentality which people think are important distinctions of a leader (Eagly & Carli, 2003, p. 818); (b) Women are emotional, hence are unable to make objective decisions.

Kirk Arnold however, one will see that the stereotypes are somewhat correct, but she was able to use it to her advantage. For example, her emotionality allowed Arnold to commend and appreciate her team explicitly, hence motivating them. Her sense of communality allowed her to interact with different kinds of people and get their inputs about different issues. However, the interpretations of women’s characteristics does not fit her. Her people describe he as “very direct, honest, aggressive, but still down to earth” (Price, 2008b, p.3). From this alone, one will realize that she was able to use her inherent qualities as a female, and combine it with her skills as a leader, in order to bring in results.

Works CitedEagly, A., & Carli, L. (2003). The female leadership advantage: An evaluation of evidence. The Leadership Quarterly, 14, 807-834.Price, A. (2008a). Malcolm Frank. Harvard Business School2, 402(021), 1-6.Price, A. (2008b). Kirk Arnold. Harvard Business School, 402(020), 1-6.