Choosing a New Director of Research - Case Study Example

 Choosing a New Director of research Question 1: If you were Sandra, who would you select Based on the information offered, if I were Sandra, I would pick Thomas Santiago (Northouse, 2010). This is because he possesses leadership traits that exhibit integrity, honesty and respect of the top management. He also has experience, having worked for the organization for ten years without lapse in productivity. As a result, Thomas was instrumental in the launch of three new products to the local and international markets. Compared to Kelsey and Alexa, Thomas shows exemplary skills and qualities of a good leader, who can manage the company to prosper. Although the three candidates seem to be worthy candidates, Alexa and Kelsey tend to be more focused on elements of comfort and creativity than results (Northouse, 2010). In this regard, Thomas had previously shown similar traits through his accomplishments at GLF, which earned him the respect of his fellow colleagues. It is apparent that a good leader should be free with other workers in order to establish a good working relationship. Thomas is free with the other colleagues and share ideas with them because of his vast experience in the company. Sandra Coke should go for someone who is skilled and understands the market dynamics in order to capitalize on the new trends in the industry (Collins, 2014). Thomas deserved the promotion because of his previous experiences and honesty when dealing with other workers (Northouse, 2010). This shall enable to influence changes without resistance from the workers who also understand his abilities to produce good results. Question 2: In what ways is the trait approach helpful in this type of selection? The trait approach is useful in the type of recruitment because it makes it easy to recognize the leadership abilities of different individuals. Workers possess varied traits from each other that enable the management to identify the strengths of each party. The trait approach is also suitable since it aids in narrowing down the qualities of candidates on the managerial list. Organizations need to monitor the performance of their workers before promoting them to managerial positions (Northouse, 2010). This makes it appropriate for the management to enhance a smooth transition in the policymaking and distribution of tasks. Considering this, the trait approach is unique and helpful to choose candidates that show good qualities and experience in their duties. Choosing of workers based on traits is suitable than using the academic criteria that only focus on the skills acquired (Weth, 2007). It is essential to incorporate the skills acquired and the leadership traits in an individual to ensure that the chosen candidate is all-rounder person. Some organizations that depend on one aspect of the candidates normally face the consequences of ineffective workforce and poor decision-making strategies (Northouse, 2010). As a result, the use of trait approach was instrumental in selecting the most qualified candidates who can unite all workers towards a collective attainment of the organizational goals. It was also essential for the breaking down of different advantages possessed by the different candidates for various positions. The ability of an individual to strive under challenging working conditions determines his or her strength to help the company achieve its objectives (Weth, 2007). Question 3: In what ways are the weaknesses of the trait approach highlighted in this case? However, the trait approach also exposes some weaknesses in its usage. For instance, it entails a number of features possessed by most candidates, which makes it time consuming to narrow down the unique qualities. As a result, some of the traits may be easier to select compared to the others and this might not produce the required results. Other traits may also be beneficial or favorable to some candidates to give them the privilege of gaining promotion. For instance, Alexa, Kelsey and Thomas possessed similar positive traits in the approach table (Northouse, 2010). This required the use of more than one trait to make a decision on the most suitable applicant. The other weakness of the trait approach is that it does not consider the academic credentials of the applicants (Collins, 2014). Some candidates might be humble and experienced, but lack the academic skills to predict trends in their profession. A suitable leader should be instinctive and knowledgeable to deal with different workers from diverse backgrounds. Creativity emerges from the academic experiences and exposure to various situations and challenges that define the capabilities of a leader (Collins, 2014). The approach trait also exposes the weakness of dividing candidates into their shared and distinctive features that might not be accurate. This implies that some applicants might possess desirable traits, but fail to impress at the managerial duties (Northouse, 2010). Organizations need to implement trait approach that does not consider the inner qualities alone. This is because it might lead to exaggeration by the candidates who understand the habits of the colleagues. Skills Inventory Assignment The new research director possesses various skills that qualify him to be the preferred candidates between the two other individuals. For instance, Thomas is has good communication skills that enable him to interact with other employees. As a result, he can easily issue instructions to the junior employees to achieve the organizational goals. Thomas also has strong interpersonal skills that working in different teams and organizations. He is experienced to work under different conditions and relate with people from diverse backgrounds. The other vital skill that Thomas possesses is listening skills. Research directors should be good listeners when conducting their investigations in order to pick the details concerning the subjects. Good persuasion skills are also a positive way of communicating with others at the workstations. Skills Rate Communication Skills 8/10 Listening Skills 9/10 Persuasion Skills 8/10 Technical Skills 8/10 References Collins, J. (2014). Leadership qualities: Qualities of a good leader. Leipzig: Amazon. Press. Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership theory and practice. 4th ed. Sage Publications. Thousand Oaks. Pp. 27-28. Weth, A. (2007). Key leadership traits of an effective CIO for managing and developing teams in Culturally diverse work groups. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH. Read More