5007HRM – Principles of Management and Leadership

Seminar – Week 5

Queen’s Award Shortlisted for Top 100 in the World Joint Top Modern University
for Enterprise University of the Year for ‘International Outlook’ for Career Prospects
International Trade 2022 The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 THE World University Rankings 2022 Guardian University Guide 2021 and 2022
 CW 1 & 2 Reminder
• This assignment is an individual assignment.
• This assignment requires you to answer the two questions set
out below. You have recently been appointed as the lead
consultant to help a global hospitality company. Please pick a
company of your choice.
• You have been asked to prepare a 2000 word report for the
board of directors on the following:
1) Analyse your chosen company’s internal environment and
discuss how organisational success can be achieved?
2) Evaluate various leadership theories/models and how these
can be effectively applied to gain competitive advantage?
 Submission: The assessment must be submitted by
28/02/2024. No paper copies are required. You can access
the submission link through the module webpage.
 Formatting of submission – Microsoft Word and not
PDF/Penalty of decuction for exceeding word limit by
10% or more
You have been tasked to prepare a report for the HR
Director on the following issues aimed at managing
employees in order to sustain and maintain
organisational effectiveness:
1. Identify the key skills and knowledge that managers
and leaders require to be effective (1000 words).
2. Reflect and discuss how the relevant
leadership/managerial skills and knowledge can be
used/incorporated within your chosen hospitality
company and outline the behaviours that may have a
positive impact on organisational success (1000
words).
• Submission: 02/04/2024
 Formatting of submission – Microsoft Word and
not PDF/Penalty of deduction for exceeding word
limit by 10% or more
Case Study 1: Leadership Skills and Attributes
The Smith Brothers: A Low-Key Approach to Gaining – and keeping – Organisational Power

• Two brothers who are both CEO’s of major companies? That’s certainly a rarity in the modern world of business. But it
is exactly the situation for the Smith brothers, John and Michael. John is chairman of General Motors (FGM), while his
brother Mike is the retired CEO of Hughes Electonics, Corp., a leading telecommunication and satellite company that
GM owns. So, both are powerful persons. But how did they acquire so much power and such a high level of success?
• People who know them well note that, even as children, they showed tremendous interest in business. Sally Mahoney,
who knew the Smith brothers and their parents, recalls that as children, they loved playing board games, especially
Monopoly.
• Although they attended different schools, the Smith brothers were both described by people who knew them as bright,3
hardworking and unassuming. “Ego doesn’t show” says M. Hoglund, a retired GM executive who worked with both
brothers. “They are great guys to work around and, as a result, generate a lot of loyalty”. David Cole, director of the
University of Michigan’s Centre for the Study of Automotive Transportation, says, “Jack will walk down the halls, his
head down, trying to be obscure, where the king would be looking around for recognition”.
• They are oriented towards their organisations rather than their careers, which seems to have played an important role in
their rise to power. Both Smith brothers are true team players, with genuine concern for the people with whom they
work as well as for the companies. Most top executives strongly prefer to gather power from their characteristics – their
charisma, expertise, and personality - rather than their position. The Smith brothers seem to understand this lesson very
well and have converted it into highly successful careers.
Case Study 2
• In March 2020 Harvey Weinstein was convicted of rape and sentenced to serve twenty-three years in
prison. The one-time mogul and powerhouse in Hollywood, co-founder of Miramax, and producer of
many successful films, was revealed to have used his power to rape and exploit more that ninety women.
His conviction ‘capped a precipitous fall from power for Mr. Weinstein that started in October 2017
when, after years of rumours, several women openly accused him of sexual assault and harassment
leading to the #MeTwo movement and awareness of the extent of sexual harassment in workplaces and
society more generally.

• One of the underlying features of these stories is the imbalance of power that exists in these elite4
occupations. According to a 2019, of the top roles such as directors and writers were done by women.
Film producer Christine Vachon stated that this creates a certain culture: ‘powerful men in business could
do what they wanted’. Speaking about this issues on BBC Radia 4’s Today programme, Labour MP Lucy
Powell stated that when you have many people wanting to work in an area but very few jobs, you have an
imbalance of power between those that might be able to offer you employment and also those who might
be able to give you a leg-up in terms of advancement … with this sort of power abuse can thrive.
Questions
1. How might you describe the leadership ‘personalities’ of the Smith brothers in
comparison with Harvey Weinstein? Draw on the text from the cases provided to
illustrate your comments.

2. Case 1 suggests that the Smith brothers did not acquire much of their ‘power’
through their roles (Legitimate Authority) but through something else. Drawing
on the case, where do they draw their ‘power’ from? How does this differ from
5
Harvey Weinstein?

3. How might you minimise the abuses of power in an organisation, illustrated in the
Harvey Weinstein case?
Thank you for engaging