Leadership - Case Study: The Notorious Business Professor

1. Eastern Macedonia & Thrace Institute of
Technology
Dept. of Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering
M.Sc. in Oil & Gas Technology
Course Assignment for Leadership:
"Case Study: The Notorious Business Professor"
Team Members:
F.Zachopoulos, S. Kosteroglou, S. Kyriakidis
E. Michailidi, A. Mitsis
Kavala, November 2014

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CASE STUDY: THE NOTORIOUS
BUSINESS PROFESSOR
Steve is one of eight professors in the business school at a large, public university. His
job responsibilities include teaching two classes per semester, developing a
management research program, and advising and developing PhD candidates. He has
been at the school for five years and has worked extremely hard to get tenure. Student
ratings of his undergraduate classes are fairly solid; most students rated Steve as being
an above average teacher in terms of their enjoyment, his level of knowledge, and his
ability to stimulate critical thinking in class. Steve has already published several
articles in some of the top management journals and has won several prestigious
awards for outstanding research. Because of his research, Steve is on the fast track to
becoming one of the top researchers in his field and already has a national reputation
for his work. However, Steve has had a woeful track record with respect to
developing and graduating PhD candidates. Steve has yet to be on a PhD dissertation
committee or be an advisor to any PhD candidate in the program.
As the dean of the business school, you believe Steve's problems with attracting and
graduating PhD candidates may stem from a number of factors. First, Steve does not
believe the business school nor the PhD candidates are very good, despite the fact that
the school has a national reputation for excellence. Steve graduated with honors from
another nationally renowned business school, and often openly comments about how
difficult his program was compared to your program. Steve also believes few of the
PhD candidates are worthy of his attention, and although he had hired more than 12 of
them over the past three years to work as research assistants in his management
research program, none lasted more than two years. Virtually all of the research
assistants believed Steve wanted too much of their time and effort and that he was
insensitive to their plight as graduate students. Perhaps Steve's attitude towards his
research assistants was best summed up when he fired his most senior research
assistant for not being able to help with a series of laboratory studies being conducted
over a particular weekend. You later found out the research assistant asked Steve to
delay the laboratory studies so that he could attend his uncle's funeral. Steve said the

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experiments were crucial and could not be delayed any longer. The research assistant
said nothing could deter him from attending his uncle's funeral, and Steve fired the
assistant immediately after he returned from the funeral. Along these lines, when PhD
candidates were giving seminar presentations to the other students and professors in
the business school, Steve would take every opportunity to ask questions designed
solely to make himself look brilliant and the presenter look incompetent and foolish.
You have received numerous complaints from both the graduate students and several
of the professors in your school about Steve's behavior.
Second, Steve's work schedule is designed to minimize his contact with others; he
works from 2:00 PM until 6:00 AM every day of the week (including Saturdays and
Sundays). Moreover, if for some reason students do want to see him, then they had to
schedule an appointment. Steve would usually schedule his meetings with students for
8:00 PM on Friday or Saturday nights.
Because of his unusual work hours, one of Steve's biggest claims to fame among
graduate students was his role in preventing a computer theft from taking place at
school at 3:00 AM on a Saturday morning, which just so happened to also be
Christmas morning.
Third, Steve's difficulties in attracting and developing PhD candidates may be related
to his age and his previous experience in dealing with others. Steve is a relatively
young PhD - he went to graduate school immediately after college and some of the
PhD candidates in the business school are older than he is. Steve also went through a
very competitive graduate program in which individual, rather than cooperative and
collaborative efforts were encouraged. Similarly, Steve has never had a "real" job, and
his current position is the first ever giving him authority over others.
As the dean of the business school, you are well aware of the fact that Steve has
managed to bring in over $600,000 in corporate and government grants in support of
his management research program, and this program has made a considerable
contribution to the prestige of the business school and accounts for over 50 percent of
the school's research budget. You are also aware that Steve's reputation among
graduate students is becoming so notorious that it is beginning to affect the applicant
pool for the graduate school. Many of the graduate students are beginning to tell
applicants to go somewhere else for their degree if at all possible, and the six

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applicants accepted into the school last year opted to go to other programs. Although
the department has never been particularly cohesive and you have never had close
relationships with most of the other professors in the business school, you feel Steve's
behavior has caused these relationships to be more strained than ever before.
A year from now you will make a decision concerning Steve's tenure. Three of the
school’s professors have been direct recipients of Steve's research (in terms of money
and publications) and think he should be given tenure. The other four professors
believe Steve's behavior is inexcusable, and granting Steve tenure will reward his
condescending attitude towards students and will make his dismissal in the future
virtually impossible. Steve has scheduled a meeting with you this afternoon, and
wants to know what he can do to improve his chances for getting tenure. What will
you do?

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 STEPS
In order to analyze the above case study, the four-step process (Judith Gordon, 1983),
was followed:
 List the facts of the case
 Describe the problems in the case
 Apply relevant theoretical models to diagnose the problems more completely
 Offer a prescription or plan to remedy the problems
 FACTS OF THE CASE
The first step of the assignment is recognizing the facts shown in the case. The
following lists indicate the advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
 Above average teacher for undergraduates (enjoyment, level of knowledge,
stimulates critical thinking).
 Rich research work.
 Award winner.
 Profitable research work (over 50% of the school's research budget).
 Interested and willing to improve his chances for tenure.
Disadvantages:
 Has yet to be on dissertation committee or an advisor.
 Continuously compares his program to our program and recognizes ours on
less demanding regarding our national reputation.
 Over-demanding to PhDs candidates.
 Pretentious.
 Awkward working hours aloof.
 Young at age - weak communication skills.
 Notorious that effects the applicants' pool.
 Division of opinions among colleagues.

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Leader
SituationFollowers
 PROBLEMS DESCRIPTION
Steve underestimates school's program and candidates although the school is
nationally recognized. It is a fact that none of the students he hired, worked with him
more than two years because they consider that requires much of their tie and effort
and that he is insensitive.
His general offensive behavior has resulted too many complaints from both the
students and the professors. Steve's appointment hours cause others difficulties to
communicate with him. His young age and lack of experience are barriers for many
PhD students.
Although he brings a high profit from his research, the university is threatened by
losing many candidates due to his bad reputation. His behavior has caused tense
relationships among staff members.
 APPLICATION OF THEORETICAL MODELS FOR PROBLEM
DIAGNOSIS
Steve doesn't behave like a manager nor a leader. He remains isolated and works
awkward hours. Although strongly committed to his scientific research, his lack of
ability to communicate, has caused many problems.
He is individualistic and simultaneously acts judgmentally towards the business
school and its students. In detail, according to the following scheme, we notice the
interaction between leader, followers and situation.
FIGURE 1. FRAMEWORK FOR ANALYZING LEADERSHIP

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Steve, as a leader, has expertise and although very goal-oriented, he is unable to
understand and embrace the principles within the academic environment. Young at
age, his cognitive abilities are restrained due to his insensitivity, autocratic behavior
and withdrawn personality.
From the followers’ aspect, they are eager to continue their studies in PhD level and
seeking for a mentor. Although Steve has excellent academic background and a strong
position in the school, their relationship cannot thrive resulting to current students
wanting to abandon the university. In addition, his bad reputation provokes rumors
and prevents future candidates entering the program.
All the above factors have stimulated a stressful environment within the academic
community. Relationships among colleagues are more strained than ever. Under these
circumstances, the university’s objectives and visions, cannot flourish.
As a dean and leader of the school, our role is to maintain the university's vision and
mission goals. We aim on excellence both in the academic and financial sector. Let us
not forget underestimate our managerial role as well. The university is an organization
dealing with threats and opportunities.
 PRESCRIPTION FOR PROBLEM REMEDATION
A whole new perspective is suggested. Taking into consideration Steve's willingness
to improve, we will first of all, underline his academic superior knowledge and his
contribution to our school. Only after having inspired him, we will go in detail and
suggest specific paths.
Emphasizing on the fact that he is a constituent part of our community, we will
encourage him to become approachable to his students and pass knowledge
effectively. Professor and student are two inseparable elements that interact and
operate bidirectionally in order to achieve high level academic performance.
In our case, the above not only do not occur but many candidates wish to quit. We
understand that his lack of experience in authorizing others, may put strains in his
ability to work in a team, but learning to meander is essential not only for his general
reputation but also for his tenure.

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Closing the conversation, we would ask Steve to make suggestion on improving the
situation, looking forward to hearing what he has to say.
Figure 2, shows the double-loop learning facts, used in the above essay.
FIGURE 2. DOUBLE-LOOP LEARNING FACTS FOR THE CASE