Journal of Modern Accounting and Auditing, August 2018, Vol. 14, No.

8, 425-430
doi: 10.17265/1548-6583/2018.08.004
D DAVID PUBLISHING

Management and Leadership: A Case Study

Diana El Rabih
Monty Holding, Beirut, Lebanon

In this paper, we show the difference between management and leadership through a case study, by presenting a
management situation in a company and by studying the facts in this situation, the events in this situation, the
analysis of these facts and events, and the learned lessons from this case study. We analyze in this case study the
managerial situation especially for a manager X in our case study, who had some flaws in his style of
management leaking of leadership. We learn some general and specific lessons in relation to our studied
managerial situation. Our analysis proposes multiple improvements of this managerial situation especially for the
manager X by combining his management skills with his leadership skills. We show through this case study the
main differences between the management and the leadership. Also, we illustrate in this paper the interest to
combine leadership skills with management skills for the manager X in our studied managerial situation and to
adapt the management styles for the manager X according to the managerial situation.

Keywords: leadership, leadership styles, management

Introduction
In this paper, we will provide a description of a managerial situation in a company in terms of facts and
events, and then, we will conduct an analysis of this situation by using the concepts of leadership and
management. Also, we will describe the lessons learned through this experience those we aim to apply. Our
following analysis proposes multiple improvements of this managerial situation especially for the manager X
by combining his management skills with his leadership skills. We show through this case study the main
differences between the management and the leadership.
Leadership is prior to management; it is defined as the ability to influence. The leadership is accessible to
all. Ideally, the leader is one who, from all sources influence, favors learning from others of the quality of its
own conduct. And thanks to the identification of its own behavior on the part of others, he managed to
maximize its influence, that is to say, to ask little to get what he wants. It is through behavior that a manager
can access to leadership.
Leadership is the ability to guide, direct, orient, decide, and synthesize if necessary, to communicate,
decide. Leading does not mean to show outrageous power. The leader has enough personal dimensions to step
back, a distance that ensures its lucidity. He must be aware of its power, knowing the needs and the limits that
are personal to him.

Diana El Rabih, Master Degree & Engineering Degree, R&D Executive, Research and Development Department, Monty
Holding, Beirut, Lebanon.

 
426 MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP: A CASE STUDY

The manager can develop, encourage, allow everyone to express themselves, to be proactive, to
integrate the objectives, and give permission to develop and optimize skills. The manager of the team fixes
goals. He will guide his employees towards these goals. He has knowledge, but not all knowledge.
In fact, there is an essential difference between leadership and management which is captured: Leadership
is setting a new direction or vision for a group that they follow: A leader is the spearhead for that new direction.
Leadership is about aligning people to the vision that means buy-in and communication, motivation, and
inspiration. Management controls or directs people/resources in a group according to principles or values that
have been established. Management is a set of processes that keep an organization functioning. The processes
are about planning, budgeting, staffing, clarifying jobs, measuring performance, and problem-solving when
results did not go to plan.
The difference between leadership and management can be illustrated by considering instances when there
is one without the other. Leadership without management sets a direction or vision that others follow, without
considering how the new direction is going to be achieved. Management without leadership controls resources
to maintain the status quo or ensure things to happen according to already-established plans. However, a referee
does not usually provide “leadership” because there is no new change, no new direction. There are many
different types of leadership (or management) style. Different situations, groups, or cultures may require the use
of different styles in order to set a direction or ensure that it is followed.

Facts and Events

In a company. we have a team of engineers, where X was the team manager and Y was the director of the
team. There was no project leader on this team but engineers orchestrating their development work by
providing specifications and within realization.
This manager X was not specialized in the technical aspect; he had no technical experience in the job. He
was not one who met all the technical issues. Y, the director of the team had the mastery of the technical
aspects of the work and great technical experience. So, it is Y that meets the technical issues instead of X and
in this case there was no technical leader in the team.
X was the manager of the team of engineers, so it made sense to manage the work of this team
engineers, set up goals, and ensure they are completed. In addition, X serves as the interface with the director
of the engineering team that was at the same time technical leader of this team.
We noticed that the manager uses X exaggerated directive style as a way to manage the team activities and
it does not take into account the competences and the autonomy of the team members or their professional
maturity. It adopts very directive style (autocratic style) and oriented undirected people productivity. In
addition, the manager X does not adapt its management style with this team according to the managerial
situation.

Analysis and Interpretation

The logical, analytical capacity, and strategic vision are important qualities for a manager. Obviously, a
manager must know how to organize and reflect. Also, emotional qualities are important to be a human
manager. A manager is above all a human being who lives, embodies what he thinks, what he says.

  
 MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP: A CASE STUDY 427

The Observed Dysfunctions

From our observations of this managerial situation, we find that many times with team members, the
manager X is afraid to lose its place. This fear leads to excessive exercise of power. The author thinks it is
better for the manager to have X reporting, to control things differently. If he uses this reporting to sharing
purposes, exchange, and then it will foster collective learning and team cohesion.
The Management Concerned With Productivity and People
The manager X adopts a management style affected only by productivity. This will have long-term
negative consequences for his team. The effectiveness of this management style adopted is the result of an
environment human intervenes at least in the work. Hence, the suggestion for the manager X to adopt a
management style concerned by people as well as by productivity: a management style in which the
performance of work resulting from the involvement of employees and interdependence leads them to
converge to a common issue, or a balanced management style in which adequate performance is obtained
through a balance between the need for performers while maintaining the moral of the people at a satisfactory
level.
The Balance of Management for a Successful Team
The manager X does not adopt a balanced management between productivity and people, and he has
not an effective strategy for long-term team. Indeed, in figure 1, leadership is represented by a bicycle that
must be balanced to move forward and have a successful team. In figure 1, we see that the leadership is based
on a strategy, a vision, and a mission in order to achieve goals and meet expectations. It can be oriented to
customers (more concentration on productivity) or oriented to people (more concentration on team members)
or can be a compromise of these two approaches (and it will be balanced).

Figure 1. Balance of Management.

The main elements of leadership are the boss and team members, communication between them and their

  
428 MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP: A CASE STUDY

customers, and return (feedback) of their clients or team members.

Adaptation of Management Depending on the Situation: Situational Management
The manager X does not change his style according to the situation and the skills of his team member or
their degree of autonomy. Indeed, every manager has a predominant management style. The predominant
style is not effective in all contexts. The situational management aims to identify levels of employee
development to adapt its management style. It therefore takes account both people and situations to make the
most of the energy expended and maximize the result of the team members.
The directive management style aims that those employees will be effective. He is more particularly
directed towards the task at hand.
The persuasive management style explains a lot. He argues, and is trying to convince. It unites,
encourages, supports, and promotes.
The participative management style aims that those employees will be stakeholders. It mobilizes, implies,
and proofs to be open.
The delegate management style is less present; it trusts the employees. It shows the tasks and results to
be achieved and leaves the employees implement their own action plans and their own methods.
In the following figure shows that each management style S (i) corresponds to a degree autonomy A (i) at
a level of competence (level of maturity).

Figure 2. Management Styles.

  
 MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP: A CASE STUDY 429

Appropriate Situations for Each Management Style

For the directive style: If there is an emergency, if the issue is important, if there is need to structure,
whether employees are not autonomous.
For the persuasive style: To encourage a fragile employee, to explain well the reason of a decision, and to
motivate employees.
For the participative style: To propose to solve all the problems not decisions, to listen very different
proposals, and for negotiating an action plan.
For delegate style: If the manager is sure of the quality of autonomy of its employees, if the means and the
information to a good result are given.
Unsuitable Conditions for Each Management Style
For the directive style: If the manager minimizes the autonomy of a collaborator.
For the persuasive style: If the manager hides the truth by good words, if the manager infantilizes its
employees.
For the participative style: If the manager let his staff find solutions while he has already made the
decision, if the manager does not distinguish negotiable non-negotiable, if the manager will call on his
collaborators on points without interest.
For delegate style: If the manager flees his responsibilities if the manager does not assume the
consequences of his delegation.

Learned Lessons
Based on our readings on leadership and several managerial situations we experienced, we were able to
draw the following lessons, which can serve as guide. We begin with the general lessons and then we turn to
coach related managerial situation described above.
Combining Leadership and Management Skills
The manager should combine his management skills with leadership skills according to the situation with
his team members.
Make Decisions
Good managers make good decisions.
Anticipate the Consequences of His Actions
Before taking a decision, the manager should evaluate all possible consequences according to the “dynamic
systems”.
Agree to Hear the Bad News
The manager should be immediately informed of the bad news that arrange not with time. There is no
point hiding things.
Do Not Decide in the Heat of the Moment
It is better to leave a period of reflection to do not react to his emotions.

  
430 MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP: A CASE STUDY

Take Responsibility
Take full responsibility for what is happening or has happened. If a team member does not understand his
instructions, the team manager cannot blame him. It is his role of leader to ensure that the team members
understand their instructions.
Pay Attention to His Ego
The manager must pay attention to his ego.
Keeping Things Simple
Complexity is the enemy of performance.
Private lessons related to the managerial situation described above:
Adapting management to the situation or team members. Performing situational management by
adapting management style according to the situation or depending on the maturity and autonomy of team
members.
Balancing management style. Making balanced management between productivity and people will
be better at the long term and makes the most successful team.
Do not fear losing his place. Do not be afraid of losing his place for not making the excess power.
Delegate or report if necessary.

Conclusions and Recommendations

We described in this paper the facts observed by us in this managerial position. Then, we analyzed the
situation managerial especially for the manager X who had some flaws in his style of management leaking of
leadership. We then learned lessons general and specific in relation to our studied managerial situation. Our
analysis in this paper proposes multiple improvements of this managerial situation especially for the manager X
by combining his management skills with his leadership skills. We show in this paper through this case study
the main differences between the management and the leadership, which are captured in our case study as
follow: Leadership is setting a new direction or vision for a group that they follow. A leader is the spearhead
for that new direction. Leadership is about aligning people to the vision that means buy-in and communication,
motivation and inspiration. Management controls or directs people/resources in a group according to principles
or values that have been established. Finally, we illustrate in this paper the interest to combine leadership skills
with management skills for the manager X in our studied managerial situation and to adapt the management
and leadership styles for the manager X according to the managerial situation.

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Santori, G. (2015). Management and leadership paper. Management 330, MGT 330.
The Institute of Leadership and Management. (2018). White Papers.