General Instructions

It seems like every week we are hearing about another scandal involving corporations, churches, universities, health-care organizations, political parties, NGO’s, and other organizations. Leaders are constantly pressured to cope with rapid change while balancing the demands of customers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders. The need for leaders who can sustain survival and still embody positive values within the organization has never been greater. The key task for leadership is to align the personal and professional values and ethics of individual employees with the organization’s culture and values.

This module’s discussion involves a two-part exercise where you will be asked to choose a new CEO from six possible candidates on the basis of the fit between the candidate and the organization’s values and culture. You will be assigned to one of three groups, each representing a different company.  Your assignment will be based on the last number of your Social Security Number. During the first week you will select your preferred candidate. The second week we will discuss these selections and implications for the organization as a large group. (This exercise is adapted from Reilly, A.H. and Ehlinger, S. (2007) Choosing a values-based leader:  An experiential exercise.  Journal of Management Education 31(2)245-262.)