1. Path-goal leadership is about how leaders can help followers reach their goals. Generally, what are the goals for the students in each of the different orchestras? What obstacles do they face? In what way does Martina help them address obstacles and reach their goals?
2. Based on the principles of expectancy theory described in the chapter, why is Martina effective with the elementary- and middle-school orchestras? Why do both of these groups seem motivated to play for her? In what ways did she change her leadership style for the middle-school students?
3. Martina's competencies as a musician do not seem to help her with the students who are becoming disinterested in orchestra. Why? Using ideas from expectancy theory, what would you advise her to do to improve her leadership with the high-school orchestra?
4. Achievement-oriented leadership is one of the four major kinds of path-goal leadership. For which of the three orchestras do you think this style would be most effective? Discuss.
Martina Bates is the newly hired orchestra teacher who oversees orchestras for the elementary, middle, and high schools in her area. Martina has success leading the elementary orchestra because she focuses on technique and form and helps the kids feel as though they can play their instruments. At the middle-school level, Martina consistently provides friendly competition and rewards to enhance players' skills and motivation. She has some success at this level, particularly because players generally have higher level skills and want to play in the spring concert. The high-school orchestra is quite small, and Martina regularly teaches these students advanced-level techniques and skills and provides them with challenging music. Despite individual attention and hard work by Martina, the students at the high-school level often want to quit.
This case study allows students to decipher the needs of three distinct groups of followers and then analyze how the leader should behave in order to motivate these followers.