Case Study: Transforming Dynamics at Horizon Foundation

Horizon Foundation recently onboarded Emily as Vice-President to oversee fundraising and alumni services. Emily brings a wealth of experience from her illustrious marketing career, where she successfully led numerous fundraising initiatives for prominent national organizations. Analyzing this scenario through the lens of Organizational Behavior concepts sheds light on the unfolding dynamics.

Emily stepped into her role as Vice-President six months ago, greeted by a team she felt didn't meet her expectations. Comprising primarily of Millennials who are also Horizon alumni, they joined the organization right after graduation. Observing their camaraderie, Emily grew skeptical of their work ethic, attributing their closeness to potential laziness. She perceived this turnover as a consequence of her predecessors' inadequate hiring practices, necessitating her imposition of strict rules until she could restructure the team.

Despite her efforts, Emily found her team unresponsive and unwelcoming. She anticipated admiration for her extensive fundraising expertise, yet none expressed interest. With ambitious fundraising goals looming, Emily aimed to push her team hard to secure major donors, bolstering her reputation with the President and fueling her aspirations for future leadership roles.

However, within four months, two directors resigned, and the Director of Marketing, Matthew, requested stress leave. Concealing his distress from Emily, Matthew struggled to maintain a faade of enthusiasm in team meetings. He resented Emily's preference for praise and positive feedback, grappling with inner turmoil over her leadership style's toll on team morale and well-being.

When Matthew finally expressed his concerns, Emily dismissed them, citing her past experiences and deflecting responsibility. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Matthew realized the detrimental impact of Emily's management style on team dynamics, prompting him to consider escalating the issue to HR.

In this evolving scenario at Horizon Foundation, Emily's leadership approach and the team's response underscore the intricate interplay of perceptions, values, personality traits, emotions, and attitudes within the organizational framework. Addressing these dynamics is imperative for fostering a more collaborative and sustainable work environment conducive to achieving shared goals.

QUESTIONS

Q1) Using your Organizational Behaviour concepts, you will describe what is happening in this case. Read the case and identify the problems. Use the table below to list the issuesand connect your findings with the OB concepts and finally explain the problem cited. You can find as many problems as you can.

Outline Key Case Detail	OB Concept that Connects to Case Detail	Explain How this OB Concept connects to this Case Detail. Indicate the OB concepts using a bold font.

Q2) Choose any 3 problems/issues cited and provide recommendations for improvement.

Rubric for Case Study Analysis: Transforming Dynamics at Horizon Foundation

Criteria:

Identification of Problems/Issues (15 points)

• Clearly identifies and lists key problems or issues present in the case study.
• Provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by Emily and her team at Horizon Foundation.
• Demonstrates an ability to connect identified problems/issues to relevant Organizational Behavior (OB) concepts.

Connection to Organizational Behavior Concepts (15 points)

• Successfully links each identified problem/issue to specific OB concepts.
• Provides a clear explanation of how each OB concept is relevant to the problem/issue identified.
• Demonstrates a deep understanding of OB principles and their application in real-world organizational settings.

Analysis and Explanation of Problems (10 points)

• Offers insightful analysis and explanation of the problems/issues identified.
• Provides detailed explanations of how the identified problems/issues impact organizational dynamics, team effectiveness, and individual well-being.
• Presents a coherent and logical argumentation supported by evidence from the case study.

Recommendations for Improvement (10 points)

• Provides thoughtful and practical recommendations for addressing three selected problems/issues.
• Recommendations are feasible, realistic, and aligned with the identified problems/issues and OB concepts.
• Offers justification and rationale for each recommendation, explaining how it would help mitigate the identified problems/issues.

Total Points: 50

Note: The rubric provides clear criteria for evaluating the case study analysis, ensuring that students demonstrate a thorough understanding of Organizational Behavior concepts, effectively analyze the case study, and provide practical recommendations for improvement.