The Alpha Fire Station for a mid-sized city is staffed by three shifts. The first shift is supervised by Maryanne and operates from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The second shift is supervised by Lucas and operates from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The third shift is supervised by Howard and operates from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Close All Panels

Maryanne

Except to provide them with clear instructions about her expectations, Maryanne interacts very little with the firefighters on her shift. Each day, when they arrive for work, each firefighter receives a list of tasks that Maryanne expects him or her to complete that day when they are not responding to emergency calls. If they complete their tasks, Maryanne assigns them to training to hone their skills. During their shift, Maryanne's firefighters are constantly busy and when they leave for the day, the fire station is always in meticulous condition. When they respond to emergency calls, they are always able to quickly and efficiently handle any emergency, saving lives and property. Maryanne's firefighters enjoy the work, and they are proud of the reputation they have for being a top-notch team. However, they know little about Maryanne and do not feel that she is supportive of them as people. She merely sees them as tools to get the job done.

Lucas

Lucas' shift gets more emergency calls than the other two shifts combined. Because of this, Lucas focuses his firefighters' attention on training and physical fitness, so they are ready to tackle any type of emergency. Each week, Lucas' firefighters log many hours weightlifting and working out. When they are not engaged in physical fitness activities or responding to emergencies, they do training activities, acting out possible emergencies and practicing the role that each firefighter will assume when responding to real emergencies. Lucas works alongside his firefighters and is actively involved in all training and physical fitness activities. He also takes a personal interest in his firefighters and strives to create opportunities for each one that allows him or her to achieve personal career goals and objectives. Lucas' firefighters enjoy working for him and feel that they are making a major contribution to the city, saving lives and property.

Howard

Howard's shift has a reputation for being lazy. They receive fewer emergency calls than the other two shifts, and sometimes, they may go an entire shift without receiving a single call. They know that Maryanne's shift will clean the fire station so they see no reason to exert themselves with tasks around the fire station. Since they receive so few calls, they also see no reason to focus on training and physical fitness. Instead, they spend a lot of time playing cards and watching television. They also take a lot of naps. There are no women on Howard's shift so they often behave like a boys' club. Howard interacts with his firefighters on a personal level and he knows many details about their personal lives. It is not obvious that Howard is the supervisor.

Questions

1. Based on the principles of path-goal theory, how would you describe the effectiveness of the leadership practiced by Maryanne? By Lucas? By Howard?
2. How does the leadership of each of the three supervisors affect the motivation of their firefighters?
3. If you were consulting with the city about leadership, what changes and recommendations would you make regarding the supervision of Maryanne, Lucas, and Howard?