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ABSTRACT: The Vidsoft case deals with an interpersonal conflict created by a business-wise decision by Babatunde to promote one of his brilliant female staff given her hard work and devotion to work. But whose leadership is highly contested by Hsu who felt uncomfortable with his demotion and the decision placing him as direct report to Li. His resentment to Lis promotion is motivated by the fact that she did not have a technical background like he did and he could not see himself reporting to a nontechnical manager who would not understand the hardships of his tasks. This antipathy is aggravated by Hsus lack of respect for Li and his sudden ambition to learn from Babatunde. The conflict and its resolution are particularly complicated because of Hsus individual oriented behavior and probably his demotion after the change in structure.

ANALYSIS The VidSoft Triangle case involves four main protagonists working at Vidsoft Technologies, an Internet based company in Sunnyvale, California, USA.

- The first character is Alaji Babatunde, a relatively fresh MBA graduate originated from Nigeria, who rapidly became a senior technical support manager (second line manager) at VidSoft based on his performances.

- The second is Jennah Li, a female worker of Chinese descent, holder of a university degree in environmental management. Shes a very good team player and also reputed for her excellent client relationship management and her capacity of adaptation (she diligently overcame her English communication trouble) and was hired by Babatunde initially as a third line manager (direct report to him) with the expectation to learn a lot from her commitment to and her handling of customers.

- The third is Alex Hsu, a former technical support engineer of Chinese origin too, engineer by background. He was also hired by Babatunde with an expectation to bring varied experiences into the team especially from a foreign culture. Hsu is reputed an individual performer (with non-team player attitudes). He has reported directly to Babatunde as a third line manager, same as Li until three weeks ago.

A part from these three protagonists the fourth determinant person involved in

the decision-making is James White, the technical director and Babatundes coach. He has been at VidSoft ever since its commencement.

Whatistheproblemidentifiedinthiscase? Decision making is arguably the most important job of the senior executive and one of the easiest to get wrong.1Babatundehadlearntittohiscostas in what could verify to be his defining moment because of his important decision to reorganize his 1DavidA.Garvin&MichealA.Roberto,HarvardBusinessreview(September2001):Whatyoudontknowaboutmakingdecisionsp.1

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department and promote one of his support engineers to be a manager; Babatunde is facing a crucible in the form of an unexpected interpersonal conflict in one of his multicultural teams. This conflict is certainly mooted by Hsus selfishness. If this conflict has the merit of bringing issues into spotlight, allowing leaders to discern its origins and consequences on both individuals and group, it needs Babatundes quick but well-thought decision in order to avoid negative impact on the working climate in his department in a one hand and in the other hand not to put in jeopardy the integrity of a bright management decision he just made. Would creating a triangle (Hsu, Li, Babatunde) of relationships and working together solve this problem? Not so sure! Understanding the conflicts origins and consequences and looking for appropriate solutions will help Babatunde not only to overcome the problem, but also to prevent such predicaments in the future.

Howcanthissituationbebestresolved?

Ibelievethesituationisverythoughandwoulddemandagoodstrategyinordertopreservetheintegrityofthedecisionmadeandtoavoidsuchpredicamentsinthefuture.Soidentifyinggoodstrategiestoreachpossiblesolutionswouldhelpinchoosingthebestanswertorespondtothecruciblesituation.MyapproachofthesituationisbasedonJ.Brett,etal.(2006:4)adviceinManagingMulticulturalTeamswhichrecommendsfouroptions:adaptation,structuralintervention,Managerialinterventionandexit.Inthisframework,BabatundesfirstoptionwillbetogetbothHsuandLiadapttothecurrentsituation.ItisveryimportanttoprovideLisometimetosettledowninhernewroleandaddresstheseissueswitheveryteammate.babatundeshouldaskthemtogivethesituationmoretimelikethreetosixmonthsforthemtoadapttotheirrespectivenewsituation.Byactingthisway,BabatundeandLishouldforexamplejointlyworkoutathreetosixmonthsimprovementplancoveringtheareaswhereLipresentssomeweaknesses.ItmightevencomethatbothLiandHsugetadaptedpositivelytotheirnewpositionsbytheendofthisperiod.Heshouldadvisebothpartiestocontinuetoshowtheirusualstrengthswhileworkingontheirweaknessestoadapttotheirnewconditions.ThesecondpossibleoptiontoconsiderisalteringstructuralvariablesthatbroughttheconflictbyworkingoutalternatetostructurelikecreatinganewroleandassignHsu(whoprovedtobeanindividualperformer)forhimtoleadthatstepupandtakedirectionsfromBabatundebutstillreportingtoLi.OrsimplyapplyjobrotationandmoveHsufromonesubgroupandswitchwithamemberofthatteamwithwhomBabatundewouldhavecommunicateeffectivelypriortothisdecision.ThiscomplieswithDr.SpencerJohnson(1998)whoonewrote:movementinthenewdirectionhelpsyoufindnewcheese.Babatundeshouldmanagetobecarefulforthatminorstructuraladjustmentnottocreatenewproblemwithintheotherteamasifteammembersarentcarefullydistributes,subgroupscanstrengthenpreexistingdifferencesJ.Brett,etal.(2006:4).

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ThethirdoptionincasetheproblempersistsistotakenoteofthefactthattheresaviolationofthehierarchyresultinginBabatundeloosesfaceandhavethefirstlinemanagerJamesWhitewhoseauthorityoverthemisstillrecognizedbybothHsuandLiinvolvedandsolvetheproblemwithoutanyteaminvolvement.Hisdecisionshouldthenbefinal.IfHsuiswillingtoworkwiththecompany,thenhewillbenddowntoWhitedecision.IfafterallthesesolutionstheresnowaytosolvetheproblembecauseofHsusselfishness,whichmeanindividualinterestisoverlappingthatofthegroup,itwillbetimeforBabatundetohaveastraighttalkonHsusweaknessesonteamingandtoconsiderHsusexitasfinaldecision.

CouldBabatundehavedonedifferentlytoavoidthissituation? I think this situation could have been avoided if Babatunde had been more proactive to the effects of change to his team. Especially to Shu who is suffering a demotion as he is moving to a dissatisfactory position having been at the same level with Li his henceforth head. Babatunde could also have communicated directly with each and everyone of his team about the change. He could have explained to each and everyone why they had been chosen for their position. Its certainly for their task expertise, their skills and performances, their ability to play in a team . and not because of their race, gender, culture and religion or age. He could also have avoided this situation if he had planned ahead the promotion of Li. At first place, if Li had benefited a sort of in-office-training, she could have gained valuable experience to build up her self confidence to lead a team as well as the respect of her co-workers. Babatunde could have given Li an early heads up by giving her some acting responsibilities during his absence from work instead of pushing her suddenly to unfamiliar field. He could have explained to his team the positive outcomes that the change in structure would bring to the entire teams efficiency and profitability compare to the challenges they had in the existing reporting structure. By acting proactively this way, he could have caught Hsus frustration or that of any other member ahead of its demonstration within the team.

Whatcanthecompanydotoavoidthistypeofsituationinthe

future? Managing is to prevent! In order to avoid this in the future, management needs to change this ways:

- MixingtheirtransactionalleadershipbehaviorwithsometransformationnalleadershipbehaviortogetselfishpeoplelikeHsugoingbeyondselfinterestsforthegoodofthewholegroup.

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- Being proactive and planning ahead of the situation instead of reacting when the conflict has already risen.

- Keeping ahead of the situation by regularly conducted company wide survey

oriented human resources management

- Using all the components of an effective communication to avoid misunderstanding that turned to conflict.

- Organizing more coaching within the group to get followers familiar to leadership skills as when leader and led values are in sync, followers dont have to be supervised -- they will know what to do when the time come. Colonel Mark A. Homrig, (2001)

Whataretheprincipaldistinctionsbetweentransactionalandtransformationalleadership?

Transactionalleadershipcanbedefinedasgivesomethingtogetsomething.Itsfundamentalnatureistranslatedintothewinwinapproachofmanagement.Transactionalleadershipisbasedonanexchange/transactionofsomethingofvaluetheleaderpossessesorcontrolsthatthefollowerwantsinreturnforhis/herservices.Transformationalleadershipcanbedefinedastheabilitytogetpeopletowanttochangeandtoleadchange.Attheheartoftransformationalleadershipisthecommitmentoftheleadertomakeachangeorproducetransformationinanorganizationorsystem.Itsfundamentalnatureistogetpeoplegoingbeyondselfinterestsforthegoodofthewholegroup.Transformationalleadersfocusonstimulating,motivating,andempoweringtheirfollowerstoachievecompanydirectivesbyappealingtohigheridealsandmoralvalues(historyofleadershipResearch:5).Bythesecaricatureddefinitions,itappearsthatthedistinctionsbetweentransactionalandtransformationalleadershipliesmainlyintheirprocessofmotivatingfollowers.Transactionalleadershipisbasedontheconceptofexchangebetweenleaderandgroupmembers.Atransactionalleaderprovidesresourcesandrewardsinexchangeformotivation,productivity,effectivegoal,ortaskaccomplishments.ThatsexactlythemanagementstylethatprevailsatVidSoft.Incontrast,Transformationalleadershipisbasedonmorethanthecomplianceoffollowers;itinvolvesshiftsinbeliefs,theneeds,andthevaluesoffollowers.Transformationalleadersusetheircharismaandproactivecommunicationtoinspiretheirfollowerstosuperiority.Theyarerequiredtogaintheconfidenceoftheirfollowerssothatthefollowerswillmakesuitablesacrificesfortheirgroup.Transformationalleadersseekopportunitiesfor

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changeinordertogrow,innovate,andimprovetheirenvironment.ThatisalsopartofBabatundesthinkingwhileimplementingthechange.

Howdoestransformationalleadershipcreateahigherlevelofmoralaspirationforfollowersandleadersalike?

Byproducinghigherlevelofconsciousnesswithintheindividualandthegroup,leadersareabletoproducetransformationwithintheorganization.InthebookTheLeadershipChallenge,theauthorssuggestthatwhentransformationalleadershipexists,people"raiseeachothertohigherlevelsofmotivationandmorality"(153).Thenhigherlevelofmoralaspirationforfollowersiscreatedwhenwithinagrouptheresadynamicwhichbuildsrelationshipswithothersandfosterscommunitybuilding,thetransformationalleaderwhohelpsotherstodeveloptheirskills.Thechemistryimprovesproductivitywithinthegroup/organizationandfollowersbelievethattheyhavetheabilitytomakeadifferenceintheirorganizationwhichenhancesmorale.Transformingleadershipbecomesmoralwhenitrises"thelevelofhumanconductandethicalaspirationofboththeleaderandtheled,andthushasatransformingeffectonboth"(153).

Bibliography:

J.Brett,K.Behfar,M.CKern.(2006)ManagingMulticulturalTeamsHarvardBusinessReview(P.4)DavidA.Garvin&MichealA.Roberto(September2001):WhatyoudontknowaboutmakingdecisionsHarvardBusinessReview(p.1)ColonelMarkA.Homrig(21Dec2001)TransformationalLeadership.http://leadership.au.af.mil/documents/homrig.htmBurns,JamesMacGregor.Leadership.N.Y.:HarperandRow,1978.(P.4)Johnson,S.(1998)WhomovedMyCheese?USA:PutnamAdultKouzes,JamesM.andBarryZ.Posner.TheLeadershipChallenge.3rdEd.SanFransico:JosseyBass,2002.