Case%20Study-Mark%20Twain

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Case Study-Mark Twains Life on the Mississippi

• By Donna Blanchard
• Organizational Issues of Comprehensive
• School Management

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Summary of Case Study

• History of Mississippi River
• Explorers
• Potential for commerce
• History of the steamboat business
• Being a steamboat apprentice

• Organizational structure of the steamboat
  business
• Power bases
• Leadership style
• Cub pilots readiness
• Pilots Benevolent Union

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Hierarchy of Leadership in Steamboat Business
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Power Bases

• Coercive
• Verbal abuse and/or physical assault
• Demeaning
• Intimidating
• Arrogant
• Mean spirited
• Fault-finding

• Legitimate
• Leadership made decisions
• Title, role and position of authority
• Followers considered unable and unwilling

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Pilots Benevolent Union

• Paid union members not to work using union dues
• Pushed legislation to legitimize union contracts
• Increased pay
• Improved work environment
• Unemployment benefits

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Union Gains Power

• Forced steamboat leadership to hire only union
  members
• Wealthy and Powerful
• Monopoly in itself
• Forced captains and owners into creating own
  union

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Twains Training

• Berated
• Humiliated in front of crew
• Deceit and trickery in training lessons
• Intimidated
• Physically assaulted
• Peer support minimal

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Leadership Styles

• Bixby Brown
• McGregors Theory X
• Argyris Type A
• Situational Leadership Style 1
• Blakes Leadership Grid Authority-Obedience
  Management Style
• Likerts Management Style 1- Leadership-Made
  Decision

• Earler
• McGregors Theory Y
• Argyris Type B
• Situational Leadership Style Matching Blakes
  Leadership Grid Team Management Style
• Likerts Management Style 3- Leadership
  Follower-Made Decision with Encouragement from
  Leader

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Twains Readiness Level

• Argyris passive active
• dependent independent
  lack awareness awareness
• R2 unable but willing R4 Able and Willing
• Maslows need of esteem
• Vindicated and empowered after incident with
  Brown
• Esteem need fulfilled
• Quadrant 4 achieved made
• leadership decision

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Pilot on the Mississippi