Case Study-BREITT, STARR & DIAMOND LLC
BREITT, STARR & DIAMOND LLC
Josh Breitt, Rachel Starr, and Justin Diamond started an advertising agency
to serve the needs of small businesses selling in and around their
metropolitan area. Breitt contributed clever ideas and a talent for writing
scripts and wooing clients. Starr brought a wealth of media contacts, and
Diamond handled the artwork. Their quirky ad campaigns soon attracted a
stream of projects from car dealers, community banks, and a carpet store.
Since the agency’s first year, these clients have kept the bills paid while
the three win contracts from other companies. Breitt, Starr & Diamond
(BS&D) prospered by helping clients keep up with the times, and the agency
grew to meet the demand, adding a bookkeeper, a graphic artist, a web
designer, two salespeople, a social media expert, and a retired human
resource manager, who works 10 hours per week. As the firm grew, the three
partners felt they were constantly being pulled away from their areas of
expertise to answer questions and solve problems about how to coordinate
work, define jobs, and set priorities. They realized that none of them had
any management training—and none of them had ever wanted to be a manager.
They decided to hire a manager for a position they would call general
manager of operations. That person would be responsible for supervising the
employees, making sure expenses didn’t go over budget, and planning the
resources (including people) needed for further growth. The partners
interviewed several candidates and hired Brad Howser, a longtime
administrator for a four-physician medical office. Howser spent the first
few weeks quietly studying BS&D’s financial data and observing employees at
work. Then he became more outspoken and assertive. Although the partners
had never cared to monitor what time employees came or left, Howser began
requiring all employees to start by 9:00 each morning. The graphic artist
and one of the salespeople complained that flexible hours were necessary
for their child care arrangements, but Howser was unyielding. He also
questioned whether the employees had been shopping carefully for supplies,
indicating that from then on, he would be making all purchases, and only
after the employees submitted their requests on a form of his design.
Finally, to promote what he called team spirit, Howser began scheduling
weekly Monday-morning page 369staff meetings. He would offer motivational
thoughts based on his experience at his previous job and invite the
employees to share any work-related concerns or ideas they might have.
Generally, the employees chose not to share. Initially, the partners were
impressed with Howser’s vigorous approach to his job. They felt more
productive than they had been in years because Howser was handling employee
concerns himself. Then the top salesperson quit, followed by the social
media expert. The bookkeeper asked if she might meet with the partners. “Is
it something you should be discussing with Brad?” Rachel asked her. The
bookkeeper replied that, no, it was about Brad. All the employees were
unhappy with him, and more were likely to leave. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1)Assume that hiring a general manager of operations was a good idea. What
leadership style would be most effective in this position? Why?
2)What leader behaviors did Brad Howser exhibit? How well did they fit the
needs of the ad agency?
3)Consider your own leadership style. What are some of your tendencies, and
how might you change your perspective?
Read the entire case study and answer the 3 questions that immediately
follow it. The paper should be approximately 550 words total in APA format
for your citations.
GeneralEssayUndergraduate
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