Case Study on Foreign Auto Shop

Questionnaire on Case Study on Contingency Theories and

Adaptive Leadership

Q1. What is the usual leadership situation in the auto repair shop

(consider the nature of the task, subordinates, and environment)?

An auto repair shop is a typical blue-collar work situation where a

number of medium to highly skilled workers with moderate to low

education work under the leadership of the owner of the shop. Usually

the leadership is more autocratic in nature, and a hierarchy often builds

up among the workers themselves.

The tasks at a repair shop can range from unskilled (e.g. cleaning,

polishing, inflating tires etc.) to highly skilled (repairing/changing parts

of a car). The workforce in an auto shop follows the leadership of the

owner, who is often the most experienced. The workers are expected to

follow the instructions of the leader without defiance, and often look up

to their leaders during a crisis. The subordinates share less power and

less responsibility compared to the leader.

The environment in the auto shop represents a factory floor where the

workers need to be on the move, working with heavy machinery and

powerful tools. Strict work procedures and standards need to be

followed for both maintaining a high quality of work and for reducing

risk of accidents and hazards.

Q2. Describe Alan’s typical leadership style and evaluate whether it

is appropriate for the leadership situation.

Alan’s leadership style was much more participative than usual in such

scenarios. Although Alan did not compromise on quality of work or

safety of his employees, he treated them at the same level as himself. He

consulted them and encouraged them to take decisions. This created a

friendly and easy-going atmosphere at the shop, but it also had the

unintended effect that sometimes his employees did not take him

seriously enough, often mistaking his amiability as his weakness.

In a blue-collar...