Question

The University of Calabasas senior leadership team had to quickly make a decision on whether to hold classes in-person or online due to COVID-19. Its president is known to be very people-oriented and avoids conflict as much as possible. Based on what you know about decision-making styles, the university president’s style will be effective in this ambiguous situation. True or False.

Answer 1

False, The University of Calabasas president's people-oriented and conflict-avoidant approach suggests a democratic or laissez-faire leadership style, which may not be effective in the fast-paced, ambiguous situation prompted by COVID-19. Quick decision-making is often needed in a crisis, aligning more with an authoritarian style.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the decision-making styles described, the University of Calabasas president's people-oriented and conflict-avoidant approach suggests a leadership style that might align with either democratic or laissez-faire leadership. It's mentioned they avoid conflict, which indicates they might prefer building consensus like a democratic leader, yet in an ambiguous, rapidly changing situation like the one caused by COVID-19, a prompt and more decisive approach might be necessary. The question of whether this style is effective in such a situation is ambiguous itself, but generally, a democratic approach, while excellent for consensus building, may be too slow in a crisis, and a laissez-faire approach might lack the necessary guidance and quick decision-making. Hence, the statement provided would likely be False. During a crisis, a style that allows for quicker decision-making and action — characteristics more aligned with an authoritarian style — could be more effective.