Question

Emilie is the Marketing Director of a multinational FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) company that distributes dairy products, ranked as 2nd in its sector. She is the head of the marketing department, which focuses on developing new products, building and optimizing distribution partnerships, defining pricing strategies as well as the communication directions with the creative, media and PR agencies. Marketing is one of the key strategic area in this company as the Dairy sector is led by products innovations and a high communication competitive activity that make difficult to get consumers loyalty. Emilie, as Marketing Director reports directly to the CEO. As a whole, the company has been cautious in hiring this year because of an increased and more aggressive competition. However, they have also suffered high staff turnover. The two Brand Directors have left, as well as three Brand Managers, and one staff person from the Marketing Research sub department. CURRENT SITUATION: Emilie has a demanding schedule that requires frequent travel in Europe; however she supervises 2 Brand Directors, who in turn are responsible for three Brand Managers each. Both Brand Directors have been recently appointed within the last six months. Brand Director 1: Peter has a 10 years background in Marketing, as Brand Manager within the Luxury \& Cars industries. He manages his 3 persons staff who build and develop products, distribution and communication strategy of the most profitable brand of the company. Two out the three Brand Managers he supervises have been hired within the last 6 months too. Peter supports his staff and is very organized; however, he often takes a very black and white view of issues. Peter is very motivated, driven, and clearly expects the same from his staff. Brand Director 2: Jessica has a 8 years background in Marketing research and a more recent experience as Brand Manager in a leader company of the Beverages industry. One out of the three Brand Managers she has in her team has been recently hires 2 months ago. She manages her staff that work on the most recent brand of the company, which therefore requires a specific attention in new products positioning and communication activities. She is known as problem solver and is extremely supportive of her staff. She is very organized and is close to her team. Jessica is very capable and can sometimes take on too much.

Respond to the case study following two questions:
Which Management or Leadership Styles are using Emilie, Peter and Jessica?

Answer 1

Emilie displays strategic leadership, focusing on broad vision and direction. Peter uses transactional leadership, being organized and results-driven. Jessica shows transformational leadership through her supportiveness and problem-solving abilities.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the given information, Emilie seems to use a strategic leadership style. She focuses on the overarching vision and direction of the marketing department and is actively involved in high-level tasks such as developing new products, defining pricing strategies, and communicating with third-party agencies. Emilie’s approach is broad and she delegates responsibilities to her two Brand Directors, which suggests she operates at a strategic level rather than on daily management.

Peter appears to be adopting a transactional leadership approach, evidenced by his organized nature and his black and white view of issues. This implies that Peter might focus on structured processes, clear instructions, and immediate feedback based on performance outcomes. His motivation and expectations for high performance from his staff further suggest that he could be results-driven, a key characteristic of transactional leadership.

Jessica likely exemplifies a transformational leadership style. As a problem solver and a supportive manager, Jessica encourages her team to overcome challenges. Her proximity to her team and her tendency to take on too much indicate she is hands-on and strives to inspire and motivate her staff, aligning with the transformational leadership attributes.