Final answer:
The managers at Livwell Pharmaceuticals practice laissez-faire management by setting goals and allowing researchers to work independently toward developing new cancer-fighting medicines.
Step-by-step explanation:
At Livwell Pharmaceuticals, where researchers are given the goal of developing three new cancer-fighting medicines each year and then allowed to work independently to achieve this, the managers are practicing a laissez-faire management style. This leadership style is characterized by a hands-off approach, where the laissez-faire leader allows members of the group to make their own decisions. The main focus or goal of a leader in this context is to set objectives while giving team members the autonomy to decide how to achieve them, which aligns well with the concept of Management by Objectives (MBO). However, it's crucial to distinguish that MBO itself is a strategy where leaders and employees set objectives together, while laissez-faire leaders tend to set goals and then step back entirely, trusting in the competence and motivation of their team members to handle the tasks at hand.