Feedback May 2002 (Vol 43 No 2)

The temperament in leading helps provide students, who do not have that muchexperience in management, with a framework and understanding of what they value inthemselves. Additionally, it helps them realize what they expect from others and givespause for reflecting on how to reach those expectations. Oftentimes, students will seehow the MBTI played out in working with supervisors in jobs they held during thesummers or holidays. In thinking about mistakes others made, students are betterequipped to handle difficult interpersonal situations presented through simulations incase studies. A clearer understanding of their own temperaments provides anadditional tool for case analysis.The following case study is presented for classroom use. In working through thissituation, students are given the opportunity to learn all four temperaments, yet focusprimarily on their own in reaching decisions about sexual harassment, alcohol abuse,absence of policies, and employees who lack motivation.CASE STUDY – MYERS-BRIGGSYou have recently been hired as a Manager for the local radio station in a smallmarket. You are good-looking, well-dressed, enthusiastic and quite thrilled to be hiredas Manager. At times, you have wondered how you got the job. However, you knowyou truly impressed the station owner when you interviewed. You have a baccalaureateand one year of paid experience in an internship that was extended beyond thesummer. Your energy and “visions” for the future really sold the station owner on you,as the person to hire.It is your first week and you are concerned about:Everyone at the station is seven (7) to thirty-three (33) years older than you. Theyrepeatedly call you “KID” and you find yourself feeling quite defensive. There is onlyone woman at the station and no other minorities.The only person with any kind of an education is the woman who is a receptionist(she is seven years older than you). Sasha Miles graduated from a local communitycollege. She appears to be sympathetic to you. She herself, has experienced sexualharassment on many occasions and she has reported that to you, hoping you willintervene. Sasha is an NF type.The former manager, Bud Davis, was offered a job in sales and much to the owner’ssurprise, he took it rather than leave the station. You now find that he sabotageseverything you do including the first change you posted—“NO SMOKING” anywherein the station. Bud is an SJ type.The chief operator engineer, Trevor Reynolds, in his late fifties and on numerousoccasions has not been available when there was a problem with transmission.Recently, lightning struck the antenna and the station was off the air for six (6) hours.You learn that the reason he was not available is because he was inebriated. In fact, hehas had a drinking problem for years and it has increasingly interfered with his jobperformance. Trevor ‘s type is SP.In the sales department, everyone (there are two salesman, Jim Williams and EdFisher, and they recently added the former manager) keeps contacting the same oldadvertisers. You learn that these sales reps have established a “good ol’ boy” network.For instance, a salesman gives reduced rates to the local car dealer in exchange for aBEA—Educating tomorrow’s electronic media professionals 15