The management team at Prison X feels overworked, underpaid, unappreciated, and dissatisfied with the leadership of the prison warden, John Trevor. They describe Trevor as distant, cold, uninvolved, and apathetic. 30 management staff are seeking jobs elsewhere, which could negatively impact prison security and operations. The consultant was brought in to develop a leadership intervention strategy to address the issues between Trevor and his management team, improve employee attitudes and the organizational culture, and prevent the loss of key staff. Over the next six months, the consultant will analyze the challenges, develop solutions, and implement interventions and strategies to improve Prison X's leadership and communication.

1. Running head: A CASE ANALYSIS: INITIAL ASSESSMENT
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A Case Analysis: Initial Assessment 3
A Case Analysis: Initial Assessment
Tiffany Brown
South University
June 12, 2019
A Case Analysis: Initial Assessment
The Purpose for Intervention
Prison X is facing a lot of problems; there is a substantial gap
between the prison warden and his team. The team feels that
they are overworked, undercompensated, underappreciated, and
unfulfilled. They normally complain about the leadership style
of their leader. The team describe the prison warden as
uninvolved, cold, distant, and apathetic. The management team
is now leaving the organization to seek employment elsewhere
due to these issues. However, John Trevor, unassuming, and a
pleasant gentleman is so surprised to hear of his management
team's dissatisfactions. Trevor describes his team as an
exemplary team of caring/helpful professionals. He expresses
serious concerns on the security and the safety of the prison,
inmates, and other employees should there be a mass departure
of the team. The purpose of the intervention is to assess the
above situation and come up with strategies to lessen these
issues.
The Key Facts
The management team has issues with John Trevor's leadership
style, as they describe Trevor as uninvolved, cold, distant, and
apathetic. The team members are also unsatisfied with the

2. organization as they feel they are overworked,
undercompensated, underappreciated, and unfulfilled.
Analysis
Effective leadership style, employees' satisfaction, and effective
communication are so significant for the health of any
organization. As a consultant, I am going to analyse the specific
issues, challenges, and needs that may be affecting Prison X and
its culture. I will also provide effective strategies to solve these
issues.
Leadership style is the approach and manner of providing
implementation plans, direction, and motivating people. The
execution of any organizational duties and its success depend on
effective leadership style. Leadership style is significant not
only for managing and absorbing workers' uncertainties on the
future but for involving the staffs, increasing the overall job
satisfaction, and deepening the organizational commitment. It is
normally regarded as the most significant factor in the failure
and success of an organization. It influences employee
productivity, morale, job satisfaction, reliance, stress, and
organizational commitment (Yukl & Yukl, 2002). When the
leadership style is effective, it influences growth and
development, creates a trusting atmosphere, which can improve
general performance. A successful institution depends on a good
leader.
It is significant to look at the different types of leadership
styles.
· Autocratic leadership – autocratic/authoritarian leaders
centralize decision-making and power in himself/herself.
· Democratic leadership – democratic/participative leaders
decentralises authority
· The Laissez fair leadership – This type of a leader passes on
their duties for decision-making to his/her subordinates.
· Paternalistic leadership style – the leader assumes that his/her
roles are paternal or fatherly.
In this scenario, the management team describes the prison
warden as uninvolved, cold, distant, and apathetic. Let's analyse

3. each of these characteristics, cold is a feature that involves a
lack of emotional connection or physical emotion. It is also an
adjective that depends on the eye and thinking of the beholder.
What may be considered unemotional or cold in one culture may
not be considered so by another. Therefore, the fact the prison
warden has chosen to be cold to the dynamic of the workplace
has less or nothing to do with leadership style. And so much to
do with personal defence tool, especially in an unfriendly
environment like prison. The prison warden will, therefore,
have to communicate effectively to his team any reason for his
behaviour to avoid further issues.
The team has also described the prison warden as uninvolved.
The prison warden has decided to be uninvolved to the task that
the team is currently undertaking since he thinks that they are
independent, experienced, and capable, which means that they
don't need real supervision (Bryman, 1996). However, this
decision has proved not to work, therefore, he needs to be
involved with his team no matter how mature and capable they
have proved to be.
The team has also described the prison warden as distance.
When a leader is leading his followers at a distance, it means
that there may be a few chances of communication, and the
chances of miscommunication may grow considerably. The
prison warden should, therefore, communicate frequently, being
involved with the team frequently to avoid this problem.
The management team has also described the prison warden as
apathetic. A person who is apathetic is someone who does not
show interest or emotions. Not having interest means not
possessing external or internal motivation to accomplish
anything (Hollander & Offermann, 1990). Lack of motivation
diminishes any potential leadership skills. The following
strategies can help to solve this issue; the prison warden should
take his time to communicate his accomplishment to the team,
outline his plans of action, keep the team focused, stay positive,
and ask the team discovery questions. These will show that
prison warden cares about the team.

4. The management team also feel they are overworked,
undercompensated, underappreciated, and unfulfilled. This
means that the team is not satisfied with their work, salaries,
and the overall organization. Staffs' satisfaction plays a
substantial aspect of the success of any organization (Lawler
III, 1973). The organization can correct the above issues by
doing the following; introduce reward and recognition, increase
members' engagement, develop the potential and skills of the
team members, provide a positive and a conducive environment,
assess and measure the job satisfaction.
References
Bryman, A. (1996). Leadership in organizations. Handbook of
organization studies, 276, 292.
Hollander, E. P., & Offermann, L. R. (1990). Power and
leadership in organizations: Relationships in
transition. American psychologist, 45(2), 179.
Lawler III, E. E. (1973). Motivation in work organizations.
Brooks/Cole Publishing Co., Monterey, California
Yukl, G. A., & Yukl, G. (2002). Leadership in organizations.
5th Edition, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River.

5. LEA5140 – Case: Prison X
Leadership Intervention Strategy
© 2016 South University
Page 2 of 2
Emotional Intelligence and Leadership
©2016 South University
2
Case of Prison X
Leadership Intervention Strategy
Case of Prison X
Leadership Intervention Strategy
You are an organizational and leadership consultant called in to
develop a leadership
intervention strategy (LIS) for the state’s largest prison. You
learn from several members of the
prison management team that they and 30 other management-
level staff are actively seeking
employment elsewhere. Mass resignations appear imminent.

6. These staff members feel that
they are undercompensated, overworked, unfulfilled, and
underappreciated. The group
consistently complains about the leadership style of the prison
warden, John Trevor. He is
described as distant, cold, uninvolved, and apathetic. When you
meet with John Trevor
personally, you are surprised to find a pleasant, unassuming
gentleman who is shocked to learn
of his team’s displeasure. John feels that his management team
is an exemplary group of caring
professionals, and he is deeply disquieted about the possibility
of these individuals leaving their
jobs. John expresses grave concern about the safety and security
of the prison, other employees,
and inmates should there be a mass exodus of the management
team. He is now looking up to
you to assess the situation and develop strategies to mitigate
these issues.
Over the next few weeks, you will explore the challenges and
opportunities of this
situation. Clearly, significant gaps exist between the prison
warden and his management team.

7. These gaps could conceivably lead to safety, cost, and
operations issues. Consider the
ramifications of a prison lacking a committed and cohesive
management team. As part of a six-
month LIS, you will develop questions, analyses, solutions,
interventions, and strategies to
improve the organization’s leadership, employee attitudes,
perceptions, communication, and
culture.