Case Study - Datavision

It is clear Datavision is suffering from a breakdown in clarity around the organizational structure of the company, causing an erosion of trust, confusion of goals, and pervasive interpersonal conflicts amongst the executive team. Support for this claim will be drawn from the actions within the case and research surrounding effective collaborative leaders, this is materialized in two key points: 1) Datavision requires cross-functional collaboration to navigate its rapidly evolving industry, and 2) Campbell’s leadership style has limited inter-organizational change to reposition the company for success.

1. High turnover is a fact of life in Datavision’s industry, built off the high demand for capable engineers, programmers, technicians, and marketers with a limited supply the process costs the company both time and money. However, it is known that stable teams produce more effective & innovative results over time; therefore, the executive team must seek to establish worker longevity by heightening cross-functional collaboration in both development and planning efforts. Unfortunately, the palpable mistrust amongst the executive team has stifled the ability to generate collaborative innovation by building barriers to communication between functional groups. This is represented in the often-heated exchanges between Jackson (VP Engineering) and Fowler (VP Marketing), heads of departments which require carefully coordinated initiatives to produce optimal results.

2. The demand for rapid iterative development by the company runs in direct contrast to the working environment Campbell has fostered. The company stands at the cliff’s edge of crisis and, per Heifetz, demands a leader who seeks to empower his direct reports to generate leadership amongst their functions, a characteristic Campbell consistently undermines by unmaking executive team decisions without warning or discussion. Campbell repeatedly states a need for vitality and collaboration within the firm, but fails to question what precedent he has set to elicit this type of communication. Ibarra states a collaborative leader must model collaboration at the top in addition to playing the role of connector. Campbell’s inability to recognize the interpersonal schisms developed by the introduction of Sisco (Customer Service Manager) onto the executive team, lack of cooperation amongst function heads, and rigid formality (meetings by appointment only) of the organization calls into question his ability to transition into a collaborative leader.

Campbell’s Directive Leadership Style (Spreier) has stifled initiative, communication, and innovation throughout the organization. Moreover, his inability to provide clarity around the organizational structure of the company in delivering a profitable future will continue to impact both the personal and financial health of the company’s executives, employees, stakeholders, and customer relationships. Previous