Under what conditions might frequent leadership changes be beneficialto organizations
Under what conditions might frequent leadership changes be beneficialto organizations
Chapter1: Taking Risks And Making Profits Within The Dynamic Business Environment
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1CE
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Question 4. Under what conditions might frequent leadership changes be beneficialto organizations?
Transcribed Image Text:Leadership: Collective Failure across Several Agencies
The This case illustrates leadership failure in public service organizations. In
August 2014 an independent report into child sexual abuse in Rotherham, England,
revealed that 1,400 children had been victims of organized sexual violence and abuse
over a 15-year period and raised the most serious concerns about leadership in the
local council and the behaviour of the regional police force (Hay, 2014).
The revelations were not new. Back in 2002, it was claimed that senior staff
at Rotherham council sanctioned a 'raid' on one of its own offices to locate and
remove files containing details of the scale and seriousness of the abuse. This
happened after council staff realized that a draft report investigating abuse
allegations was about to reveal evidence of a widespread system of abuse. There
were strong suspicions that the removal of case reports (detailed investigations into
specific abuse cases) was an outcome of collusion and cover-up. Furthermore,
investigations in 2002, 2003 and 2006 made by front-line youth workers were
suppressed or ignored by people in leadership positions. Rotherham council had tried
to prevent the publication of a 2010 report into the murder of a 17 year-old girl; even
taking the case unsuccessfully to the High Court.
In the years covered by the case it was claimed that 'community leaders' in
Rotherham knew about the scale of abuse but were unable to stop it. After the highly
critical report came out in 2014 the government ordered inspections of children's
services in the town. The Independent Police Complaints Commission said that the
report's findings raised 'serious and troubling concerns' about the involvement of
the police in the scandal. The regional police and crime commissioner (a new role
![supposedly created to oversee the police and ensure they are answerable to the local
community) had previously had a position of responsibility for children's and young
people's services in Rotherham council. It was reported that council workers had
been reluctant to pursue repeated claims of abuse and violence because they were
scared of being seen as racist and of damaging ‘community cohesion'. Suppression
and disregard of evidence was aggravated by political sensitivities. Some council
workers clearly believed that revelations could attract the attention of extremist
political groups. Political tensions in the local region skirted around a 'politically
inconvenient truth' that people in leadership roles were keen to hide.
This distressing case draws attention to the interplay between leadership,
culture and politics across a range of organizations and agencies. The official report
(Hay, 2014) concludes that over the 12 years covered by the enquiry, 'the collective
failures of political and officer leadership were blatant' (p. 1) and that, 'it is hard to
believe that any senior officers or members [of Council] from the leader and Chief
Executive downwards, were not aware of the issue. Most members showed little
obvious leadership or interest in CSE [child sexual exploitation] ...' (p. 101).
It is perhaps relevant to this case that from 1997 there had been five chief
executives of the council plus one acting chief executive and there had also been
regular staff turnover in a 'director of safeguarding' role. Responding to questioning
during the inquiry, former chief executives claimed that their ‘overriding priority'
had been economic regeneration; which might indicate that other problems, even of
the most serious kind, were given a lower priority. Organization culture also fuelled
this particular fire. Some senior councillors were described as aggressive and
intimidating and the 'overall culture' was described as 'macho' and sexist to the](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2Fe1113dc9-23f9-48bf-a51a-f35bbfbaf8fb%2F50420913-15b1-4ec2-8219-f39da7b1ead0%2F4tacaeu_processed.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
Transcribed Image Text:supposedly created to oversee the police and ensure they are answerable to the local
community) had previously had a position of responsibility for children's and young
people's services in Rotherham council. It was reported that council workers had
been reluctant to pursue repeated claims of abuse and violence because they were
scared of being seen as racist and of damaging ‘community cohesion'. Suppression
and disregard of evidence was aggravated by political sensitivities. Some council
workers clearly believed that revelations could attract the attention of extremist
political groups. Political tensions in the local region skirted around a 'politically
inconvenient truth' that people in leadership roles were keen to hide.
This distressing case draws attention to the interplay between leadership,
culture and politics across a range of organizations and agencies. The official report
(Hay, 2014) concludes that over the 12 years covered by the enquiry, 'the collective
failures of political and officer leadership were blatant' (p. 1) and that, 'it is hard to
believe that any senior officers or members [of Council] from the leader and Chief
Executive downwards, were not aware of the issue. Most members showed little
obvious leadership or interest in CSE [child sexual exploitation] ...' (p. 101).
It is perhaps relevant to this case that from 1997 there had been five chief
executives of the council plus one acting chief executive and there had also been
regular staff turnover in a 'director of safeguarding' role. Responding to questioning
during the inquiry, former chief executives claimed that their ‘overriding priority'
had been economic regeneration; which might indicate that other problems, even of
the most serious kind, were given a lower priority. Organization culture also fuelled
this particular fire. Some senior councillors were described as aggressive and
intimidating and the 'overall culture' was described as 'macho' and sexist to the
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