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Take-off or abort? Chief Smith and Flight Line in NAS Ionian

Christina Sue-Chan (Department of Management, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong)
Kelly Fisher (West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA)

Publication date: 2 January 2018

Abstract

Synopsis

This case presents the leadership challenges that Chief Petty Officer Amanda Smith navigated as the first woman assigned to lead a Flight Line work center at NAS Ionian, an organization that was characterized by a culture of “hegemonic masculinity.” Failure to effectively lead the work center could have catastrophic consequences, including death of service personnel. Flight Line work centers, located in naval air stations throughout the world, serviced the air operations of aircraft carriers of the US Navy and provided allied air support. The assignment was a test of Smith’s leadership because the NAS Ionian Flight Line had experienced a spate of misconduct by personnel and had failed important maintenance inspections. Chief Smith was tasked to improve the morale and performance of the work center’s sailors who had diverse personal and professional backgrounds. She was also directed to ensure that the work center passed important maintenance inspections despite the challenges of dealing with subordinates, rank peers, and senior officers who had never previously worked with a woman in her role.

Research methodology

The case study is based on primary data collected from the protagonist, a.k.a. Amanda Smith. The primary data are supplemented with secondary data from published sources. The names of the air station and the protagonist have been altered to protect the identity of individuals in the case.

Relevant courses and levels

The case is applicable to senior undergraduate courses in HRM performance or talent management, training and development as well as in MBA or other Master’s level courses in management, industrial-organizational psychology, organizational behavior and leadership.

Theoretical bases

The case deals with leadership style (e.g. Initiating structure – organizing work, giving structure to the work context, defining role responsibility, scheduling work activities; consideration – building camaraderie, respect, trust, and liking between leaders and followers); organizational culture; diversity management; power and influence; and performance management.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The names of the air station and the protagonist have been altered to protect the identity of individuals in the case.

Disclaimer. The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality.

Citation

Sue-Chan, C. and Fisher, K. (2018), "Take-off or abort? Chief Smith and Flight Line in NAS Ionian", , Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 6-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/TCJ-11-2016-0089

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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