Case Study 3:

A Hong Kong Charity Foundation 

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This ethnographic research is conducted in a Hong Kong local charity foundation  by a group of 2 students. It is a relatively new local non-governmental organization with 5 full-time staff members. The organization aims to promote social mobility, gender equality, social inclusion and healthy lifestyle through professional sports training, learning experience programs and advocacy activities. Although there are only 5 full-time employees in the office, there are around 40 part-time staff members, interns and volunteers working for the organization. We have worked at the office for 2 days (1 day per week). In order to get a more authentic understanding of the workplace, we helped in the office by translating different materials from Chinese to English.

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The setting of the office

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The organization is located in an open-plan office that consists of large regular rows of desks. It is in Quarry Bay MTR station. The organization shares the working space with another company, but their working area is still spacious. Unlike traditional offices in Hong Kong where people have their fixed working space and desktops, people at this office use a portable laptop to work, the arrangement which enables them to move around the office freely. As there are only 5 full-time staff members in the office, they usually have face-to-face conversations, regardless of the topics. They also use email and WhatsApp group to communicate frequently, for example, one of the staff members sent me an email to tell me about the task that I needed to complete. Normally, the staff members list tasks and attach relevant documents to an email; this enables them to keep a record of what they need to do and make the instructions clear. Since the office is an open-plan workspace, we noticed how the Chief Executive, Jody, instructed and communicated with her colleagues. Our focus in this essay is on the leadership style.

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A leader can influence the working atmosphere, the relationship among workers and the subordinate’s performance. Different leadership styles have different effects and their pros and cons. Since “leader identities are relational phenomena which are not only co-constructed between interlocutors but which also acquire their meaning in relation to other identities” (Schnurr & Zayts, 2011, p.40- 41), it is important to discuss Jody’s leadership style through the communication and interaction between Jody and her subordinates. Jody uses a democratic leadership styles as she allows her subordinates to get involved in making decisions. She delegates authority to other people, who are in charge of their projects. Jody uses the words, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ frequently and she often starts with ‘I would like to ask something…’ when she talks to her colleagues about work issues. One time, Jody came to her subordinate’s desk directly to ask about the details of the hockey class, instead of asking her subordinate to go to her desk. She did not mind approaching her subordinates actively in a friendly manner. From our observation, we noticed that although Jody might speak a bit louder over the desks due to the distance between her colleagues and her, her tone was always friendly and polite. Since the office is an open-plan one, everyone can hear their conversation, therefore, manner is important. Showing respect and speaking politely are the leadership strategies that Jody deploys. Jody allows her subordinates to make decisions, at the same time, she also asks about progress of her subordinates’ projects and follows up. The way Jody communicates with her subordinates can create a trustful relationship in the workplace and provide a sense of job satisfaction to her subordinates.

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During work, Jody and her colleagues also had small talks and chatted. The atmosphere was relaxing as they chatted at their own seats and everyone was included in the conversation. For example, they talked about their university life and invited us to join the conversation. Most staff graduated less than 4 years ago so they are generally young. Jody initiated the conversation by asking her colleagues how to be eligible for the Dean’s List in universities. As her subordinates are from different universities, they shared their own experience and university cultures. Everyone laughed and had a good mood after chitchatting. Jody’s subordinate, Mary, also invited Jody and other colleagues to come to her seat to watch the promotional video that she newly made. They all enjoyed the video and Jody then praised Mary for the video’s quality. We found that these small talks can help workers to unwind and release some stress at work, especially when the chit-chat is initiated by the boss. When employees talk at work, it may sometimes cause the misperception that they are idling and indolent. However, when the boss starts the talk, it is usually seen as a way to show geniality, as well as an opportunity to develop a good team bonding.

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On the second day of our internship experience, Jody invited us to take part in a meeting which enables us to know about how they promote the foundation to potential clients and partners. As Jody explained, it was an introduction meeting for the clients or partners whom they first time meet. The client whom they met this time was Edmond from a worldwide professional football association that is responsible for a football league system in one of the European countries. The aim of the meeting was to introduce the sports foundation to Edmond and see if the company would like to be one of the donors or partners. Jody led the main part of the presentation, which included the foundation’s financial circumstances and future development. Jody was confident throughout the meeting and she presented her idea clearly and orderly. She also gave responses promptly, such as saying ‘yep!’, ‘you’re right’ and ‘that’s true’ right after Edmond gave his opinion or asked a question. While Jody presented, her voice was loud and clear and she had sufficient eye contact with the client to make sure that he understood.

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Jody then let her subordinate, Tin Lok, to complete the last part of the presentation session. Tin Lok introduced the sports teams and talked about how their events helped and influenced people positively. Jody sometimes interrupted and added in some extra information to supplement what Tin Lok had said. Tin Lok would resume her presentation when Jody finished. Tin Lok is the senior development officer, the second highest position of the foundation. Yet, she used a soft tone to present which made her seem a bit nervous in the meeting. She placed the focus on the PowerPoint slides that she had prepared for this meeting, instead of the client. The client might have an impression that Tin lok was less confident than Jody. When the client hesitated and showed doubt about partnering with the Foundation, Jody showed her understanding but restated her position that they were always welcome for any partnership or donation opportunities. Jody was the one who opened and ended the meeting and restated her stand on behalf of the organization. Her above acts reflected her leadership role in the meeting and in the office. Jody showed her client that she was knowledgeable and had a great social network. She was firm and critical during the meeting, however, her leadership style might weaken her subordinate’s confidence when she interrupted too often. Her subordinate might look for approval and appreciation in the meeting to boost her self-esteem and perform better. 

 

 

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Reflection

After the meeting, Jody offered us help directly and asked us if we had any questions about the organization. She explained to us about how they usually reach out to different sponsors and partners and how they hold a meeting. We were taught the presentation strategy and sales pitch, as well as the importance to cater the client’s pleasure. Jody told us that while preparing the materials and proposal for the meeting, they needed to research on the company and input some related elements to attract them. After the introduction meeting, a follow-up meeting is required to get the potential donors and partners. She stressed that the aim of these meetings is to let more people get to know about the charity. As the Chief Executive, Jody was busy but she was willing to spend time to explain to us about the ways they operate and communicate. As a leader, she is clear about the details of most projects and the direction of the foundation. Moreover, she tries to build a good relationship with her subordinates as they emphasize ‘Teamwork’ at workplace.  

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To sum up, the Chief Executive of the Foundation, Jody, has deployed a democratic leadership style. She delegates duties to different colleagues and communicates actively with them at work. It is not necessary to establish authority deliberately by words or actions since there are only 5 full-time staff members at the office. Everyone has their own roles and is disciplined. They all handle several projects and are responsible for different aspects of the Foundation that they have set internal deadlines for themselves. A good relationship with colleagues is important because the daily operation of the Foundation depends heavily on team work. They need to have trust in order to work efficiently and effectively. Although Jody does not assert her authority deliberately, her leadership role is clear and solid at workplace. In a meeting with their client, she dominated the conversation and by opening and closing the meeting, the client was certain that Jody was the person-in-charge of the Foundation. As a leader, she is confident that she can present clearly and orderly. Jody’s colleagues have described her a smart and respectful leader and they are willing to follow her instructions.