PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT REPORT ANALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP IN “THE MAZE RUNNER”

FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF BUSINESS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 2 A. Rationale of study...................................................................................................................2 B. Research’s objectives..............................................................................................................2 C. Research’s objects ..................................................................................................................3 D. Research methods...................................................................................................................3 E. Structure of the report ...........................................................................................................3 SECTION 1: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ....................................................................... 4 1.1. Definition ................................................................................................................................4 1.2. Types of power ........................................................................................................................4 1.2.1. Coercive power ............................................................................................................................4 1.2.2. Reward power ..............................................................................................................................4 1.2.3. Legitimate power..........................................................................................................................4 1.2.4. Expert power ................................................................................................................................5 1.2.5. Referent power .............................................................................................................................5 1.3. Leadership approaches............................................................................................................5 1.3.1. Trait Approaches..........................................................................................................................6 1.3.2. Skill Approaches...........................................................................................................................6 1.3.3. Behavioral Approaches................................................................................................................7 1.3.4. Situational Approaches ..............................................................................................................10 1.3.5. Contemporary Approaches ........................................................................................................12 SECTION 2: FINDING AND ANALYSIS ON LEADERSHIP.............................................. 13 2.1. Movie summary of “The Maze Runner” ...............................................................................13 2.2. General introduction of Thomas the leader.........................................................................14 2.2.1. Personal introduction.................................................................................................................14 2.2.2. Characteristics ...........................................................................................................................14 2.3. Analysis of Thomas’s leadership ...........................................................................................15 2.3.1. Trait Approach ...........................................................................................................................15 2.3.2. Behavioral Approach .................................................................................................................18 2.3.3. Situational Approach..................................................................................................................18 2.3.4. Contemporary Approach............................................................................................................20 2.4. Evaluation.............................................................................................................................21 SECTION 3: RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................... 243.1. Recommendations for Thomas..............................................................................................24 3.2. Recommendations for future leaders.....................................................................................24 SECTION 4: CONCLUSION..................................................................................................... 26 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 27 JOB DESCRIPTION AND CONTRIBUTION ........................................................................ 281 ABSTRACT Our analysis concentrates on the fundamental knowledge of leadership, followed by a variety of leading methods and the different traits of a good leader. Specifically, we base on a wide range of theoretical frameworks and models, in order to make use of a strong leadership foundation to further analyze our topic. With the support of the movie “Maze Runner” (2014), the study aims to provide a practical approach that specifies the implications of leadership in the realistic context. We have found that the good leaders possess some mutual personal traits and styles. We also detect that the leadership method varies among different people and characteristics, which result in a shift of efficiency. Finally, yet importantly, we provide evaluations of the discussed methods and make recommendations for an ultimate approach of applying skills. With all the analysis and illustrations, we hope the study would define a clear vision into the fundamental background of the issues and draw attention to the determinants in order to possess and apply leadership skills that individuals and organizations can take into consideration. Last but not least, we would like to express our deep and sincere gratitude to our lecturer, Professor Hoang Anh Duy for being with us during this course. You always provided us with invaluable guidance and advice throughout interesting exercises. Your dynamism, vision, sincerity and motivation have deeply inspired us and urged us to improve ourselves as well as ignite our leadership ability day by day. It was a great privilege and honor to study under your guidance and we are extremely grateful for what you have offered.2 INTRODUCTION A. Rationale of study Leadership refers to the ability to influence, modify and exercise control over the behavior of others in a group. It is the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to influence and guide members of an organization. Leadership involves establishing a clear vision, sharing the vision so others will follow willingly and providing the knowledge, information and methods to realize the vision. Simply, leadership is the ability of an individual or organization to lead or guide other individuals or organizations. Today, people are increasingly recognizing the importance of leadership in organizational development. Leadership is the willingness to take ownership of the organization combined with an intrinsic urge to do what is best for the organization. In an article by McKinsey Company, leadership is ranked as a 1 priority by 500 executives and organizations. Employers across industries see leadership skills as one of the five most indemand Hard Skills according to LinkedIn’s annual 2019 Most Promising Jobs of 2019. In the United States of America, approximately 14 billion is spent each year on leadership training. In the context of a global competitive business environment, managing with strong leadership has even been challenged at a higher state, which makes it important to evaluate and master the skill. Although the operation of effective leadership requires experience and competence, the skill and its contributors can be obtained overtime. Tackling of the determinants and expressions now has become a concern for both individuals and organizations, which we would discuss throughout the studyADMINISTRATION ✧✧✧ PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT REPORT ANALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP IN “THE MAZE RUNNER” Group 8 1 Nguyễn Thị Lan Anh 2 Trần Minh Châu 3 Nguyễn Thanh.

FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION ✧✧✧ - PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT REPORT ANALYSIS OF LEADERSHIP IN “THE MAZE RUNNER” Group 8: Nguyễn Thị Lan Anh Trần Minh Châu Nguyễn Thanh Hà Trần Huy Hoàng Quách Hồng Linh Vũ Trà My Ngô Ngọc Yến Nhi Đặng Thanh Sơn Nguyễn Minh Trang 10 Hoàng Tuấn Việt 1914450006 1911150710 1911150523 1914450015 1811150095 1914450510 1911150728 1914450049 1914450519 1915550515 Class: QTRE303 (2.1/2021).4_LT Instructor: Mr Hoang Anh Duy Hanoi, December 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION A Rationale of study B Research’s objectives C Research’s objects D Research methods E Structure of the report SECTION 1: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 1.1 Definition 1.2 Types of power 1.2.1 Coercive power 1.2.2 Reward power 1.2.3 Legitimate power 1.2.4 Expert power 1.2.5 Referent power .5 1.3 Leadership approaches 1.3.1 Trait Approaches 1.3.2 Skill Approaches 1.3.3 Behavioral Approaches 1.3.4 Situational Approaches 10 1.3.5 Contemporary Approaches 12 SECTION 2: FINDING AND ANALYSIS ON LEADERSHIP 13 2.1 Movie summary of “The Maze Runner” 13 2.2 General introduction of Thomas - the leader 14 2.2.1 Personal introduction 14 2.2.2 Characteristics 14 2.3 Analysis of Thomas’s leadership 15 2.3.1 Trait Approach 15 2.3.2 Behavioral Approach 18 2.3.3 Situational Approach 18 2.3.4 Contemporary Approach 20 2.4 Evaluation 21 SECTION 3: RECOMMENDATIONS 24 3.1 Recommendations for Thomas 24 3.2 Recommendations for future leaders 24 SECTION 4: CONCLUSION 26 REFERENCES 27 JOB DESCRIPTION AND CONTRIBUTION 28 ABSTRACT Our analysis concentrates on the fundamental knowledge of leadership, followed by a variety of leading methods and the different traits of a good leader Specifically, we base on a wide range of theoretical frameworks and models, in order to make use of a strong leadership foundation to further analyze our topic With the support of the movie “Maze Runner” (2014), the study aims to provide a practical approach that specifies the implications of leadership in the realistic context We have found that the good leaders possess some mutual personal traits and styles We also detect that the leadership method varies among different people and characteristics, which result in a shift of efficiency Finally, yet importantly, we provide evaluations of the discussed methods and make recommendations for an ultimate approach of applying skills With all the analysis and illustrations, we hope the study would define a clear vision into the fundamental background of the issues and draw attention to the determinants in order to possess and apply leadership skills that individuals and organizations can take into consideration Last but not least, we would like to express our deep and sincere gratitude to our lecturer, Professor Hoang Anh Duy for being with us during this course You always provided us with invaluable guidance and advice throughout interesting exercises Your dynamism, vision, sincerity and motivation have deeply inspired us and urged us to improve ourselves as well as ignite our leadership ability day by day It was a great privilege and honor to study under your guidance and we are extremely grateful for what you have offered INTRODUCTION A Rationale of study Leadership refers to the ability to influence, modify and exercise control over the behavior of others in a group It is the ability of an individual or a group of individuals to influence and guide members of an organization Leadership involves establishing a clear vision, sharing the vision so others will follow willingly and providing the knowledge, information and methods to realize the vision Simply, leadership is the ability of an individual or organization to lead or guide other individuals or organizations Today, people are increasingly recognizing the importance of leadership in organizational development Leadership is the willingness to take ownership of the organization combined with an intrinsic urge to what is best for the organization In an article by McKinsey & Company, leadership is ranked as a #1 priority by 500 executives and organizations Employers across industries see leadership skills as one of the five most in-demand Hard Skills according to LinkedIn’s annual 2019 Most Promising Jobs of 2019 In the United States of America, approximately $14 billion is spent each year on leadership training In the context of a global competitive business environment, managing with strong leadership has even been challenged at a higher state, which makes it important to evaluate and master the skill Although the operation of effective leadership requires experience and competence, the skill and its contributors can be obtained overtime Tackling of the determinants and expressions now has become a concern for both individuals and organizations, which we would discuss throughout the study B Research’s objectives With all the knowledge acquired from the course of Principles of Management, along with further research and reference, our study aims to provide an insightful analysis of leadership by approaching leaders’ personal traits, behaviors and styles, supported by theoretical frameworks for fundamental understanding Having acquired specific findings and results, we would also address some recommendations for both the character and future leaders in order to improve the approach and execution of leadership in reality C Research’s objects As leadership is a crucial skill to manage personal life, dealing with relationships and working in organizations, we believe the study is helpful for individuals who are attempting to upgrade their personal value and create precious experiences as well as improve their employability Recruiters and organizations can also take reference from the findings in order to assess the qualified candidates for a leadership role or develop innovative training sections to improve the skills of their employees D Research methods For the ultimate efficiency in making clear of the points of discussion, we would like to use a cut scene from the movie “Maze Runner” and would base our work on the leadership that occurred throughout the piece “Maze Runner” is the first installment in “The Maze Runner” film trilogy and was released in 2014 And the plot follows a sixteen-year-old teenager named Thomas, who awakens in a rusty elevator with no memory of who he is, only to learn that he has been delivered to the middle of an intricate maze, along with many other boys, who have been trying to find their way out of the ever-changing labyrinth - all while establishing a functional society called “Glade” The movie is representative of the required characteristics of a good and timely leader when it is related to the survival of each individual E Structure of the report To provide a logical and systematic analysis, the content of our report is divided into four sections: SECTION 1: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK SECTION 2: FINDING AND ANALYSIS ON LEADERSHIP SECTION 3: RECOMMENDATIONS SECTION 4: CONCLUSION SECTION 1: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 1.1 Definition Leadership is the process of influencing others to engage in the work behaviors necessary to reach the organizational goals Therefore, the leaders, who can influence others, have to help themselves and others to the right things: they create vision and orientation; they coach, support, train and instruct employees; they communicate to solve conflicts, they build a positive working environment, 1.2 Types of power A leader's influence can determine how well common goals are met in the workplace The power is a fundamental tool used by great leaders There are types of power: coercive power, reward power, legitimate power, expert power and referent power 1.2.1 Coercive power Coercive power is based on fear of losing one’s job, being demoted, receiving a poor performance review, having prime projects taken away, etc This power is obtained through threatening others This type of power can be used to set high expectations for employee performance Leaders can use coercive power to establish innovation as part of their employee’s responsibilities – if people aren’t able to come up with new and inventive ways of doing things, then they might get replaced with someone who can provide that value 1.2.2 Reward power Reward power is conveyed through rewarding individuals for compliance with one’s wishes This may be done through giving bonuses, raises, a promotion, extra time off from work, etc It is a positive way to incentivize people while on the job The draw of a reward, whether big or small, can foster creativity, healthy competition, and excitement across your team 1.2.3 Legitimate power Legitimate power comes from having a position of power in an organization, such as being the boss or a key member of a leadership team This power comes when employees in the organization recognize the authority of the individual Legitimate power is formed as a result of the laws that exist in an organization And one common organization where this type of power is common is in the military The leader has the capacity and legal backing to manage resources, reward, and even punish erring subordinates 1.2.4 Expert power Expert power comes from one’s experiences, skills or knowledge As we gain experience in particular areas, and become thought leaders in those areas, we begin to gather expert power that can be utilized to get others to help us meet our goals 1.2.5 Referent power Referent power comes from being trusted and respected We can gain referent power when others trust what we and respect us for how we handle situations If you have referent power, it means you have already made progress towards changing your organizational culture And with each successful project, this reference will only grow, encouraging your employees to take bigger, smarter risks and keep moving forward 1.3 Leadership approaches In reality, leadership plays an important role in an organization When any organization whatever wants to be successful, a good leadership is one of the success factors Therefore, since the earliest days of the study of business, there have been discussions of leadership, especially how to be a good leader Although it’s relatively easy in hindsight to look at how effective an organizational leader was based on her or his accomplishments, determining whether or not someone will be an effective leader prior to their ascension is a difficult task To help organizations select the “right” person for the leadership role, numerous scholars have come up with a variety of ways to describe and explain leadership Over the past 100 years, five primary approaches for understanding and explaining leadership have evolved: the trait approaches, the skill approaches, the behavioral approaches, the situational approaches, and the contemporary approaches 1.3.1 Trait Approaches The trait approach to leadership was one of the earliest theories of leadership Although it is not a fully articulated theory with well-developed hypotheses, the trait approach formed the basis of earliest leadership research This theory focuses on identifying different personality traits and characteristics that are linked to successful leadership across a variety of situations Researchers believed that great leaders have certain common character traits Human beings possess very many personality traits, in infinite combinations The trait approach attempts to analyze effective combinations of human personality traits, thereby suggesting or identifying a set of human traits that enable a person to lead others effectively However, researchers discovered that only a few traits appeared to distinguish between leaders and followers Despite the efforts of researches, it proved impossible to identify a set of traits that would always differentiate a leader (the person) from a nonleader Maybe it was a bit optimistic to think that a set of consistent and unique traits would apply universally to all effective leaders However, later researchers tried to identify traits consistently associated with leadership The seven traits shown to be associated with effective leadership which are: Drive, Desire to lead, Honesty and integrity, Selfconfidence, Intelligence, Job-relevant knowledge and Extraversion 1.3.2 Skill Approaches The skill approach focuses on knowledge and abilities It suggests that skills, knowledge and abilities that are required for a leader to be effective can be learned and developed Many people have leadership potential, which can be enhanced by experiences and training to make them become more effective leaders According to the model of Katz (1995), we identify three different abilities that a leader should have, namely:  Technical skills  Human skills  Conceptual skills The level of importance of each set of skills (technical, human and conceptual) will be based on the level of authority that the person has in the organization In conclusion, it is important for leaders to have all three skills, but depending on where they are in the management structure, some skills are more important than others 1.3.3 Behavioral Approaches In the beginning of 1950s, focus of leadership research shifted away from leader traits to leader’s behaviors Behavioral theories differentiate between effective leaders from ineffective leaders Behavioral theories of leadership are based on the belief that great leaders are made, not born According to this theory, people can learn to become leaders through training and observations, thus, anyone can become a leader if they want to Many studies have been conducted to investigate the behavioral approach typical studies for behavioral approach are Iowa State University studies; University of Michigan and Ohio State University studies and Managerial Grid of Black and Mouton a Iowa State University studies One of the first studies of leadership behavior was done by Kurt Lewin and his team at the University of Iowa They explored three leader behaviors or styles: Autocratic, Democratic and Laissez-Faire  Autocratic style The authoritarian leader typically tends to centralize authority dictate work methods, make unilateral decisions, and limit employee participation Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group decisionmaking or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group  Democratic style The democratic leaders tend to encourage discussion with the group and allow participation in making decisions They share their leadership responsibilities with the followers and involve them in the planning and execution of the task Participative leaders encourage group members to participate, but retain the final say Within each phase of the movie, different leadership theories will be used to assess leadership style exhibited by Dylan O'Brien in the film This analysis will provide insight into how a team requires a path-goal model of leadership at various points of growth 2.2 General introduction of Thomas - the leader 2.2.1 Personal introduction Thomas is the last male Glader and one of the creators of the Maze along with Teresa Agnes He is the main protagonist of the series and presumably named after Thomas Edison Thomas is a teenaged boy who enters the Glade with no memories other than of his first name Although Thomas comes to the Glade scared and confused, he shows himself to be brave, resourceful, and strong-willed when he saves the lives of the Gladers Alby and Minho Thomas also shares a telepathic connection with Teresa, who he may have known before arriving in the Glade With her help, Thomas struggles to uncover his memories and discover the true nature of his identity By the end, Thomas realizes that rather than his memories, it is his actions in the present that determine his identity Thomas also chafes against the strict rules of the Glade, introducing new perspectives and ideas that the Gladers eventually accept since they prove useful for finding an exit to the Maze 2.2.2 Characteristics Thomas is determined, impulsive, inquisitive, and smart but he is stubborn He dares to make changes, knows what is right, what is wrong and has proved to be brave, loyal, and clever, with isolated telepathic powers  Determined: Thomas is determined to become a runner after running into the maze to save Minho and Alby from the grievers  Smart: He figured out the hidden message of the maze with the wax paper pencils and markers model Thomas wondered “What if the pattern spelled words” So he started tracing the maps from the past couple of days, then Thomas puts the sheets in order with the lines matching, then in the middle, it shows the letter F, so he kept attaching the rest of the map together and more words keep appearing like, FLOAT 14 and CATCH and those are some of the words he had to punch in, to get out of the maze  Inquisitive: He’s skeptical about anything he can’t see for himself and he’d rather test things than trust other people’s opinions  Stubborn: Although he is not supposed to go in the maze unless he is a runner, he went in the maze anyway He said “Whatever they are doing in there, I want in” It does not matter what the other Gladers say, he is going in the maze anyways The fact that Thomas is branded as an outsider from the beginning makes it easier for him to not follow the rules  Brave and impulsive: He acts on instinct rather than laying out a plan, which makes him both brave and foolhardy  Loyal: "I just feel like I need to save everyone To redeem myself."— Thomas to Newt  Dare to make changes: One of the traits that sets Thomas apart from the other boys is his unwillingness to accept the status quo 2.3 Analysis of Thomas’s leadership 2.3.1 Trait Approach Leadership traits of Thomas are:  Drive: When Thomas first appeared in this Glade, he did not know what role he was going to play there All the things he saw were the daze and confusion Thomas even did not know who he was, what needed to be done and who he could trust But his desire to survive still blazed up, that is the reason why Thomas learned more and began to find his way While the Glader have been looking for the escape way for years and some of them gradually accepted their situation as a complacency, a peace had settled on the Glade, Thomas continuously asked questions after questions in order to know what was going on around them and find the escaping strategy from this maze “Where there is comfort, there can never be changed” Therefore, Thomas 15 is the much needed catalyst for the change in Glade “I’m scared but I’d rather risk my life than spend it out here”  Charisma: Thomas is determined, impulsive, inquisitive and stubborn He dares to make changes, and he is skeptical about anything he cannot see for himself and he would rather test things than trust other people’s opinions  Desire to lead: In the cut video, Thomas shows a strong desire to influence and lead others He tries to persuade other teenagers to follow him and fight against the evil creatures together in order to escape from Glade, which is an invisible prison He also demonstrates the willingness to take responsibility  Self-confidence: He is self-confident When Thomas was inside the maze, he cannot remember anything, even to remember the name though it should be considered many times In circumstances that are very tiring, he tries to survive the first day in the maze Luckily, there was a boy named Chuck who wanted to accompany everyday Thomas and explain everything to Thomas Especially when Chuck explains about the Runners and their duty to solve the mystery inside the maze by drawing a map that illustrates the way to scour the alleys in the maze When Thomas always asks Chuck about a runner, he believes that one day he will become a runner and find a way out for them  Honesty and integrity: Leaders build trusting relationships with followers by showing high consistency between word and deed (action) About Thomas, he always takes care of the work of his followers and helps them whenever possible Starting from the current maze gates open all day, even in the night when the griever is free to roam to attack the Glader Almost every night the Griever came back and took the child from the homestead, so Thomas tries to help a Glader named Dave although he failed and exposed the sting's Griever And near the end of the movie, Thomas recalls that he and another Glader named Teresa worked for the organization that created the maze, WCKD Thomas awakens and shares that information with Newt, Minho, Chuck, and Theresa Thomas then reveals himself and Theresa and confesses that they worked with WCKD and studied the boys for years 16  Intelligence: Leaders need to be intelligent enough in order to synthesize and interpret large amounts of information, they also need to be able to create visions, solve problems and make correct decisions Thomas knows what he and his fellows need to  Job-relevant knowledge: Leaders need to have a high degree of knowledge about the company, industry and technical matters which allow them to make wellinformed decisions and to understand the implications of those decisions When fighting against the evil creatures, Thomas divided into teams: he and other boys would fight and confront them, while the only woman of the team and a little boy would find the code to escape from that maze  Extraversion: Leaders are energetic, lively people They are sociable, assertive and rarely silent or withdrawn Thomas always thought of a plan to get out of the maze, which began casualties from their friends every night He started thinking to regain the memories of his past event by letting the griever be attacked, then with the serum he can be cured back and as soon as he tried to fight a lot griever and the griever attacked him dangerously In the recovery period, Thomas gets a maze memory of how it can be created and where the origin of them all Thomas explained that they are selected from all teenagers in the world, they have above-average intelligence And he believes that they will not give up the face of this situation without caring little hope to get out of this maze In summary, Thomas refuses to think there is no way out of the Maze, that they’re all just trapped there for the rest of their lives He’s drawn to the Maze, eager to unravel its mysteries because he knows there has to be a way of escape Thomas realizes something everyone else has forgotten—the Glade is not their home and they can’t stay there So he does everything he can, even breaking a few rules, to find a way out Leadership qualities vary from person to person, but adaptability, a flexible moral compass that’s open to new ideas, and a respect for the opinions of the community are a good place to start when looking at healthy leadership styles As for Thomas, he is imperfect which is why he needs stable advice from Newt and Minho to balance out his innovation But he leads through 17 ... SECTION 2: FINDING AND ANALYSIS ON LEADERSHIP 13 2.1 Movie summary of “The Maze Runner” 13 2.2 General introduction of Thomas - the leader 14 2.2.1 Personal introduction... Employers across industries see leadership skills as one of the five most in- demand Hard Skills according to LinkedIn’s annual 2019 Most Promising Jobs of 2019 In the United States of America, approximately... Transformational Leadership, Charismatic Leadership, Transactional Leadership, 12 SECTION 2: FINDING AND ANALYSIS ON LEADERSHIP 2.1 Movie summary of “The Maze Runner” The Maze Runner is a 2014 American