Human Resource Management at Mount Beacon School 

(MBS)
Mount Beacon School (MBS) is a private fee-paying school for boys aged 11 - 18. Students are
admitted based on their academic ability in a Mathematics, English, and Science entrance exam.
There are 800 students in the school and a total of 110 teachers and 95 non-teaching staff. The
school achieves outstanding examination results and was described in a recent external school
inspection report as “an exemplary school that offers a wide and challenging curriculum for all
students”.
Although teachers at MBS earn a salary that is significantly above the national average for the
profession, a total of eighteen teachers resigned for various reasons this academic year (such as for
external promotions or taking a career break from the teaching profession). One of the positions to
be filled is the Head of Individuals and Societies Department. Andy Hay, the current post holder, is
retiring after being at MBS for over 15 years.
As an autocratic leader, Andy Hay believes in centralized decision making and fails to put faith in
the talents of member of his team, especially as those of them are still relatively new to the teaching
profession. The senior leadership team (SLT) knows this, given that Andy has said to the Principal in
person that none of the other four members of his department are ready to be Head of Department
(even though they have over 15 years of teaching experience between them at the school). Instead,
Andy has suggested to the Principal that the school recruits his successor from the pool of external
candidates.
In recent years, Andy’s own management style has caused conflict within his own department and
with the SLT. He is known to be outspoken and extroverted. Even members of staff outside his
Department have complained to the SLT about his poor interpersonal skills. The Departmental staff
members are dedicated to the school, mainly because of the excellent quality of teaching and
learning at the school, so they have tended to put up with the management style adopted by
their line manager.
Nevertheless, all members of the SLT are sad to see Andy retire. He has worked extremely hard
during his time at the school, and examination results are well above those of the national average
for all subjects offered in the Individuals and Societies Department. In fact, during the past four
years, the Department has managed to get the best results in the IB Diploma Programme in the
whole school. The senior leadership team is keen to hire a replacement who is highly competent,
determined, and motivated to lead the team to ensure all students continue to achieve outstanding
results.

(a) Identify two characteristics of an autocratic leader. [2 marks]

(b) Define the term line manager. [2 marks]

Examine whether the senior leadership team at MBS ought to act on the

(c) advice of Andy Blair to use external recruitment to hire the new Head of [6 marks]
Department.*

Evaluate the factors that contribute to effective leadership in organizations [10

(d) such as MBS. marks]