Joe Is a High-Level Administrator at a University

Multiple Choice

Joe is a high-level administrator at a university. He changes his mind so frequently that his staff often cannot figure out what they should be doing. When he says no to an employee request, he offers no explanation beyond "Because I said so, that's why!" He was a great Dean of the College, but has not done as well since moving up in the administration. This scenario illustrates three patterns associated with being a "bad boss," all of which are listed below. Which one represents the additional pattern of being a "bad boss" (that is, one which is not explicitly referred to in the scenario) ?

A) promotion beyond competence level
B) failure to build a team
C) poor interpersonal skills that create conflict between him and staff
D) undermining the employees' ability to work together