Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online) Vol.5, No.31, 2014 99 Leading Change in a Crisis Situation: A Case Regarding Management of a District Assembly in Ghana Remy Nyukorong Swiss Management Center (SMC University), Switzerland Postal Address: Burgemeester Cortenstraat 26, GV 6226, Maastricht, The Netherlands * Email: nyukorong.remy@student.swissmc.ch or nyukorongr@ymail.com Abstract This current article provides a case study that explores organizational behaviour ideas in the management of a district assembly in Ghana. It reviews and presents a critical examination of leadership behaviour and change management problems. Applying narrative methodology, the case narrative commences with a conflict between a District Chief Executive, newly assigned to head a district and a leader of protesting farmers. The District Chief Executive known as Bagah Badari resolves to handle the problem with an aggressive approach. The District Chief Executive orchestrates to have Muri Gandaanaa, the farmers representative detained when he moves into the district capital to stage a protest rally. Concurrently, Badari introduces change effort in the District Assembly’s management. The District Chief Executive exploits the tensed condition generated by the Gandaanaa’s detention to keep the staff of the District Assembly on their toes. The District Chief Executive would like the staff of the assembly to demonstrate more initiative, creativity and commitment. However, Badari shortly discovers that leading and motivating his subordinates is not easy. The case concludes with a study of the leadership style of the District Chief Executive and attempts to initiate change within the prevailing organizational structure of the District Assembly. Keywords: case study, narrative technique, leadership style, change management 1. The Case Story It was past midnight on the first day of June. Bagah Badari, the newly appointed District Executive Officer (DCE) sits comfortably in his arm-chair and mope his face despairingly. Badari has taken up his new position as DCE less than forty days ago. Every day, Badari left the house for the Office before 7.00 A.M. and returned to his house late in the night in order to get himself acquainted with the district. Badari is not in the least amazed at the spectacle unravelling before his eyes. However, Badari could not refrain from ruminating over the resolution he had made and thinking about it. The palaver had altogether started with a telephone call which his District Chief Superintendent of Police (DCSP), Songnuba Boyela had picked up from an adjoining district. It had been reported to Boyela that a powerful and an influential farmers’ leader of the locality, Muri Gandaanaa was arriving in Nadowli on 30 th May rather than 1 st June, as it had been announced originally. At various public meetings Gandaanaa had categorically stated that he would organize a demonstration at the premises of the Nadowli District Assembly, to campaign for the demands of the Ordinary Farmers’ Union (OFU). The basic petition was on a touchy issue concerning compensations that were paid to some farmers of the district for land acquired from them by the Nadowli Land Commission (NLC) to be sorted out in favour of the farmers. Demands made by Gandaanaa and colleague-farmers were to cost the Nadowli Land Commission a hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS100, 000). If Gandaanaa’s demands would be granted, it would definitely have ripples in many of the top districts since there land had been outstanding lawsuits in the courts. Five years before, Gandaanaa had successfully organized protest rallies at the regional capital, in the open space opposite the office of the Regional Minister. All administrative work had come to a halt during that time. The Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) could only manage to dismiss the farmers’ loans up to ten thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 10,000) to each of them. The Regional Co-ordinating Council also suspended the increase of electricity tariffs approved then by the Electricity Corporation of Ghana (ECG). These latest arrangements were key achievements obtained by the OFU and a victory for Gandaanaa. More issues were discovered about the District by the DCE immediately he arrived there. At the time the DCE joined the district, he discovered that the Nadowli district was categorized among one of the districts with the highest rate of crime in the Upper West region of Ghana. As alleged by Yokyil Konwayiri, a colleague of Badari, every week, an average of three affluent business people got abducted by criminal gangs in Nadowli. These victims were only freed after payment of up to two thousand Ghana Cedis (GHS 2,000). During the same period, Nadowli was also one of the most highly developed industrial districts in the Region. A number of top business companies had commenced enterprises in Nadowli. Close to two thousand small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) were in operation throughout the district. Badari felt very proud and pleased when appointed to Nadowli as District Chief Executive, as this was seen to be both an outstanding district though problematical one to oversee. This was the place Badari could set himself apart if he performed