Grassroot Leadership - Ford Motor Co.
Ford has always attracted and nurtured capable managers and technicians, but it has failed to do the same for change agents and leaders. So, as part of the automaker's cultural overhaul, Ford is embarking on a sweeping attempt to mass-manufacture leaders. It wants to build an army of “warrior entrepreneurs” — people who have the courage and skills to topple old ideas, and who believe in change passionately enough to make it happen. Ford Motor Company announced key changes to its senior management team as it continues to strengthen its automotive business, improve the company's operational fitness, and accelerate a strategic shift to capitalize on emerging opportunities. In announcing the leadership changes, Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett said Form is “very fortunate to have an experienced and committed executive team in place to significantly strengthen their business while building towards their vision of becoming the world's most trusted mobility company. Their objective is to lead business to new levels of operational fitness, product and brand excellence and profitability”. Ford views grassroot leadership as the best vehicle for creating a successful business
To improve the company's operational fitness, and accelerate a strategic shift to capitalize on emerging opportunities, Ford has undertaken the steps to:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Key changes to its senior management team
Option (1) Key changes to its leadership team — Incorrect. The passage calls these “leadership changes”, but the team it names is the senior management team. Option (3) uses the passage’s own words; this option is only a loose description of it.
Option (2) Key changes to its middle management team — Incorrect. Middle managers are heads of departments who carry out the plans of top management. The passage does not speak of them.
Option (3) Key changes to its senior management team — Correct. “Ford Motor Company announced key changes to its senior management team as it continues to … improve the company’s operational fitness, and accelerate a strategic shift …” Senior (top) management sets the objectives and strategy, so a change there changes the direction of the whole company.
Option (4) Key changes to its junior management team — Incorrect. Junior (supervisory) managers oversee the workers on the floor. They do not set the company’s strategy, and the passage does not mention them.
Note 1: The passage is the NCERT case study ‘Grassroot Leadership - Ford Motor Co.’, the opening case of the chapter Directing, which has been reproduced by NTA in the exam. Note 2: It seems that there is a mistake in the original NTA paper, which prints “Jim Hackett said Form is …” in the passage when it should read “Ford”. The slip is NCERT’s own: both the current NCERT book (2026-27) and the pre-rationalised NCERT print “Form”. NTA copies lines from NCERT word for word, even where the book is wrong.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Grassroot Leadership - Ford Motor Co. … Ford Motor Company announced key changes to its senior management team as it continues to strengthen its automotive business, improve the company’s operational fitness, and accelerate a strategic shift to capitalize on emerging opportunities. In announcing the leadership changes, Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett said Form is…” |