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  • July 2020 (Revised January 2021)
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Rosalind Fox at John Deere

By: Anthony Mayo and Olivia Hull
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:19
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Abstract

Rosalind Fox, the factory manager at John Deere’s Des Moines, Iowa plant, has improved the financial standing of the factory in the three years she’s been at its helm. But employee engagement scores—which measured employees’ satisfaction with working conditions and enthusiasm about their work— have remained lackluster. As the first Black female factory manager to lead the plant, Fox considers how to build stronger bonds with her staff, who are mostly white men. The case describes how Fox took charge and established her credibility while building and nurturing a diverse leadership team. In addition to discussing Fox’s current role, this leadership case chronicles Fox’s career trajectory from her college years in Missouri through her time at Ford Motor Company and later, rising up the ranks at Deere & Company. The case discusses the pressure Fox has felt to assimilate into the dominant white male cultures and figure out how much of her authentic self to bring to work.

Keywords

Agribusiness; Change Management; Experience and Expertise; Talent and Talent Management; Diversity; Gender; Race; Engineering; Geographic Location; Globalized Markets and Industries; Leadership Development; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Management Style; Management Teams; Organizational Culture; Personal Development and Career; Prejudice and Bias; Power and Influence; Status and Position; Trust; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; United States

Citation

Mayo, Anthony, and Olivia Hull. "Rosalind Fox at John Deere." Harvard Business School Case 421-011, July 2020. (Revised January 2021.)
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About The Author

Anthony Mayo

Organizational Behavior
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Related Work

    • January 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Rosalind Fox at John Deere

    By: Anthony Mayo and Olivia Hull
    • July 2020 (Revised January 2021)
    • Faculty Research

    Rosalind Fox at John Deere

    By: Anthony Mayo and Olivia Hull
Related Work
  • Rosalind Fox at John Deere By: Anthony Mayo and Olivia Hull
  • Rosalind Fox at John Deere By: Anthony Mayo and Olivia Hull
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