Review Assignment and Analysis of the Chilean Mine Rescue

Review and Analysis of the Chilean Mine Rescue
Name:
Institution:
Course Title:
Instructor:
Date:
Review and Analysis of the Chilean Mine Rescue
The 2010 Chilean mine rescue refers to the rescue of 33 mine workers who were trapped underground after the collapse of San Jose copper and gold mine (Corrigan, 2014). This rescue effort highlighted the Chilean government’s leadership under extreme circumstances. The accident prompted the government to respond immediately in an attempt to rescue the workers. This essay examines the application of the situational approach and the goal-path theory on the Chilean mine rescue.
During the rescue efforts, the leaders demonstrated both flexibility and adaptability in various ways. With regard to flexibility, the government had to entrust the responsibility of coordinating the rescue efforts to the state-owned company, Codelco. The move was taken just after the attempts by the local emergency squad had failed. Similarly, the rescue team employed various contingency plans rather than relying on a single plan. With regard to adaptability, the government encouraged the participation of various companies in the rescue efforts. Moreover, various experts were involved in the rescue efforts, including mental health specialists, structural engineers, and NASA scientists. Notably, the government funded the bulk of the rescue expenses.
The leaders also demonstrated some aspects of the path-goal theory in the rescue effort. The theory stipulates that the leaders provide the requisite support and direction to the subordinates in order to achieve both organizational and individual goals (Malik, 2013). It focuses on employee motivation as a tool for enhancing employee satisfaction and performance. With regard to the Chilean mine rescue, the leaders employed participative leadership by focusing of mutual participation in the crisis. In this regard, they sought expertise and ideas from various professionals before deciding on the contingency plans. The government leaders compensated the company’s rescue workers and their respective ...