Introduction
- Purpose Statement: The central purpose of this research paper is to examine how a company can develop and sustain effective global leadership.
- Thesis statement: Global leadership is useful in recognizing the inspirational, innovative, and creative perspectives of people in a complex and diverse environment. Thus, the purpose of the research is to examine the meaning and importance of global leadership in attaining global mindsets.
Company Background
- A brief description of the selected company (Coca Cola)
- Company’s history, location, and services
- The company’s view on global leadership
Main body: Literature Review
This section examines critical concepts related to the topic of global leadership.
- Subtopic 1: Examining the meaning and significance of global leadership from diverse perspectives: Examine the definition of global leadership according to various sources, expound the meaning from a different perspective, and understanding the point of view of Coca Cola Company
- Subtopic 2: Examining the qualities and skills of a global leader: Basis of global leadership, according to Cumberland, and understand relevant attributes and skills that make one an effective leader as described according to Cumberland. Lastly, explore how the identified global leadership skills and qualities can makes one an effective global leader as detailed in the research by Cumberland
- Subtopic 3: Exploring different theories of global leadership: The application of the identified theories in modern organizational settings
- Subtopic 4: Exploring ways of attaining global leadership in modern organizations such as Coca Cola: Examine the roots of global leadership, according to Cumberland. Explain how organizations can install and train their leaders to develop and apply various global leadership skills and competencies. Examine different strategies that Coca Cola can adopt to acquire global leadership.
- Subtopic 5: Challenges facing and limiting the development of global leadership skills and qualities in organizations: Examine why some organizational leaders fail to apply global leadership skills despite going through relevant training and development. Design appropriate solutions to challenges facing individuals learning and practising global leadership
Research Outcome
- Business executives can learn global leadership traits in either their workplace environments or while closely working and relating with other global leaders
- Globalization has made global leadership an increasingly important component of organizations’ hiring and recruitment of a diverse workforce
- Organizations face multiple challenges in learning various global leadership traits
- Organizations can implement various strategies to address challenges associated with global leadership
- Organizational leaders can learn global leadership skills and knowledge after going through extensive training on relevant strategies and perspectives
Recommendations
- Coca Cola Company leaders must learn to be effective global leaders in an increasingly globalized world. In particular, with the world becoming globalized than ever before and the international market expanding the more, Coca Cola will have to accommodate consumers from diverse backgrounds
- Coca Cola should implement a mandatory global leadership discipline framework for all its leaders. The Framework should provide proper and clear guidelines on how the employees can learn and apply appropriate leadership the skills and gradually practice them until perfection, especially when dealing with a cross-cultural team.
Conclusion
- Global leadership is useful in recognizing the inspirational, innovative, and creative perspectives of people in a complex and diverse environment
- Global leadership is an almost a must thing for leaders in the present-day marketplaces
- Companies like Coca Cola should understand that global leadership is becoming increasingly important due to the high rate of globalization because of the increasing rate of employees diversification
- The development of global leadership skills is also critical for organizational leaders seeking to remain ethical and effective in a diverse background
- Moreover, global leadership places leaders in the right positions where they can lead people without personal prejudice
- Therefore, the research recommends that all people aspiring to be organizational leaders in different categories must learn and practice global leadership skills
The Final Paper
Introduction
Globalization is increasingly transforming organizations to become more diverse. Organizations must develop appropriate strategies to operate in globalized environments comprising of employees and business partners across different cultures. For instance, companies should encourage global leaders to manage cross-cultural relationships by integrating diverse perspectives. In particular, any ideal business environment is more likely to benefit from the expanded view and perception of good leadership capable of working across cultures (Virzi 23). The central purpose of this research paper is to examine how a company such as Toyota can develop and sustain effective and efficient global leadership. The research will also investigate the meaning and importance of global leadership in attaining global mindsets. Global leadership is useful in recognizing the inspirational, innovative, and creative perspectives of people in a complex and diverse environment.
Company Background
Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational entity with an interest in manufacturing, retailing, and sale of non-alcoholic beverages. The company is based in Atlanta, Georgia, offering over 500 brands and with a presence in more than 200 nations and territories globally. Coca Cola attributes its positive market performance to successful leadership approaches. Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of the company’s leadership values and global growth strategies. The company recognizes and appreciates the extraordinary diversity of people across the world. The management’s primary objective is to create a diverse leadership and inclusive workplaces to implement its strategic business priorities and foster more incredible connections to the communities it serves (Virzi 25). Notably, by mirroring the diversity of the communities where it operates, the company advocates for a better-shared future based on effective and efficient global leadership. Thus, Coca Cola has an exceptional Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence. The department’s primary objective is to recruit and train talents into top leadership positions. The company knows that its consumers are from increasingly diverse backgrounds. As such, the global leadership team should have appropriate training and knowledge on diversity and inclusion.
Main body: Literature Review
This section examines critical concepts related to the topic of global leadership. The sections also explore some of the relevant qualities and traits of global leadership. Coca Cola Company can use the information in this section to understand the significance of global leadership and develop appropriate solutions to related challenges.
The meaning and significance of global leadership from diverse perspectives
The research by Cumberland examines the meaning of global leadership from a different perspective. According to the study, global leadership describes a type of leader capable of operating on a worldwide stage and with a global mindset in a complex and diverse environment. Global leaders can effect significant changes in organizations by creating and sustaining workplaces through trust and positive rapport. The leaders can influence individuals, groups, and entities inside and outside the organization to embrace other people from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. Unlike other leaders, global leaders are capable of articulating globally, encompassing visions and inspiring positive performances. In essence, global leadership is a critical human resource issue, especially in a cross-cultural organizational setting (Tarique and Ellen 221). The shifts in the global business environment imply that corporate leaders at Coca Cola must develop appropriate skills, knowledge, and abilities to manage multicultural environments.
Coca Cola’s influential global leaders should also learn to work with people from diverse backgrounds by understanding how their cultures and values affect their perspectives and behaviours. Valuing and respecting other people’s diverse views can help global leaders to earn trust and develop a positive rapport with the company’s employees. Therefore, Coca Cola should understand that globalization would increase the need for global leadership to master the art of managing different cultures across its multinational operations.
Examining the qualities and skills of a global leader
The research by Cumberland examines the basis of global leadership based on relevant qualities and skills. Global leaders should develop stipulated skills and qualities to manage a multicultural environment or team. According to Cumberland, identified global leadership skills and qualities could makes one an effective global leader. For instance, Coca Cola’s global leaders should understand business operations in different cultural contexts or perspectives. They should also have deep self-cultural awareness of their values beliefs. Increased awareness will help global leaders to adapt to and tolerate other people’s beliefs. Another essential trait of global leaders is the increased sensitivity to cultural diversity within their teams. Notably, much of these cultural insights will come from the leaders’ subjective experiences. For instance, the company’s leaders should develop an intense interest in the lives and cultures of their employees. They should also be willing to listen to others with humility and without preconceived assumptions (Tarique and Ellen 228). An influential global leader should also be a good communicator and negotiator. For instance, Coca Cola conducts businesses across ethnic, national, and regional boundaries. Thus, the company’s global leadership should develop strong negotiating skills and clear communication of pertinent issues. Besides, a global leader should be charismatic by persuading and motivating followers to get things done and improve the way the organization works. Other important qualities that Coca-Cola’s global leaders should have include dynamic people’s skills, language proficiency, and the development of a unique multinational perspective.
Exploring different theories of global leadership:
Leadership theories describe how and why individual leaders behave and act in a certain manner. These leadership theories are applicable in modern organizational settings. Some of these global leadership theories include charismatic/value-based leadership and team-oriented leadership. Other relevant theories include participative and transformational leadership. Transformational leadership theory emphasizes motivation and morality in dealing with followers (Tarique and Ellen 225). According to the theory, a global leader should be willing and ready to work with teams to identify the desired changes, create visions to guide change, and implement the change in tandem with other members’ unique perspectives. Similarly, both charismatic/value-based leadership and team-oriented leadership emphasize the functional relationship between managers and employees. Coca Cola Company should implement the two leadership models to encourage leaders and subordinates to cooperate based on shared goals and objectives.
Participative global leaders are people-oriented, great listeners, and capable of tapping into the employees’ talents and motivating good performances. More importantly, participative leadership is crucial because it can influence the implementation of diverse thinking and effective communication within Coca Cola’s global operations (Tarique and Ellen 225). Thus, global leaders should increase their reliance on the stipulated leadership theories and model to solve some of the significant challenges they face, especially in their multicultural workplaces. Some of these challenges may include possibly disruptive cross-cultural differences that can adversely impact the employees’ performances and productivity levels. Overall, global leaders should integrate the unique socio-cultural biases and misconceptions to create and sustain an inclusive and safe workplace.
Exploring ways of attaining global leadership in modern organizations such as Coca Cola
Accordingly, organizations can rely on various strategies to attain global leadership. For instance, organizations can install and train their leaders to develop and apply various global leadership skills and competencies. Some of the strategies that Coca Cola can adopt to acquire global leadership include;
- The development of a cultural training program: Under this program, the company can help global leaders to develop cultural awareness and competence. The cross-cultural training will increase a global leader’s ability to cope with diverse beliefs and ethos. For instance, Coca-Cola’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence aim to maximize positive outcomes of the leaders’ intercultural interactions and a reduction of potential cultural misapprehensions. The cross-cultural training programs will also help the global leader to understand their values as well as other people’s cultural beliefs.
- Promoting Cultural Awareness: Coca Cola should also introduce its global leaders to culture-specific information about their international work teams. Cultural awareness will also promote effective interactions among multicultural groups. The company can also provide self-evaluation tools such as online self-assessment exercises to improve the global leaders’ understanding of their cultural biases and assumptions.
- The development of an Operating Framework: Coca Cola Company should develop a unique operating framework to implement internal cultural training programs. The strategy involves integrating multicultural workgroups to improve their understanding of cultural misconceptions, efficiency, and organizational efficiency. The Framework should focus on promoting good communication between team members and providing prompt and efficient feedback. Effective communication in global multicultural teams is critical in ensuring that all team members interact with each other respectfully irrespective of their socio-cultural differences.
Overall, the success of Coca Cola’s global leadership will depend on the company’s ability to improve cross-cultural interactions and understanding among its international work teams. Cultural training and awareness programs will enable the company to have a competitive advantage in the global marketplace (Tarique and Ellen 228). Therefore, it is incredibly beneficial for Coca Cola to design and implement relevant cross-cultural policies to guide the interactions between its global leaders and diverse workforces. Global leadership should ensure the successful management of cross-cultural differences to eliminate negative assumptions and promote positive dialogue and interactions between Coca Cola’s employees.
Challenges facing and limiting the development of global leadership skills and qualities in the organizations
In essence, some modern organizational leaders may fail to apply global leadership skills despite going through relevant training and development. Coca Cola should design appropriate solutions to challenges facing individual leaders learning and practising global leadership.
Some of these challenges include;
- Maintaining open and transparent communication with multicultural teams because of limitations such as language barriers
- Maintaining a clear understanding of the team members’ roles and responsibilities due to poor communication
- Some global leaders may refuse to recognize their cultural biases or to seek appropriate help
- Inadequate support from the company’s management may limit the implementation of cross-cultural training programs and other critical solutions
- Inadequate employee orientation and lack of information feedback may promote cultural assumptions and misconceptions, limiting the global leader’s ability to manage a cross-cultural team
The recommended solutions include:
- Coca Cola global leadership should adapt to the speed of globalization through active participation in international events and activities. For instance, the company should integrate various technologies to enhance interactions and communication between diverse teams
- Global leaders should manage and lead their operational bases with integrity in a growing complex and increasingly globalized society
- Adequate funding and effective monitoring of multicultural training programs will enable global leaders to manage any uncertainty in a cross-cultural environment
- Global leaders should also become more adaptable and flexible in creating, accepting, and adapting to change in their diverse environments
- Coca Cola should also expose its employees to international workplace environments or locations to prepare them for global leadership positions
- The company management should maintain a clear vision that incorporates people from different cultures and recognizing the decline of national or cultural boundaries
Research Outcome
The research on global leadership affirmed that individuals in management positions should learn to manage through uncertainty by becoming responsive and flexible to other people’s diverse perspectives. The paper also stipulates that Coca Cola global business executives can learn important leadership traits in their workplace environments or while closely working and relating with people from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. Indeed, globalization has made global leadership an increasingly important component of organizations’ hiring and recruiting a diverse workforce. Thus, Coca Cola must realize that it faces multiple challenges in learning various global leadership traits. The company can implement multiple strategies to address challenges associated with global leadership. Lastly, Coca Cola’s global leaders can learn international leadership skills and knowledge after extensive training on relevant techniques and perspectives.
Recommendations
The research recommends that Coca Cola Company leaders learn to be effective global leaders in an increasingly globalized world. In particular, with the world becoming globalized than ever before and the international market expanding the more, Coca Cola will have to accommodate consumers from diverse backgrounds. Cross-cultural training and cultural awareness will facilitate the development of practical global leadership skills. Lastly, Coca Cola should implement a mandatory global leadership discipline framework for all its leaders. The Framework should provide proper and clear guidelines on how the employees can learn and apply appropriate leadership the skills and gradually practice them until perfection, especially when dealing with a cross-cultural team.
Conclusion
Global leadership is useful in recognizing the inspirational, innovative, and creative perspectives of people in a complex and diverse environment. Global leadership is almost a must thing for leaders in the present-day marketplaces. Companies like Coca-Cola should understand that global leadership is becoming increasingly important due to the high rate of globalization because of employee diversification. The development of global leadership skills is also critical for organizational leaders seeking to remain ethical and effective in diverse backgrounds. Moreover, global leadership places leaders in the right positions where they can lead people without personal prejudice. Therefore, the research recommends that all people aspiring to be organizational leaders in different categories must learn and practice global leadership skills
Work Cited
Cumberland, Denise M., et al. “Assessment and development of global leadership competencies in the workplace: A review of literature.” Advances in Developing Human Resources 18.3 (2016): 301-317.
Elkington, Rob, et al. “Global leaders’ perceptions of elements required for effective leadership development in the twenty-first century.” Leadership & Organization Development Journal (2017).
file:///C:/Users/n/AppData/Local/Temp/AssessmentandDevelopmentofGlobalLeadershipCompetenciesintheWorkplace.pdf
file:///C:/Users/n/AppData/Local/Temp/final_leadership_literature_review.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/315993063_Managing_Cross-Cultural_Environment_in_Samsung_Company_Strategy_in_Global_Business
Tarique, Ibraiz, and Ellen Weisbord. “The emerging field of global talent management and its implications for global leadership development.” Global Leadership. Routledge, 2017. 200-228.
Virzi, Kathryn. “An examination of global leadership development strategies for multinational corporations.” Journal of Economic Development, Management, IT, Finance, and Marketing 10.1 (2018): 28-39.