Personal Profile

People differ from one another in terms of their thoughts and behaviors since each and every person has a unique personality. I can speak for myself when I claim that I am a person with a strong character that bases his or her actions on success or reaching the targets established. This is credited to perseverance and more sensible work practices. By making sure there is appropriate consultation in all I get to do, I can develop such a character. Any endeavor is considered to require information because having enough knowledge of a subject will enable you to make wise selections that are necessary to success. Cultural dimensions

Hofstede is one of the renowned scholars that devoted himself towards looking at the aspect of cultures thereby creating a cultural dimensions theory. The theory that he developed is simply a framework for cross-cultural communication. The theory describes the effects of culture on values of its members and how these values relate to behavior. It does this by using a structure that is derived from factor analysis. Cultural values according to the theory can be analyzed in several ways inclusive of; uncertainty avoidance, individual-collectivism, power distance, and masculinity-feminity. These are discussed below in detail.

Power distance index (PDI): this is defined as the extent to which members of organizations and institutions who are deemed to be less powerful accept and expect the fact that power ought’s to be distributed unequally. The aspect or concept of hierarchy is clearly established and put into implementation in the society. This applies on the higher degree end of the index. On the other end, the lower degree end of the index points out that individuals question authority and tend to attempt to distribute power.

Individualism vs. collectivism (IDV): this as an index looks at the extent to which individuals in the society are integrated into groups. Societies that are individualistic tend to put emphasis on the ‘I’ versus the ‘we’. On the other hand, collectivism looks at a society where there are tight-integrated relationships ties that tend to extend to families and others into in-groups.

Uncertainty avoidance index (UAI): this is the society’s tolerance for ambiguity. Cultures that tend to have a higher score in this opt for stiff codes of behavior, laws, guidelines, and generally rely absolute truth. Cultures that have lower scores in this have more acceptance of differing thoughts or ideas.

Masculinity vs. femininity (MAS): masculinity on its end is the preference in a society for heroism, achievement, assertiveness and the reward for success. Femininity on the other hand is a preference for cooperation, modesty, quality of life, and caring for the weak.

Long-term orientation vs. short-term orientation (LTO): in this case, what is looked at is the association that connects the past with the current and the future actions. In the case that there is a low degree in this index, it simply means that traditions are kept and honored, and steadfastness is valued. On the other hand, having a high degree in the index points out that pragmatic problem solving is a necessity.

Indulgence vs. restraint (IND) : this is a dimension that tries to measure the level of happiness i.e. whether or not simple joys are fulfilled. Indulgence on its end is said to be a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and human desires that are natural related to having fun and enjoying life. On the other, restraint describes a society that tends to control gratification of needs and at the same time regulates it through strict social norms.

The Swedish culture has been identified and seen as an egalitarian culture. The culture has been seen to be tolerant in nature with those from the culture having a humbled characteristic finding boasting absolutely unacceptable. The Swedes are said to be people who prefer to listen to others first as opposed to forcing their voice to be heard first. People from Sweden are considered to be very calm and this is attributed from their speaking which is soft and calm. Research has ascertained that it is very difficult to find a Swede demonstrating strong emotions and anger in public. The Swedes are people who value hospitality highly as well as kindness and they will often give thanks. Failing to say thanks after any good did is seen to be negative and very arrogant among the people. Individual behaviors tend to be balanced towards what is seen to be moderation i.e. lagom. Boasting and flashiness are abhorred in Sweden. Each and every person is seen to strive towards the middle way (Daun, 1996). It is the thought by many around the world that working hard is key towards living a good life but for the Swedes, this is not a common phrase for them. They do work hard but not too hard but the instead tend to enjoy whatever they are doing without participating in anything extreme. Egalitarianism in among the people in the region has brought about the non-competitive aspect among the Swedes.

Leadership style

Leadership is an aspect that is of great importance in the running of an organization and as such it is of essence that organizations find leaders that would be able to run them effectively. Leadership is basically the process of social influence where an individual can be able or is able to enlist as well as support other individuals in the accomplishment or attainment of specific tasks and goals (Daun, 1996). A leader on the other hand is an individual that is followed by others i.e. someone who direct or guides others. For one to be a good leader, they ought to have all the leadership skills so that they can be able to guide other effectively.

The most essential aspect in global leadership is the designing and development of a perfect global leadership development program (GLDP). A perfect global leadership design should consist of the following seven aspects;

Creation of a unique GLDP curriculum- The GLDP curriculum should constitute your mission, vision, and leadership competencies. It should put its focus on the unique challenges faced, multi-faceted and with clear metrics and milestones. It should be a progressive process of training, immersion, coaching, and reflection.

Understand and address the competencies that are essential for global leaders- Competencies in this case include having a global business mindset, leveraging collaborative leadership skills, innovation, creativity, and vision, achieving cultural intelligence, and excelling in the areas of partnering and team building.

Provide potential global leaders an extended immersion in a new culture.

Systematically analyze and leverage the global leadership opportunity during an overseas assignment.

Provide executive coaching for global leadership.

Make global collaboration and project team leadership an integral part of the GLDP

Emphasize inclusiveness in GLDP.

Even though there are individuals in an organization that are identified as the core leaders of the organization, many organizations have opted to adopt a culture of leadership. In this case, each and every individual has responsibility as a leader to lead even if they are not in the formal position of authority.

Research by different scholars has identified leadership as being one of the key aspects to the success of the organization. A business is said to have good leadership skills when it is successful an on the rise while failure as well as falling of an organization. The success of an organization may be attributed to the following factors that are in relations to leadership.

Success overtime hinges on the quality of leadership- It has been evident over time that organizations that highly invest in leadership tend to outperform the field.

Building leadership excellence even in challenging times- organizations that perform well in the marketplace recruit talent and place them on focused driven teams.

Bring in the best people and bring out the best in people- companies in this case identify and build on their strengths.

Keep the fire burning- Identification of how the organization can grow using leadership skills of the individuals in the organization.

Culture counts especially during tough times- The virtue of a leader being a fast learner plays a major part in this case. Leaders should have the ability to learn faster as changes occur so as to have a competitive advantage.

Paying attention to human capital payoffs on the bottom line.

Standing up for your beliefs.

Leadership varies differently and as such, there exists different leadership styles. Scholars have identified five leadership styles that are seen to be implemented by organizations. These include;

Laissez-Faire-this form of leadership lacks direct supervision when it comes to employees and fails to provide regular feedback to those that he supervices. This as a leadership style tends to hinder the production of employees needing supervision.

Autocratic-this is a form of leadership that allows leaders to make decisions independently without the input of others. This is a case where the managers have total authority and they tend to impose their will on employees.

Participative-this is also referred to as democratic leadership. It values the input of team members but the responsibility of making the final decision rests with the participative leader.

Transactional: this form of leadership involves managers receiving certain tasks to perform and provide rewards and even punishments to individuals based on performance results. Goals are set by managers and team members and the employees agree to follow the direction and leadership of the manager in order to accomplish such goals.

Transformational-this form of leadership tends to depend on high levels of communication from management with the aim of meeting goals. Employees are motivated by leaders hence improving productivity and efficiency.

Organization analysis

Each and every organization aims at achieving success. Several factors are seen to play part towards the achievement of the set goals. One of the most renowned organizations around the world is Coca-Cola Company. The company is known for its production of refreshments such as soda. In order to have good understanding of organization structure among other things, we will look at the Company as an example. The Coca-Cola Company is among the top 100 companies in the U.S. and this is attributed to several factors that work hand in hand to ensure that the company is successful. Good management is one of the key factors that have brought success in the organization. The growth of the company has been consistent and this can be evidenced by several factors. These factors include the rise in its total revenues as well as profits, the increase of its market base, increased production, and the total number of employees it has on an annual basis. Production in a company is influenced by several factors inclusive of availability of raw materials, the technology used (in the case of companies that are dependent on technology), availability and level of skills of the force among others. Proper management is of essence to ensure that these factors are looked upon in a way that would ensure productivity in a company is highest. Achievement of such goals are dependent on organization structure of the company. Organization structure simply defines how activities such as coordination, task allocation, and supervision are directed towards the attainment of organizational aims.

Coca-cola Company has been identified as one of the company that is culturally diverse when it comes to services offered alongside its operation. It is a worldwide company having many subsidiaries all over the world. The company is said to be culturally diverse due to the fact that its employees are from different cultures and also it gives its services to customers from many different cultures. The company owes its success to both the organizational structure as well as culture. Culture becomes of great importance because it describes the typical way through which the company carries out its operations. This is inclusive of relationship and behavior. Some of the important cultural aspects of Coca-Cola company include its emphasis on teamwork and empowerment. The company considers its employees as its most valuable and important asset. To begin with, employees can be seen to be the stepping stone towards success in any organization. This is the reason as to why Coca-Cola Company ensures that its employees are motivated. Motivated employees provide the engine that drives the company towards success (Douglas Holt, 2010). In order for employees to be productive, it is essential to ensure that they are well organized. Employees may be organized into teams and this encourages them to feel valued. Organizing them into teams provides room for them to contribute ideas to be innovative.

Schwarts is one of the scholars who looked at the aspect of culture in general and gave his analysis with regards to this. He developed the theory of basic human values which is a theory in the field of intercultural research. The theory basically tries to measure universal values that are recognized by all major cultures. Ten distinct values are identified by the theory and it goes further to point out the dynamics amongst them. The following are the motivational types of values as identified by Schwartz:

Openness to change

Self-Direction. This consists of independent thought and action.

Stimulation-novelty, excitement, and challenge in life.

Self enhancement

Achievement-the attainment of success by demonstrating competence according to social standards.

Hedonism-gratification for oneself.

Power-prestige and social status.

Conservation

Conformity-this entails the restraint of actions, impulses, and inclinations that are likely to harm others and violate social norms.

Tradition-commitment, respect, and acceptance of the ideas and customs of one’s culture.

Security-harmony, safety, and stability of self and relationships.

Self-transcendence

Universalism-appreciation, tolerance, understanding, and protection for the welfare of nature and all individuals.

Benevolence-enhancing and preserving the well being of the people that one gets in contact with often.

The aspect of culture alongside values brings the rise of individualism and collectivism. To begin with, individualism is the individualism may be said to be the moral stance or rather the social outlook which tries to put emphasis on the moral worth of the individual. In this case, people value self reliance and independence and as such tend to advocate that interest of individuals should achieve precedence over the state and at the same time opposing external interference on an individual’s interests by society. Individualism basically takes the individual as its main focus. On the other hand, collectivism is the moral stance that puts emphasis on other people or group alongside its interests. Collectivism is said to be the total opposite of individualism. It puts its focus on societal, communal, or national interest in various types of political, educational, and economic systems. Collectivism may be characterized into two i.e. horizontal collectivism and vertical collectivism (Lásźló, 2013). Horizontal collectivism emphasizes on equality and people engaging in sharing. On the other hand, vertical collectivism emphasizes on hierarchy and people submit to specific authorities. The aspect of horizontal collectivism point out on the assumption that individuals are more or less equal. On the other hand, vertical collectivism has the assumption that individuals are different from each other.

Proper leadership and management may be seen to be an important aspect in any organization. It is therefore of great importance for any organization to ensure that it has proper leadership and management so as it may be able to effectively attain the set goal. The baldridge criteria is one of the assessment methods used when it comes to matters relating to leadership an management. Success in an organization is considered to be the most paramount aspect. Each and every organization strives for success and this is basically in terms of profits made. Many organizations are seen to be profit oriented and as such the higher the profits, the more successful the organization is. Several factors are seen to act alongside each other in determining the amount of profit that an organization would make. Sales are one of the key factors and higher sales would mean that the organization is performing well in the market. Other factors include costs that the organization incurs in production and therefore profit would be determined on the basis of sales relative to the costs. The workforce is also seen to play a big role in the organizational functions. For any organization, there must be a workforce that would be in charge of all operations in the organization from the procurement of raw materials to the sales of the end products. The workforce is therefore seen to be one of the most important aspects of an organization (O’Neil, 2012). It would therefore be right to point out that having a workforce that is functioning effectively and appropriately would play a big part in ensuring that the organization is successful. In order to determine whether the workforce is performing optimally, it is of great essence to have regular assessments of the workforce. The following paper would assess the workforce of the organization that am currently employed and give a proper insight with regards to how it has led to the success of the organization.

Workforce assessment requires proper tools so as the assessment can be done in an effective and efficient manner. The main purpose of workforce assessment is to improve the competitiveness and performance of an organization. Baldrige assessment is one of the key assessment tools that an organization can put in place in the assessment of its workforce (Brown, 2013). It is considered to be an assessment program that develops and disseminates evaluation criteria, promotes performance excellence, and provides global leadership in the learning and sharing of successful strategies and performance practices, principles, and methodologies. Its assessment criteria provide a framework which can be put in place by any organization in improving overall performance. This assessment criteria has seven categories;

Category

Area of assessment

Leadership

This category basically puts its focus on top leadership inclusive of executives and managers as well as supervisors. It analyzes how they guide the organization in performing its functions and also how the organization addresses its responsibilities to the public or rather customers and practices good citizenship.

Strategic planning

This entails the examination of how the organization has set forward its sets strategic directions and also how it determines key action plans.

Customer focus

In this category, customer relations are out looked. This includes the determination of customers alongside market requirements and expectations. It also builds the relationships with customers, acquires, retains, and satisfies them.

Measurement, analysis, and knowledge management

This entails the examination of the management, analysis, effective use, and improvement of information and data that are seen to be supportive of key organizational processes and the organization’s performance management system.

Workforce focus

This looks at how the organization gives the workforce the ability of developing its full potential as well as how it is in line with the organizations objectives.

Process management

In this case, examination is done on the key production and delivery processes. It also looks at how support processes are designed, manage, and how they may be improved.

Results

This is the last category and it looks at the overall performance and improvement of the organization in some of its key business areas. These are inclusive of financial and marketplace performance, customer satisfaction, supplier and partner performance, human resources, governance and social responsibility, and operational performance. It also compares how the organization performs relative to competitors.

Organization that have implemented or used the Baldrige assessment criteria are seen to have a better employee relations, greater customer satisfaction, higher productivity, improved profitability, and increased market share. These are the results that any organization or business is longing for and as such the Baldrige assessment criteria is seen to provide this.

In conclusion, workforce assessment goes a long way in ensuring that organizations are able to be successful in any market. This may be seen to be an internal way of improving the business or organizational functioning because it entails assessment on the internal environment of the business. Having a workforce that is properly functioning would be seen to be of great benefit for any organization. Assessment would enable you to determine areas that are underperforming and therefore make you aware of which areas you should focus on in order to improve performance. The Baldrige assessment criteria has been seen to work effectively for many organizations in the U.S. and therefore it would be of great essence for organizations to put into consideration when it comes to assessment of the workforce.

References

Daun, Å. (1996). Swedish Mentality. Delhi: Greenwood Publishers.

Douglas Holt, ‎. C. (2010). Cultural Strategy: Using Innovative Ideologies to Build Breakthrough Brands. New York: OUP Oxford.

Lásźló, É. (2013). Individualism, Collectivism, and Political Power: A Relational Analysis of Ideological Conflict. London: Springer.

Trosborg, A. (2010). Pragmatics across Languages and Cultures. London: Walter de Gruyter.

Brown, M. G. (2013). Baldrige Award Winning Quality -- 18th Edition: How to Interpret the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. New York: CRC Press.

O’Neil, H. F. (2012). Workforce Readiness: Competencies and Assessment. London: Blackwell Publishers.