The Leadership Style of Tyson Foods Company

Tyson Foods Company is a multinational food company that is located in Springdale, Arkansas. It is the second best food processing company after JBS S.A (In Pederson, 2010).  Tyson Foods Company is selected for leadership audit and will be provided with PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) to help with future leadership skills. When compared with other food processing companies, Tyson Foods Company is one of the leading exporters of beef in the United States of America.

Furthermore, Tyson Foods started as a small business in Arkansas and later grew to the best food innovator in the world. As a company with good leadership, Tyson Foods is taking a positive approach to sustainability concentrate on environmental, economic, and social stewardship (In Pederson, 2010). Therefore, it is only through performance improvement plan that Tyson Foods Company can make an enduring and transformational change in the food industry.  

Moreover, consumers have the right to demand safe and high-quality food.  They also have a right to voice their opinions regarding the standards, procedures, and activities that are used by the industry and government in ascertaining supply. Even though the government and consumers control food safety, the ultimate responsibility of implementing appropriate control measures rely on the hands of food industries. For example, it is Tyson Foods Company that oversees the ma manufacturing and processing of foods on a daily basis. That is from the raw materials to the finished products.  Therefore, in the view of food quality factors like safety and nutrition values are very important. These factors help with the implementation and setting of food standards, and they cannot be successful without the use of a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan).

In many cases, the success of every project that is performed by a company is directly related to management, good leadership, and planning.  However, ensuring food quality and meeting the consumers demand at the same time require good management leadership skills.  For that reason, the paper is designed to evaluate the leadership style of Tyson Foods Company and how the company can adjust on its productiveness without consuming much of its valuable resources and time as well.

Background

Tyson Foods Company operation is divided into four segments, which include prepared foods, chicken, beef, and pork (In Pederson, 2010).  The company also operates a chicken production process that is vertically integrated.  The production process consists of contract growers, further processing, breeding stock, marketing, and production.  Every segment of Tyson Foods Company requires quality leadership skills and performance improvement plan.  For instance, the beef segment of the company consists of the processing of live fed cattle (In Pederson, 2010). The segment is also about the supply of allied products like hides and different types of meat. For that reason, Tyson Foods Company requires an excellent logic operation to move products through a proper supply chain.

Tyson Company has approximately 97000 employees in more than 27 states. The locations of the company’s business are concentrated in the Midwest.  More than 16 locations of the company’s business are located in Arkansas, nine in Iowa, and eleven in Texas. The company also has about 4 locations in the eastern part of the US. Tyson also operates with more than 6000 independent contract chicken breeders.  Today, Tyson is the largest marketer of value-added beef, chicken, and pork products.  It also supplies brand names, including McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, and Wal-Mart with its products. It also makes a wide variety of prepared food products in its 120 food processing plants.

In addition to beef products, Tyson Foods Company produces chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, buffalo’s wing, and boneless buffalo wing. The largest beef packing facility of the company is the firm’s beef production plant is located in Dakota City. Other plants that are important to the company’s business include tanneries, hatcheries, farms, and feed mills. The activities revolving around these plants imply that Tyson Foods Company requires quality leadership and performance improvement plan for the successful business operation.

Tyson Foods Company has also acquired firms like Washington Creamery, Garret Poultry, Franz Foods, Ocoma Foods, Kripsy Chickens, and Wilsons Foods. The company has also invested beyond Memphis Meat and Beyond Meat, the firms developing cultured clean meat and plant-based meat substitute respectively.  Almost every investment done by Tyson Company has been made with the aim of sustaining future demands from consumers.

Results on Walkthrough Audit

Number of the Audit Questions

Name of Concept

Audit Questions

Location

1.

Business Impact Analysis

Does the company’s activity negatively affect the local economy?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

Do the Company’s business activities positively affect the local economy?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

Page 26

2.

Continuity Standards

How often does the company ensure continuity of the business standards?

1. Frequently

2. Most Frequently

3. Not Frequently

4. Sure

5. Not Sure

Is continuity of standards in the company a priority?

1. No

2. Yes

3. Not Sure

4. Agree

5. Disagree

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3.

Organization Supply Chain

How often do you review your organization supply chain?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

Does the current organization supply chain affect your customers’ perceptions?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

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4.

Continuity Plan Documents

Do you agree that the documents for the continuity plan have a positive impact on the company’s business activity?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

Do you believe that the documents for the continuity plan have a negative impact on the company’s business activity?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

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5.

Business Plans

Do you agree that the business plans of every segment have a role in the current leadership performance of your organization?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

How often do you evaluate the business plans of every department of the company?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

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6.

Regulations and Requirements

Do you agree that regulations and requirements are suitable elements for the implementation of the Performance Improvement Plan for your organization?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

How often do you put the company’s regulations and requirements into practice?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

Page 46

7.

Risk Identification and hazard assessment

How often do you perform risk identification and hazard assessment in your organization?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

Do you agree that risk identification and hazard assessment are factors that contribute the implementation of a suitable Performance Improvement Plan?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

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8.

Business Continuity plan documents

How often does the management review the business continuity plan documents?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

Do you believe that the review of the business continuity plan documents have a positive impact on the business performance of Tyson Foods Company?

1. Yes

2. No.

3. Sure

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

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9.

Organizational Skills

Do you believe that organization skills have positive impact on the implementation of Performance Improvement Plan?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Sure

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

How often does the management evaluate the company’s organizational skills?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

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10.

Outlook Training

Is the outlook training important to the company’s daily activities?

6. Disagree

7. Strongly Disagree

8. Agree

9. Strongly Agree

10. Neutral

How frequently does the company carry out outlook training on its employees?

1. Frequently

2. Most Frequently

3. Not Frequently

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

Not applicable

11.

Employee’s Promotion

Do you agree that employee’s promotion is the best reward for performance improvement displayed by the employee?

11. Disagree

12. Strongly Disagree

13. Agree

14. Strongly Agree

15. Neutral

How often the company does promotions to its employees?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

Not applicable

12.

Business Operation

Do you believe that business operation is part of the Performance Improvement Plan?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Sure

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

How often do you evaluate your business operations?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

Not applicable

13.

Business Standards

 How often does the company compare its business standards with other firms in the same field?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

Do you agree that business standards are part of the performance improvement plan?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

Not applicable

14.

Support systems

How will the support system help with the development of the Performance Improvement Plan?

Do you agree that issues relating to support systems are more than customer care and quality service delivery?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

Not applicable

15.

Feedback Plans

How will the feedback plans affect the implementation of the Performance Improvement Plan?

Do you agree that feedback plans will affect the future leadership plans of your organization?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

Not applicable

16.

Achievement Goals

How often does the company evaluate the achievement goals of every employee?

1. Often

2. Most Often

3. Not Often

4. Neutral

5. Never

Do you agree that achievement goals are part of the Performance Improvement Plan?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

Not applicable

17.

Behavior Performance

Do you appreciate the evaluation of behavior performance in your company?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Sure

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

How do you rate the impact of behavior performance in the implementation of the Performance Improvement Plan?

1. Positive

2. Negative

Not Applicable

18.

Reward Specification

Do you personally think that reward specification can result in the development of an excellent Performance Implementation Plan?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Sure

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

How frequently does the company specify on the reward to be given to employees during the promotion?

1. Frequently

2. Most Frequently

3. Not Frequently

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

Not Applicable

19.

Organizational Skills

What is your view about the organization skills of your company?

As the current Manager, does your view about the organization skills affect the development of Performance Implementation Plan?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Sure

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

Not Applicable

20.

Outlook Training

Do you believe that outlook training will result in the establishment of quality Leadership at Tyson Foods Company?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Sure

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

Do you agree that outlook training will result in the improved performance of your colleagues?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

Not Applicable

21.

Employee’s Promotion

Do you agree that employee’s promotion has a positive relationship with the Performance Implementation Plan?

1. Disagree

2. Strongly Disagree

3. Agree

4. Strongly Agree

5. Neutral

Do you think that employee’s promotion is a relevant reward?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Sure

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

Not Applicable

22.

Business Operation

How frequently do you evaluate the company’s business operation?

1. Frequently

2. Most Frequently

3. Not Frequently

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

Do you appreciate the impact of business operation in the development of Performance Implementation Plan?

1. Yes

2. No

3. Sure

4. Not Sure

5. Neutral

Not Applicable

Results and Analysis

According to the results obtained from the walkthrough audit, most of the employees of Tyson Foods Company like motivation. They believed that being promoted to the next position is the best thing that has ever happened in their career lives. Perhaps, employee’s promotion is a good factor to be considered when implementing an improvement performance plan. Tyson company has also done averagely well on the issues about risk identification and hazard assessment. Top management at the Tyson Foods Company has been stepping out help the company achieved its projects without risks and hazardous interfere. Perhaps, project management is more about considering the risks involved.

Food processing is a unique industry, especially when it comes to the relationship between the employer and employees. The industry has casual laborers who work long hours with little motivation.  Therefore, their only motivation is the little wages they received on a daily basis. It even gives the employer a difficult time when awarding employees according to the business standards (Eagle, 2017). Furthermore, the primary agenda is to make Tyson Foods Company remain competitive in the food industry.

During my walkthrough audit, I came to understand that the management of Tyson Foods Company should be trained in how to motivate its employees. There are also other competing firms who are doing the same. Motivation should not only entail job promotions. It also entails other benefits such as gift cards for project referrals, Christmas bonus, and employee of the month award.  Outlook training is one of the methods used by the management in improving the performance delivery of its employees. However, without organization skills, it is difficult for the company to achieve its daily objectives. Therefore, the management of Tyson Foods Company is encouraged to be in a good position in distinguishing between workers who have experienced and at the same time knowledgeable than other employees before signing responsibilities and tasks.  For example, if a person is assigned a role that he (she) has very little experience on, that particular person will automatically become overwhelmed and feel anxious at the same time. He is not sure of at what degree the task needs to be completed. Therefore, a good leader will always choose workers who they are sure that can complete the task successfully and at the same time mentor their junior colleagues (Van et al., 2012).

In the food industry, every leader in every department should be to recognize the level of confidence that each employee has in performing a given tasks. Therefore, the management of Tyson Foods Company should adjust working instructions based on its judgment. Business continuity plan documents are also elements that can help the management with decision making (Gerson, 2006). It depends on how often the management reviews such documents. It is from these documents that the company notice that the employees they brought in meet the standards of the company. I also came to observed that issues relating to support systems at Tyson Foods Company are more than customer care and service delivery. These are elements that can help with the establishment of a performance improvement plan that the management of Tyson Foods Company can use in promoting quality leadership.

Tyson Foods Company could benefit on the system support by developing programs that help employees in recognizing their respective roles and responsibilities. Employees should be given the opportunity to show that they can make a positive impact on the company (Strome, 2013). Employees are also encouraged to put extra hours talking unfavorable tasks. Furthermore, it is the efforts made by employees that can result in their promotion.  Organization operation is an important element when developing the Performance Implementation Plan because it provides a sense of direction and outlines of measurable goals. By using a well-established organization operation, the management tends to become useful with their day-to-day decisions, including evaluation progress and the introduction of new management methods (Inozu, 2012). The organization operation starts with the definition of the company’s mission, which links overarching ideas with practical strategies.  Therefore, Tyson Foods Company is encouraged to define its organization operation in a manner that is broad enough to guide both employees and the management (Watson, 1992).

The process of forming a performance improvement plan can be important to Tyson Foods Company as the results.  Therefore, the process can be valuable, especially when employees from every department are engaged.  The level of employees’ involvement and participation positively affect performance implantation plan by determining the commitment and understanding they have about the plan (Franklin, 2006). Furthermore, involving staff in the strategy formulation by Tyson Foods Company can the whole process easy and affordable. Documentation of continuity plans and employee’s behaviors is an important element because it helps with the gathering of factors that might result in substandard performance. Furthermore, employers like Tyson Foods Company limited are not in a good position to predict the weakness and strength that certain employee posses.  Therefore, a good strategy must document the performance and behaviors of employees for a given period. Documentation of continuity plans is also about gathering feedbacks about the performance of employees. The feedbacks can be obtained from the employee being evaluated by his (her) supervisor.

As mentioned before, the development of a PIP also requires the evaluation of the employee behaviors. It is the behaviors of employees that can contribute to substandard work performance. The same employee could be habitually coming late at work and skipping important training sessions as well. Therefore, putting an employee on a fair PIP will signal to other employees that the firm is serious in maintaining a certain level of job performance or service delivery (Harrington & Harrington, 1995). There is a possibility that a substandard performance displayed by another employee is possible to spread if not stopped early enough.  Furthermore, the primary reason for creating the PIP is to help with the identification of the employee’s substandard performance. Again, it help the employees to recognize that his (her) inputs are not meeting the quality requirements of the organization.

Development of Performance Implementation Plan revolves around organization skills.  It helps employees with the realization of their potential. Therefore, if the employee has shown some imperfect performance before, the strategy can help the worker in improving on the talent that he (she) already has, even if it means gaining new ones. Employee improvement is one of the factors that will help in maintaining the business standards of Tyson Foods Company, especially when it is subjected to the Performance Improvement Plan (Dubois, 1993). The bottom line is to allow the employee to making every effort to improve his performance. In that case, a well-document plan is essential to Tyson Foods Company because it protects the firm from a lawsuit. This normally happened when an employee is fired without being given a chance to redeem himself. Therefore, developing a Performance Implementation Plan by Tyson Foods Company will enable the company to work at its optimum performance level (Wysocki, 2004).  Consequently, it will help the company to improve to increase its profits and productivity level as well.

Conclusion

In conclusion, developing the performance implementation plan is the hardest part of leadership. Therefore, for Tyson Foods Company to be successful in creating a performance implementation plan, it must ensure that the plan aligns with the supportive aspects of the company. There must be a concrete relationship between the plan and employee’s reward for promotion, plan and organization operation, plan and outlook training, plan and behavior performance, plan and organization supply chain.  Moreover, the performance improvement plan is an essential factor when improving the performance of your company. It helps with issues such as greater market coverage, employee retention, ISO certification, and improved sample analysis.  It also helps with the evaluation of the employee performance, especially when it is not adequate. Therefore, through early intervention, the worker can potentially correct the behaviors of its workers and task performance before the behavior becomes overly habitual.  Performance Implementation Plan is a formal process. Therefore, its formality and structure gives the company a better chance of concentrating on central areas of performance. With the performance implementation plan, the company will be able to current layout challenges, layout strategies, and at the same time set-up performance improvement goals. Having clear plans and schedules can help the company stay on track in motivating its employee for future improvements. Committing time to improvement is also part of the performance improvement plan.

References

Dubois, D. D. (1993). Competency-based performance improvement: A strategy for             organizational change. Amherst MA: HRD Press.

Eagle, S. (2017). Demand-driven supply chain management: Transformational performance    improvement.

Franklin, M. (2006). Performance gap analysis: Human performance improvement.             Alexandria, Va: ASTD Press.

Gerson, R. F. (2006). Evaluating Impact: Evaluation and Continuous Improvement for                        Performance Improvement Practitioners. Amherst: HRD Press.

Harrington, H. J., & Harrington, J. S. (1995). Total improvement management: The next            generation in performance improvement. New York: McGraw-Hill.

In Pederson, J. P. (2010). International directory of company histories: Volume 114. Detroit,            Mich: St. James Press.

Inozu, B., Chauncey, D., Kamataris, V., & Mount, C. (2012). Performance improvement for healthcare: Leading change with lean, Six Sigma, and constraints management.

Strome, T. L. (2013). Healthcare Analytics for Quality and Performance Improvement.             Hoboken: Wiley.

Wysocki, R. K. (2004). Project management process improvement. Boston: Artech House.

Watson, G. H. (1992). The benchmarking workbook: Adapting best practices for            performance improvement. Cambridge, Mass: Productivity Press.

Van, T. D. M., Moseley, J. L., Dessinger, J. C., Van, T. D. M., & Van, T. D. M.             (2012). Fundamentals of performance improvement: Optimizing results through             people, process, and organizations.