Option #2: Modern Leadership in a Mid-Sized Company

You are an organizational development (OD) professional for ABC Company in the role of human resource strategist working across several lines of business. You are responsible to three business-unit vice presidents as well as to the director of human resources in this matrixed organization.

ABC is a mid-sized global company headquartered in the United States and that outsources product manufacturing to facilities in Mexico and Vietnam.

The company’s Board is composed of seven members all located within the United States. The leadership team includes the chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CF0), and chief operating officer (COO). Both the director of technology and director of human resources report to the COO and are considered members of the leadership team but not in the executive ranks. Vice presidents lead the three primary business units and a director of shared services reports to the COO.

Industry analysts recently released data on the top 10 competitors. ABC was listed at #10 overall, but was listed at #50 on diversity and culture. You know that the industry leader has publicly stated a commitment to diversity and worked to build a company-wide culture of leadership.

Pertinent data related to the low rating included:

Board composition: six men and one woman; all United States (U.S.) citizens residing in the United States

Leadership team composition: four men and one woman; one ethnic minority, all U.S. citizens residing in the United States

Employee demographics: 60% men/40% women; median age 50; management roles 80% men/20% women; 40% of the workforce non-U.S. citizens.

Immediately after the industry data were released, reporters contacted the ABC media relations department to get a statement about the undesirable diversity and culture rating. ABC executives want to better understand how the rating might affect the company’s reputation and impact its market position. The executives contacted the director of human resources to get some answers and likewise, the HR director is bringing you into the discussion.

Directions

The HR Director and other members of the leadership team want to have an “educational session” with the main agenda item being the industry study results and current state of diversity and culture at ABC.You will facilitate the leadership team discussion.

You are to draft a meeting plan for the leadership team to review and provide input. You will also facilitate the review and eventual discussion. Following are elements of the draft meeting plan:

-Purpose of the meeting (remember your audience)

-Attendees and roles (assess the leader/follower roles of all of those in attendance, including you. Make and record assumptions as needed. Support your assessment with scholarly sources)

-Schedule, location, and setting (provide reasoned choices with support)

-Pre-reading material (Identify material that attendees should review ahead of the meeting; make and record assumptions as needed)

-Historical overview of the leadership field of study from 1920 to present (two to three pages)

-Include an original graphic element (less than one-half page within body of the report; unlimited space in appendices)

-Explanation of modern leadership with relevance to the situation (three to four pages)

-Include an original graphic element (less than one-half page within body of the report; unlimited space in appendices)

-Critical analysis of a current leadership book and specific relevance to the situation: use one of Western’s (2013) four critical inquiry frames (four to five pages)

-Facilitation questions (related to book; design inquiry to draw attendees into a relevant discussion).

Requirements:

Ten to 12 pages not including the required title and reference pages and appendices

Management report style (see the ToolKit in the Module folder for an example)

Headings and sub-headings used to advance comprehension and clarify the flow of the document

A minimum of two original graphics (figures or tables) demonstrating analytic thought

Appendices that contain larger amounts of data and analytic tools; formatted according to APA standards

Ten to 12 scholarly sources in addition to any of the course required or recommended readings you decide to use.

A current leadership book of your choosing (this is a book you will choose in Module 1 Portfolio Project Milestone Option 2. See the full description of that assignment in the Module 1 folder.

Format your paper according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA.

NOTES

Note: The leadership book I have selected is Driven by Difference: How Great Companies Fuel Innovation Through Diversity (Livermore, 2016). I have attached my previously completed summary of the book.

Please be mindful of the format requirements. A thesis statement/research question must be included.

Citations derived from recent academic sources are required for every claim, assumption, or fact.